The Common Long Term Complications Of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes refers to a set of several different diseases. It is a serious health problem throughout the world and fourth leading cause of death by disease in the country. All types of diabetes result in too much sugar, or glucos in the blood. To understand why this happens it would helpful if we understand how the body usually works. When we eat, our body breaks down the food into simpler forms such as glucose. The glucose goes into the bloodstream, where it then travels to all the cells in your body. The cells use the glucose for energy. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move the glucose from bloodstream to the cells. The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus further explains the concept on how this disease works. Pancreas

There are many diseases which can be named as Long term conditions. I would like to point out some of the Long term conditions which cannot be cured such as Heart disease, Asthma. , Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Dementia and Diabetes.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (2011), 18.5 % of the United States population is over the age of 60 years. Of these, 10.9 million (26.9%) are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (ADA, 2011.) In Lewis and associates’ text book on Medical- Surgical nursing, Lewis states that the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) increases with age (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, and Camera, 2011.) The purpose of this paper is to explore the disease process of diabetes mellitus in the geriatric population.

Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes, is a disease that is commonly overlooked as not being as serious as it actually is. According to the national diabetes fact sheet, in 2007, 71,382 people died from diabetes and doctors ruled that diabetes was a contributing cause of the death of an additional 160,022 people. That is a total of 231,404 deaths in one year related to diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2013). Diabetes is definitely a disease that many should research to learn just how serious it really is.

Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. The cost of care for diabetics and new cases of diagnosed diabetes patient’s rise more and more each year. In 2010 234’051 death certificates were issued with the mention of diabetes as a contributing factor to the death. About 60% of lower limb amputations were performed. The cost of care for diabetics is now at an astronomical high of $176 billion dollars. A change a most be made to prevent all of this loss. (American Diabetes Association, 2014)

Diabetes kills more Americans each year than Breast Cancer and AIDS. Diabetes is a widespread disease affecting people of all age, race, size and gender. Most people think that it comes from what you eat and drink but, its actually hereditary.

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing primarily vascular complications that contribute to morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients. Poor glycaemic control leads to vascular complications that affect large (macrovascular), small (microvascular) vessels or both. Macrovascular complications include coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke. Microvascular complications contribute to diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), nephropathy (kidney disease) and retinopathy (eye disease).

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition in the body that is related to a faulty metabolism. It means that the body’s metabolism is not functioning properly, which leads to adverse effects in the health. The food we ingest, gets broken down into blood sugar (glucose), which is what fuels our body in the form of energy. This converted glucose needs to enter our cells so that it can be used for energy and growth. And in order for the glucose to enter our cells, there needs to be insulin present, which the beta cells of the pancreas is responsible for producing. This hormone is responsible for maintaining glucose level in the blood. It allows the body cells to use glucose as a main

“Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that is characterized by chronic hypoglycemia” (ATI 2011). There are three classifications of Diabetes; Type One is classified as "juvenile-onset" or "insulin-dependent" diabetes. This type of diabetes does is where the immune system destroys cells that release insulin, eliminating the production of insulin in the body. Without insulin, cells can 't absorb the sugar in the body; sugars are used to make energy by the body. Secondly, Type Two diabetes is classified as "adult-onset" or "non-insulin dependent diabetes. This type of diabetes can develop at any age, and is usually based on lifestyle choices. In Type Two, the body isn’t able to make use of the insulin that is currently being produced, which is classified as resistance of insulin. As this disease progresses, the pancreas will produce less insulin, causing a deficiency. Thirdly, Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy. It is situational diabetes when the development of the fetus blocks the production of insulin by the pancreas.

Diabetes is a lifelong disorder in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar by converting sugar, starches, and other foods into engery necessary for daily life. The problem may be caused by too little insulin or the body 's resisitance to using the insulin that is secreted by the pancreas, a small organ that lies behind the lower part of the stomach (Laberge, 2011). As a result, glucose in the blood cannot be absorbed or used by the cells of the body. There are two major types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2.

The Hispanic population in terms of health issues are at high risk for developing diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, cirrhosis, and death from violence, (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "Leading Causes of Death," www.cdc.gov/men/lcod/index.htm).

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.

Nerve damage from diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. About half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage. It is more common in those who have had the disease for a number of years and can lead to many kinds of problems.If you keep your blood glucose levels on target, you may help prevent or delay nerve damage. If you already have nerve damage, this will help prevent or delay further damage (ADA,2016). I've encountered patients that describe the feeling as pins and needles, and that their feet are constantly cold. There isn't medication to cure the nerve damage that causes neuropathy, however certain mediction can be precribed by your physician that will help with the symptoms. Increased blood glucose levels damages blood

Neuropathic pain coming from damaged nerve or central nerve (stroke). Drugs such as gabapentin and pregabalin showed evidence that they work in long term nerve pain with diabetes and pain after shingles. However, only between 1 in 10 or 4 in 4 people will get this level of benefit, depending on the pain condition and the drug. Most people will get no pain relief.

Other issues that make diabetes and related conditions should be evaluated by the healthcare provider. For example, if an older adult who has diabetes smokes, counseling and other services should be looked at and discussed with the patient. Some are willing to quit smoking but it is still tough to do it on your own. The problems of smoking and the disease caused by it are clear and have been discussed in many places. Smoking cessation should therefore be part of the plan for a diabetic patient. Medication taken by the older patient with diabetes should also be looked at. Some combinations of medications can increase blood pressure or affect other chemical balance of the body causing serious conditions or