Type 2 diabetes

Table of Contents Constancy Discouragement versus empowerment Need for discipline, therapy, medication and diet Uncertainty of future Pain Experience of health professionals Reference Coping with type 2 diabetes (DT2) involves three major things. First, there is need for change in diet. A lot of fruits and vegetables is advised as opposed to high-sugar foodstuffs. However, for some who find it hard to drop the aforementioned, consumption is limited to periods of low blood sugar.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Type 2 diabetes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Secondly, it is important to exercise regularly as this will help burn out excess calories and keep the blood sugar level low. Some adopt regular exercise and good diet as a measure to keep blood sugar low in order to avoid the need of taking medicines (nytimes.com, 2009). Lastly, some attend diabetic classes to better understand and manage the disease (n ytimes.com, 2009). Constancy People with DT2 need to permanently observe healthy eating habits and regular exercise explained above due to the chronic nature of the disease. They are also required to daily monitor their sugar levels and react as advised (nytimes.com, 2009). These enables them keep their blood sugar at normal level and thus prevent the development of adverse complications that come with high blood sugar. Discouragement versus empowerment Those diagnosed with the disease first experience a great deal of self-denial about their new health status (nytimes.com, 2009). This can be out of ignorance or fear. However, upon learning the facts about the disease from medical practitioners and personal efforts they shed this attitude and adopt new habits which lead to healthier lifestyles (nytimes.com, 2009). They gain attitudinal empowerment when they accept the reality and longevity of their new health status, the need for exercise, low-sugar diet, and regular medication. Need for discipline, therapy, medication and diet DT2 requires constant monitoring and intervention therapies. Personal discipline in observing doctors directives is important as most of the monitoring is carried out at home. For example, patients are required to daily set up, read and record their blood sugar levels sugar using an electronic monitoring kit (nytimes.com, 2009). Therapy is vital as the symptomatic aspects of the disease worsen with time if there is no intervention of any kind. Medication is necessary to quickly lower blood sugar when it suddenly shoots up, a common occurrence in type 2 diabetes. Low-sugar diet rich in vegetables and fruits is necessary to manage blood sugar within safe levels and prevent debilitating symptoms. Uncertainty of future DT2 is said to be genetic and victims report the challenge of living with the knowledge that their offspring may also relive their experiences. There is also the fear of possible amputation of feet in the future given that it has been performed on some patients before. Many also despair about the possibility of early death (nytimes.com, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pain Pain is common in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients have reported a burning sensation in the feet accompanied by sharp on-off pains (nytimes.com, 2009). In some cases headache and leg amputation have been reported (nytimes.com, 2009). Experience of health professionals From the podcasts, it can be discerned health professionals have difficulty breaking news of positive diagnosis to victims (nytimes.com, 2009). This is likely in the case of patients with little knowledge about the disease. Perhaps another challenge they face is getting the patients to drop negative attitude about the disease, observe medications and best practices such as healthy diet, regularly exercising and use of personal sugar monitoring kit. Refe rence NyTimes.com (Producer). (2009, August 9). Patient voices: Type 2 Diabetes [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/08/04/health/TE_DIABETES.html?emc=thth This essay on Type 2 diabetes was written and submitted by user Tessa Mercer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Type 2 Diabetes Introduction Diabetes is a health condition that is developed when sugar level in the blood increases above normal levels. The two major types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent than type 1 diabetes. This essay discusses some of the most frequently asked questions about type 2 diabetes through a sample dialogue between a patient and a doctor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Type 2 Diabetes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Patient: What is type 2 Diabetes and how is it developed? Doctor: Type 2 diabetes can be described as a complication in the metabolic processes characterized by a relative shortage of insulin and high levels of glucose in the blood (Barnett, 2011). It differs from type 1 diabetes where there is a complete deficiency of insulin caused by destruction of pancreatic islet cells. In addition, type 2 diabetes is more common in adults unlike type 1 d iabetes which is prevalent amongst young people. The typical symptoms of type 2 diabetes include: recurrent urination, excessive thirst, and persistent hunger (Wilson Mehra, 1997). Type 2 diabetes is caused by a mixture of lifestyle and hereditary factors. Even though some factors, like nutrition and obesity, are under individual