Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease associated with the inability to store and metabolise glucose effectively. In the UK alone there are just under 3 million people diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 850,000 who are not aware that they have it. (Nhs.uk, 2014)
Because the transporters for glucose to be stored and metabolised are Insulin dependent in most areas of the body (except the Blood Brain Barrier), an absence or deficiency in Insulin results in Increased levels of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is diagnosed when the blood glucose level of a normal healthy individual is above 11.1mmol/l and in a fasting state above 7mmol/l. Diabetes can occur because of two factors:
Due to the inability to produce Insulin from
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The retina contains the Photoreceptors which produce and transmit visual information to the brain to form an image. Damage to these cells due to blockage or leakage prevents supply of oxygen and nutrients to these cells leading to visual loss over time.
Neuropathy – damage to the nerves in the feet which causes diabetics to hurt their feet even more since they cannot sense the pain.
UTI –Bacteria is found in the Intestine and is excreted with urine through the urethra. When glucose is present in the urine, this provides a medium and nutrition for bacteria to grow causing inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) as well as it spreading up the ureter’s to the kidneys (pyelonephritis). The risk of UTI’s are also increased by a weakened immune response due to a smaller amount of lymphocytes travelling to the area of infection because of a reduces blood flow caused by diabetes. (Diabetes.co.uk, 2014)
Ketoacidosis – is specifically a symptom of Type 1 diabetes because there is an absence of Insulin altogether. This occurs because glucose cannot absorb into cells hence unable to be used as an energy source and the body turns to degrading fatty acids for energy. The by-products of this reaction are Ketone bodies which decrease the PH of the blood. The compensatory mechanism to this is the body hyperventilating to exhale as much CO2 as possible to lower the PCO2 in the blood. Presence of insulin inhibits ketoacidosis hence this symptom not occurring in type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a common disease, which can be a serious life-long illness caused by high level of glucose in the blood. This condition is when the body cannot produce insulin or lack of insulin production from the beta cells
Diabetic neuropathy can occur with long-term diabetes, usually after several years of uncontrolled high blood glucose. Glucose proteins, called glycoproteins, form in the nerves primarily those in the legs and feet. When the nerves in the feet are damaged, the brain cannot recognize pain in that area. Nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy can lead to weakness in the muscles in the legs and feet. Since the muscles work as a system, neuropathy can lead to other foot problems, such as hammertoes, calluses, bunions, and other foot deformities. These deformities are dangerous because of the risk of infection. A simple blister from a tight shoe can spell disaster
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 condition in which the body is unable to produce or successfully utilize insulin. The most well-known risks associated with the development of diabetes involve poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and being overweight. However, this is not the case for type 1 diabetes and these are not the only significant factors when looking at type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, in which the pancreas does not produce insulin. It usually begins in childhood or adolescence. In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system destroys beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starches, and food into energy. Without insulin, blood glucose levels become too high, which is known as hyperglycemia. To prevent hyperglycemia, people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to survive. Genetic and environmental factors affect the onset of Type 1 diabetes. [1] According to the American Diabetes Association, a predisposition to Type 1 diabetes is
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body is unable to effectively process blood sugar in the body. The number of people who have diabetes has reached epidemic levels according to the Centers for Disease control and prevention. Over 110 million people in the U.S. alone have diabetes or prediabetes. About 95% of all diagnosed cases involve type 2 diabetes, and around 5% of all diagnosed cases are type 1 diabetes. Unfortunately, most people do not know that they have diabetes, and their condition can go unnoticed until they develop severe complications.
There are many people in the United States who have diabetes but do not know it. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 25.8 million people are living with the disease (American Diabetes Association, 2011), and
Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorders caused by diabetes. Symptoms include pain, tingling, or numbness, loss of feeling in hands, arms, feet, and legs. Nerve problems can occur in every organ system. Diabetic neuropathies appears more common in people who have problems controlling their blood glucose, those with high levels of blood fat, high blood pressure and obese (Porth, 2015). Metabolic factors include high blood glucose, abnormal blood fat levels, and low insulin levels. Neurovascular factors are associated to damage to the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to nerves (Porth, 2015). Autoimmune factors that cause inflammation in nerves. Mechanical injury to nerves, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome (Porth, 2015). Inherited
Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the body is unable to produce or utilize insulin. The lack of insulin can cause an elevation of glucose levels in the blood. Glucose is the fuel of the body. If there is not the proper amount of glucose in the body, it can lead to fatigue and weakness. If left untreated it can make the body think that it is starving. Depending on the severity, it can even lead to death.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) DKA and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS) occurs in 20 % of the elderly who have not previously been diagnosed with diabetes. HHS is more often found in the elderly, being precipitated by an acute illness or drug therapy (Childs, Cypress, & Spollett, 2009). DKA and HHS, are both similar in the aspect for a decrease in the effective concentration of insulin in conjunction with the counter regulatory hormones glucagon, cortisol, growth hormone and epinephrine. However, DKA and HHS differed in the driving force, degree of insulin deficiency, serum glucose levels, pH, serum osmolality and duration of symptoms (Childs, Cypress, & Spollett, 2009).
First, we will talk about Peripheral neuropathy which is a medical term used to describe a whole series of disorders resulting from damage to the body's peripheral nervous system( Alexiadou and Doupis, 2012). According to research, Diabetic neuropathy is the common factor in almost 90% of diabetic foot ulcers ( Alexiadou and Doupis, 2012). Because even a slightly high blood sugar level can causes damage of some nerves. It will affected
Peripheral neuropathy is obviously one of the major complications of chronic diabetes, which affects the nerves and leads to loss of sensation, numbness, and pain in the legs, feet, or even hands. Sadly, peripheral neuropathy is likely to affect approximately 70% of people with diabetes. However, not all people who develop this type of complication experience serious pain.
As previously stated, there is Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Due to the differentiation, the etiology of diabetes is divergent. Being insulin-dependent, Type 1 diabetes is brought about by the immune system eradicating beta cells, leading to the deficiency of insulin. In contrast, Type 2 diabetes has a basis that can often times be prevented to an extent (“Causes of Diabetes”, 2014).
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.
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.