Essay Sample on Why Diabetes is a Threat: Insulin, Glucose, & Pancreas

Introduction

Diabetes is a disease that arises when blood glucose is too high. It entails various diseases that commonly have problems with insulin hormone. The pancreas releases insulin to assist the body use and store the fat and sugar from the food we consume (World Health Organization,1999). Diabetes can arise when the pancreas releases very little or no insulin. It can also occur when the body fails to respond adequately to insulin (World Health Organization,1999). People with Diabetes are required to manage them properly for them to stay healthy. The main aim of this essay is explaining the various kinds of diabetes.

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There are various common kinds of Diabetes, including type 1 (juvenile), type 2, and Gestational Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

It is also called insulin-dependent. In the past, was referred to as juvenile onset since it usually begins in juvenile. It occurs as a result of the body antibodies affecting its pancreas (Atkinson et al., 2014). People with this type of Diabetes have damaged the pancreas, which does not produce insulin. It can also occur as a result of genetic predisposition or damaged beta cells found within pancreas that usually produce insulin. The treatment process includes taking insulin through injection into the fatty tissue of the skin (Atkinson et al., 2014).

Type 2 Diabetes

This kind of Diabetes is commonly found in adults, and thus the name adult-onset. However, with the widespread of overweight kids and obese more children are now contracting this kind of Diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2000). It can cause key health complications, specifically in the little blood vessels that maintain the eyes, nerves, and kidneys within the body. This type of Diabetes increases the chances of stroke and heart disease. The pancreas makes typically some insulin which is not sufficient for the body requirement or the body cells are resilient to it. This kind of Diabetes can be controlled by exercise, nutrition, and weight management (American Diabetes Association, 2000).

Gestational Diabetes

This is the kind of Diabetes that is prompted by pregnancy. To some extent, pregnancy results in insulin resistance. It is usually detected in late stages or middle stages of pregnancy (American Diabetes Association,2004). Since high blood glucose amounts in a mother are normally supplied to the child through the placenta, gestational Diabetes should be controlled to prevent the baby's development and growth. With this kind of Diabetes, born babies have a higher risk than the risk to the mother (American Diabetes Association,2004). The dangers to the unborn baby include breathing problems during birth, gaining abnormal weight before birth higher obesity and risk of getting Diabetes later in life. Threats to the mother are damage to the nerves, heart, eye, and kidney (American Diabetes Association,2004).

Type 2 Diabetes

It can be treated using Metformin drug. It is prepared by mixing the physical mixtures (PM) [15] of Metformin and compritol in dust form in the mortar and taken through sieve mesh No. 60. The physical mixtures are prepared using these ratios; MET: compritol in the proportions of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5. Metformin should be consumed with foods to help minimize bowel or stomach side effects that may be involved in the first weeks of treatment (Setter et al., 2003). Metformin works by reducing sugar production in the liver and enhancing the sensitivity of the body to insulin so that the body utilizes insulin more efficiently. Patients suffering this kind of Diabetes should consider taking complex carbohydrates like whole meat, oatmeal, brown rice quinoa beans, vegetables, fruits, and lentils. They should avoid simple carbohydrates foods such as pasta, flour, pastries cookies, and white bread (Setter et al., 2003).

The short-term effects of type 2 diabetes are hypoglycemia and very high blood sugar while the long-term effects also include hypoglycemia (Bennion & Grundy,1977). It is practical for blood sugar to drop, particularly if you are taking insulin. Along with the required outcomes, a drug can result to unwanted effects. These side effects may require medical attention if they occur. The common side effects of Metformin include stomach or abdominal discomfort, decreased appetite, painful urination, cough muscle pain, diarrhea, fever, and reduced appetite (Bennion & Grundy,1977).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Diabetes arises when blood glucose is too high. There are various common types of Diabetes which are classified based on the age group depending on the number of people who are affected. Apart from the required effects, Diabetes has a range of short term and long-term side effects. People who have Diabetes should take proper medication for them to manage it and live a healthy life.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2000). Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 105(3), 671-680. Retrieved from https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/105/3/671.short

American Diabetes Association. (2004). Gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes care, 27(suppl 1), s88-s90. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/suppl_1/s88.short

Atkinson, M. A., Eisenbarth, G. S., & Michels, A. W. (2014). Type 1 diabetes. The Lancet, 383(9911), 69-82. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673613605917

Bennion, L. J., & Grundy, S. M. (1977). Effects of diabetes mellitus on cholesterol metabolism in man. New England Journal of Medicine, 296(24), 1365-1371. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM197706162962401

Setter, S. M., Iltz, J. L., Thams, J., & Campbell, R. K. (2003). Metformin hydrochloride in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a clinical review with a focus on dual therapy. Clinical therapeutics, 25(12), 2991-3026. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149291803900890

World Health Organization. (1999). Definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus and its complications: report of a WHO consultation. Part 1, Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus (No. WHO/NCD/NCS/99.2). Geneva: World health organization. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/66040/WHO_NCD_NCS_99.2.pdf