control, others like femininity, old age, and genetics are not. Sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition and stress are the major causes of Type 2 diabetes. Particularly, excessive consumption of sugar and fats increases the risk of infection. Genetic factors have been linked to this condition. For instance, research indicates that if one identical twin is infected, there is a 90% probability of the other twin getting infected. Nutritional condition of a mother for the period of fetal growth can as well lead to this condition. Inadequate sleep is associated with Type 2 diabetes since it affects the process of metabolism (Hawley Zierath, 2008). Patient: How is t ype 2 Diabetes transmitted? Doctor: Type 2 diabetes cannot be transmitted from one individual to another, since it is not caused by micro-organisms that can be spread. Instead, it is a health condition where the body is unable to create sufficient insulin to maintain the blood sugar level. Nevertheless, a child from diabetic parents is likely to develop the complication due to genetic inheritance. According to Hanas Fox (2007), there are some genes that may result in diabetes. As in 2011, research showed that there are more than thirty-six genes that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes infection.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These genes represent 10 per cent of the entire hereditary component of the complication. For instance, a gene referred to as TCF7L2 allele, increases the probability of diabetes occurrence by 1.5 times. It is the greatest threat amongst the genetic i nvariants. Children from diabetic parents are, therefore, likely to get infected since genes are transferrable from parents to the offspring. Patient: How is type 2 Diabetes treated? Doctor: The first step in the treatment of type 2 diabetes is consumption of healthy diet. This involves avoiding excessive consumption of foods that contain sugar and fats as they are likely to increase the levels of sugar in the blood. In addition, getting involved in physical activity and losing excessive weight are also important. These management practices are recommended because they lower insulin resistance and improve the body cells’ response to insulin. Eating healthy food and physical activity also lower the level of sugar in the blood. There are also pills and other medications that can be injected when these lifestyle changes do not regulate the blood sugar (Roper, 2006). Type2 diabetes pills function in different ways. Some pills work by lowering insulin resistance while some raise the level of insulin in the blood or decrease the rate of food digestion. Even though the non-insulin injected medicines for this condition work in complex ways, essentially, they lower the levels of blood glucose after injection. Insulin injection treatment basically raises the insulin level in the blood. Another treatment for type 2 diabetes is weight loss surgery that is recommended for obese people. This treatment has been proved effective since most of the patients can maintain regular levels of sugar in their blood after surgery (Codario, 2011). Multiple prescriptions can be applied in controlling the levels of blood sugar. Actually, combination treatment is a popular remedy for Type 2 diabetes. If a single therapy is not sufficient, a health care provider may prescribe two or more different kinds of pills. For instance, individuals with type 2 diabetes have high fat levels in the blood and high blood pressure. Therefore, doctors can prescribe medicines for treatment of these conditions at the same time. The kind of medication prescribed depends on the health condition of the patient (Ganz, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Type 2 Diabetes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Patient: What are the chances of survival? Doctor: Diabetes is one of the major causes of deaths in the United States each year. Statistics indicates that it contributes to approximately 100,000 deaths every year. In the United States, there are over 20 million reported cases of diabetes, the majority being Type 2 diabetes. Proper remedy including change of lifestyle and medications is known to improve the health condition of a patient. If properly used together, lifestyle changes and medication can increase the chances of survival of a patient by up to 85 per cent (Rosenthal, 2009). References Barnett, H. (2011). Type 2 diabetes. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Codario, A. (2011). Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabet es, and the metabolic syndrome. Totowa, N.J: Humana Press. Ganz, M. (2005). Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Hanas, R., Fox, C. (2007). Type 2 diabetes in adults of all ages. London: Class Health. Hawley, A., Zierath, R. (2008). Physical activity and type 2 diabetes: Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Roper, R. (2006). Type 2 diabetes: The adrenal gland disease : the cause of type 2 diabetes and a nutrition program that takes control!. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rosenthal, S. (2009). The Canadian type 2 diabetes sourcebook. Mississauga, Ont: J. Wiley Sons Canada. Wilson, L., Mehra, V. (1997). Managing the patient with type II diabetes. Gaithersburg, Md: Aspen Publishers. This essay on Type 2 Diabetes was written and submitted by user Blakely Pace to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.