My Family History : Diabetes

I know that you are trying to help, but I need you to know that my life is much more complicated than the aspects that I let you see. Diabetes can be a very degenerative disease. Insulin helps us survive, but it doesn’t cure us. If we don’t live the textbook (nearly impossible, saintly) life of a diabetic, the consequences can be devastating. One-third of our lives could be cut-off. We can lose circulation in our feet and hands. Our organs can slowly corrode, and blindness is an imminent dread for 1 in 10 diabetics who don’t keep their blood-sugar under constant control.

According to the United States Library of Medicine, diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body does not make or use insulin correctly, therefore causing fluctuating amounts of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of adults and children from various cultures. According to the American Diabetes Association (2014), someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 19 seconds. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention most recent statistical report indicated there were 29.1 million adults and children affected by diabetes. Those numbers are astounding. Unfortunately, the American Diabetes Association (2014) estimates by year of 2050, one out of three adults will have diabetes. Therefore, it is imperative that adults take aggressive measures to prevent this disease. By the same token, diabetes diagnosed in children and adolescent is becoming more prevalent every day. The American Diabetes Association (2014) reported there were about 216, 00 children in the United States with diabetes. It is predicted that one out three children will be diagnosed with diabetes in their life. The statistics for both adults and children with diabetes are frightening; however, early detection can help lower the risk of developing the debilitating effects of diabetes.

The rate of diabetes in the United States is one of the highest compared to other developed countries. An estimate of 9.3% of the population have diabetes, of those with diabetes 27.8% have yet to be diagnosed (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). This means that approximately 8.1 million people are currently living with diabetes, but are unaware of it. As of 2012, 12.3% of people with diabetes were 20 years old or older, the largest population diagnosed with diabetes were adults 65 years old or older. 25.9% of this population lives with diabetes (CDC, 2014). On a national level, the CDC have launched initiatives that focus on prevention and disease management. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is an example of one such initiative. This program focuses on lifestyle changes,

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect nearly every organ of the body; of which, heart disease and kidney failure are most commonly impacted. Known as diabetes mellitus, a collective term for various blood abnormalities, the term diabetes refers to either a scarcity of insulin in the body or the body’s inability to accept insulin. Though the symptoms of diabetes are manageable, many are unaware as to having it. According to the CDC report “2011 Diabetes Fact Sheet,” approximately 6 million people in the United States have undiagnosed diabetes. Undetected, diabetes can become deadly. In a recent World Health Organization report “Diabetes Action Now: An Initiative of the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation,” it

Diabetes is a growing concern and health challenge for the American people (b). Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot react to insulin appropriately or either cannot produce insulin efficiently (w). “Without a properly functioning insulin signaling system, blood glucose levels become elevated and other metabolic abnormalities occur, leading to the development of serious, disabling complications” (w). There are numerous forms of diabetes amongst the nation, however, there are three main forms of diabetes. Most people have heard of type one diabetes, type two diabetes, and gestational diabetes because they are common. Type two diabetes deals with a resistance to insulin, while

The entire concept of diabetes is about living on the edge of trouble. While Type 1 Diabetes is a biological condition associated with a fundamental flaw in the way one's body produces or reacts to insulin a substance that controls and monitors sugar in the blood and cells Type 2 Diabetes is a social and cultural condition. Those most likely groups of people to have to live with it are persons of non-white nationalities (increasingly Hispanics and Asians) who live at or below the US poverty level and/or who have not achieved a very high level of educational advancement (California Department of Public Health, 2010). And in places like San Diego County, California, this puts a major number of people, young and old, quite literally on the border of health and wellness disasters.

I have been naïve to an epidemic that has been plaguing America for quite some time now. It wasn’t talked about or taught much when I was younger. I thought that this disease was for the geriatric population. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes. 8.1 million went undiagnosed. (diabetes.org) Diabetes is a dilemma and the statistics for this disease is rising steadily. Per the diabetes association there are 1.4 million of new cases of diabetes a year. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the united states of America. Diabetes is not affecting only one group of people. Diabetes.org states that 208,000 Americans under the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes. In 2014 I started a new job at a call center. Prior to this occupation I had never personally, that I knew of interacted closely with anyone suffering from this disease. I had never heard of the younger population developing this illness and I certainly never heard any first-hand accounts on how diabetes affected the body. I discovered just how prevalent diabetes were in young adults. I watched people between the ages of 20-27 be afflicted by this disease. They had to constantly watch their diet to ensure that their blood glucose wasn’t either too high or too low. I watched a 20-year-old female be in and out of the hospital because of this disease. I hope to inform this reader of the dangers of this disease and what to do to prevent it.

