Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the human body. Diabetes requires constant maintenance, without care diabetes can have a significant influence on the quality of life of suffering patients and possibly reduce their life expectancy (Diabetes Australia, n.d). Currently, there is no cure for diabetes, diabetics can live a normal life as a healthy person, enjoying, maintaining and managing their health. There are distinct types of diabetes, but the two principal types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a state in which the bodies’ immune system is triggered to eliminate it's own pancreatic inlet cells, which work to provide insulin. The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, however it is known that there is a genetic link that cannot be prevented and that it is not preventable through the changing of one's lifestyle features (Diabetes Australia, n.d). Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body is resistant to insulin’s effects and is unable to control the amount of insulin being made in the pancreas. The main cause of this type of diabetes is associated with lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and high blood pressure (Diabetes Australia, n.d). This type of diabetes can be managed with healthy eating and regular physical activity. A third type of diabetes is called “gestational” diabetes which is brought on by pregnancy and can disappear after birth, but increases one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life (Diabetes Australia, n.d).
In the long term, diabetes is associated with a number of health complications and risks that are the most common cause of diabetes-associated mortality. Complications can be microvascular, including nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy or complications can be macrovascular, including coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and stroke (Bate & Jerums, 2003). These health complications can all lead to severe disability, decreasing quality of life and possibly causing premature death (O’Shea, Teeling, & Bennett, 2014). A major comorbidity and leading cause of mortality in diabetics is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Diabetics have a doubled risk of CVD and the AusDiab study shows that approximately 70% of diabetics reported to have hypertension, whilst 35% reported a previous CVD event. Diabetics also have poorer prognosis of CVD events with more than a 2 fold increased risk of mortality compared to the non-diabetic population (Barr et al., 2007). Another major comorbidity is kidney disease, the high levels of glucose cause damage to the capillaries within the kidneys, causing diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is the second leading cause of diabetes-related mortality behind CVD in Australia and is also the leading cause of ESKD (Phillips, Coates, & Yong, 2006). Diabetes, CVD and Kidney disease share many risk factors and it is estimated that in 2011-12 approximately 1.2 million Australian adults had at least two of these conditions and approximately 182,000 had all three (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). Although there are various health complications of diabetes, CVD and diabetic nephropathy are the major health issues faced by diabetics in the Australian and global population.
There are many health risks for the population, including different environmental factors, social determinants and health behaviours. Many people that suffer with diabetes generally have a history of diabetes in their families because it could be genetically passed through DNA. Some other factors other than family history could be overweight issues causing inability of the body to produce enough insulin. Dornhost & Banerjee (2010) states that having a baby at an older age can be a risk for gestational diabetes that is a type of diabetes when carrying a baby causing the body to produce less insulin for the mother and the infant. The production of hormones during pregnancy could block the action of the mother’s insulin but gestational diabetes goes away after giving birth. An infant that is born from a mother suffering from gestational diabetes is at risk with suffering diabetes also because their body may not be immune to producing enough or any insulin for their body to function like someone without diabetes. Ageing is also a risk factor because the elderly system weakens and may not be producing the same amount of insulin as they used to, causing them to have to inject insulin to maintain their blood sugar levels. Having a history of an autoimmune disease is a risk factor for diabetes because the human body has cells in the immune system that attacks any cells that do not belong to that person, called non self-cells, and insulin could be mistaken and attacked by self-cells which decreases the amount of insulin being produced.
Health practitioners play a very important role in maintaining the health of those suffering from diabetes. The patients rely on their health professionals to provide guidance, health tests, treatments and advice for them when required. They collaboratively work together in order to decrease the risk of further health complications associated with diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye and foot problems (Diabetes Australia, n.d). The number of health practitioners involved in caring for someone with diabetes is quite extensive depending on the severity of the symptoms they may experience. The first point of contact for someone with this condition is usually the general practitioner. They educate on how to manage and care for someone with diabetes as well as providing referrals to seek further treatment from a specialist for the many side effects (Diabetes Australia, n.d). For someone who has been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a dietitian might be a helpful resource. The diagnosis may come with many diet and lifestyle changes which may seem very daunting and unattainable for some. A dietitian will assist in the development of an individualised healthy eating plan. They can also educate on how to read and comprehend food and nutrition labels making it easier for one to make the right food choices (NPS Medicine Wie, 2011). Weight loss may also be necessary for someone trying to manage their diabetes. An exercise physiologist can work with the patient to establish a personalised exercise plan that suits the individual needs of the patient. Other health care practitioners that may been helpful for a someone living with diabetes are endocrinologists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, counsellors and psychologists, dentists, pharmacists and paediatricians. Lastly a strong support group of friends and family can ease the transition into this new lifestyle (NPS Medicine Wie, 2011).
Diabetes is a serious disease that effects our body and lifestyle. There are three types of diabetes; Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and Type 3 diabetes also known as gestational diabetes. Diabetes is characterised by hyperglycaemia due to insulin resistance or insulin deficiency. Diabetes can be managed through diet, exercise, oral medications or insulin injections. The common barriers to health and health care experienced by diabetic patients are accessibility to facilities and insufficient finances. There are a variety of health practitioners that assist diabetic patients in the management of disease. Therefore, diabetes is a serious disease that needs to be observed properly by health practitioners to ensure the patient’s health is in stable condition.