When my mother was BLANK years old she was diagnosed with Diabetes. Insert more about the emotionally scarring backstory to how she found out about her diagnosis. About five years ago my father was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. My dad has to watch what he eats, he has also been cutting back on his portions of food, to hopefully get his pancreas back into regular habits after he losses weight. A few years ago my mother’s brothers were both diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Her older brother, Kelly, was recently diagnosed, and their younger brother, Tom, was diagnosed a couple years after my dad was. After my uncles found out they both went to my parents to ask how to handle it better, and as far as I know they have been watching how much glucose they consume, which has greatly reduced the levels of insulin produced by their bodies. From what I remember my grandparents on my father’s side were diagnosed just a few months before my dad was. When my grandpa was still living at home with my grandma, my grandma was always so careful to make sure my grandpa did not eat too much glucose, as well as making sure she did not either. My uncles, father, and grandparents have been trying to reduce their insulin creation, which is somewhat of a “cure” to Type

For this assignment, I interviewed a thirty-two year old African American male with type-one diabetes. I learned having this particular disease is difficult to manage; nutritious eating, exercise, watching their disorder, taking medication and reducing their risk for problems are usually part of your their day-to-day routine. It seems that all of this is pretty overwhelming and there are two main types of diabetes (type-one and type-two). This particular illness distresses your body’s capability to generate or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone. When your body turns the food you eat into energy, it’s usually referred to as glucose or sugar. If you produce little or no insulin, or are insulin resistant, too much sugar rests in your blood. Blood glucose levels are greater than standard for individuals with diabetes. The cause of diabetes is unknown. Genetics, diet, obesity and lack of exercise may play a role in developing diabetes, specifically in cases of type-two diabetes.

Currently Healthy People has identified diabetes as one of the 7th leading causes of death in the United States. Diabetes is defined as chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is not working correctly. There are several kinds of diabetes but the most common are: diabetes type one which is when the body does not produce insulin, diabetes type two is when the body does not use insulin and creates resistance to insulin, it is the most common among diabetics, and other diabetes types are usually gestational, which can be the short term. Not only does diabetes lead to death, it shortens the life expectancy, it also increases the risks for heart disease and it leads to kidney failure which leads to other organ failure. In addition to being

Diabetes. It is said that 8.1 million people with diabetes do not even know that they have this disease (The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2016). Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes. About 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older people. People who are overweight and inactive are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes, 2012).

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that causes problems in the way the blood uses food. The inability of the body to transform the sugar into energy is called diabetes. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the primary source of fuel for our bodies. When food is digested, some of the food will be converted into glucose which is then transferred from the blood into the cells however, insulin, which is produced by beta cells in the pancreas is needed. In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

Diabetes is a major problem in our society today. Many people have heard about the disease; however, they do not know too much about its complications. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive and lifelong condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy found in food (WebMD, 2016). Many new cases are confirmed every year and unfortunately, many go undiagnosed for years. Diabetes is a serious disease and need to be taking seriously. The disease can lead to many other health problems such as blindness, nerve damage and kidney diseases. The more the community understand and made aware of the seriousness of the disease, the better it can be control and or prevented.

energy. When a person consumes food with sugar, the sugar is broken down into glucose. Glucose is used as an energy source for the body and is transported throughout your blood into the cells by insulin. Without proper amounts of insulin, your body is unable to use the glucose as

Diabetes has been out for thousands of years and still no cure. researchers and scientist have been searching and searching for ways to overcome this disease but nothing yet. Everyone goals are to either improve, prevent, or cure this disease. Diabetes became very known around the seventeenth century because of a high percentage of people was found with sugar in their urine and blood. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases that affects our society worldwide. The average person in this world does not know anything about this disease. The diabetes association said “In 2013 the estimate of 328 million people had diabetes throughout the world”. Society today need to be aware of what we are up against with this disease.