Diabetes Type 2 Research Paper
The Ins and Outs of Diabetes Mellitus Type One and Two
Ana P. Pesqueira
Lonestar College Montgomery
Abstract
This paper will discuss and inform readers on the disease diabetes. There are two types of diabetes that affect human beings, Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus, in this paper the term diabetes will refer to diabetes mellitus. It will touch down on what causes diabetes and the symptoms that those with diabetes possess. The two type of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 will be explained thoroughly and in detail. It will deliberate how the disease is treated and managed. As well as the risk factors that come with being a diabetic.
The Ins and Outs of Diabetes Mellitus Type One and Two
Diabetes is a well know disease, but one …show more content…
in four people are have not yet been diagnosed. An estimated 29 million people in the United States are suffering from this disease and another 86 million adults (ages 20 and above) have pre diabetes. Without proper precautions, a change in diet, physical activity and weight loss, 15 to 30 percent of these adults will develop type 2 diabetes (Diabetes Latest, 2014). Like many other illnesses people often ask how and why diabetes comes about, and learning the symptoms of diabetes and how to diagnose it can be crucial to saving someone’s life. Although both are categorized under Diabetes Mellitus, type 1 and type 2 diabetes have some major differences, which will be discussed here. How to treat the onset of this disease can vary from patient to patient, but the different forms of treatment will be featured in this paper. Diabetes is a debilitating disease that hinders people all over the world and awareness for this growing disease should be spread.
Discussion
Most people have heard of diabetes, or know someone who has it or has had it. Generally when someone thinks about diabetes, they associate it with low blood sugar and insulin dependence. But what is really causing diabetes to occur? No one knows yet, it is still quite the mystery as to what exactly triggers it. What is known is that it is autoimmune (type 1), meaning that the body is attacking its own cells, in this case beta cells, which trigger the release of insulin (Diseases, n.d.). To understand what is happening with diabetes, or a lack of what is happening, it helps to know how one would normally process blood glucose, or blood sugar. In a person without diabetes glucose comes from two places, food and your liver, called glycogen when stored. When digestion occurs, glucose is absorbed into the blood stream and into the blood cells with the help of a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. This process keeps the glucose from building up in the blood stream and causing high levels of blood glucose. When someone does have diabetes, their body is not processing sugars in the same way. Their body is producing little to no insulin and so the glucose begins to builds up in the blood stream (Clavell, 2009, p. 9). Now that there is a basic understanding of what diabetes is, symptoms and diagnoses can be discussed.
There are several different symptoms that occur is patients with diabetes, but it all depends on the type. Patients with type 1 almost always present with these symptoms “hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) which include polydipsia (excessive thirst), polyuria (excessive urination), weight loss, polyphagia (excessive eating), fatigue, and blurred vision” (Wolfsdorf & Garvey, 2013). These symptoms become apparent 2 to 12 weeks before the patients seek medical attention. Those with type 2 have many of the same symptoms but much milder, they may also present with slow-healing infections, as well as dry and itchy skin (Riddle & Genuth, 2010).
After these symptoms begin to surface and they seek medical attention a doctor is able to run a series of test is they suspect the patient to have diabetes.
Typically there are a few tests a doctor can perform to diagnose you. The first is called an A1C test, this tests the blood glucose from the last 2 to 3 months, this test is preferred because no fasting is necessary. Anything that comes back less than 5.7% A1C is normal, anything between 5.7% and 6.4% A1C is considered pre diabetes and anything that is greater than 6.5% A1C is diabetes. The second test is the Fasting Plasma Glucose, or FPG, this test is done after fasting (normally eight hours of no eating or drinking, besides water). If the results come back with anything less than 100 mg/dl it is considered normal, if it is between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl they say the patient is pre diabetic and anything that is higher than 126 ml/dl is full blown diabetes. Also used is the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test or the OGTT, this test checks the blood glucose levels before as well as two hours after drinking a special sugary drink that determines how your body processes sugar. With this test, 140 mg/dl or less is normal, 140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl is pre diabetes and 200 mg/dl or higher is diabetes. Last is the Random Plasma Glucose Test where the blood is checked and anything higher than 200 mg/dl is considered diabetic (Diagnosing Diabetes, 2014). Out of those who are diagnosed with prediabetes, about “25% of subjects deteriorate …show more content…
into type 2 diabetes, while a further 25% revert to normoglycaemia” (Warrell, Firth & Cox, 2010). Once the patient has been diagnosed as a diabetic, determining the type of diabetes they have comes next.
As stated above, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are cause by a glucose buildup in the blood stream, but each type is different and has different treatment courses.
Both types do have to constantly check their blood glucose levels. This is done by pricking the finger with a lancet and depositing the blood onto a test strip which is then read by a meter that revels the blood glucose level. Only about five percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 1. With that type, the glucose build up is caused by a lack of insulin, meaning that the body is producing little to none. This type of diabetes was once called “insulin dependent diabetes and is commonly found in children (Clavell, 2009, p. 10). These patients must be frequently injected with insulin to maintain their blood glucose levels, they do this with a syringe or an insulin pump (Clavell, 2009, p. 150-154). The number of those who have type 2 diabetes are much higher. About 95% of adults 20 years old, or older, have type 2 diabetes. With type 2, there is still a buildup of blood glucose, but this time the body is producing insulin, only the cells have become immune to it. It is not clear why they become immune, but studies have determined that excess weight and fatty tissue are both big factors (Clavell, 2009, p. 11). That is to say, most people who develop type 2 diabetes are severely over weight, and therefore more typical in adults. It is not as common for these people to be insulin dependent, although it is not
always ruled out. In most cases type 2 diabetes can be maintained by simply maintaining a healthy diet and implementing exercise into their lives (Riddle & Genuth, 2010). In some cases, “exercise, diet, and good health practices can cure this illness” (Rubin, 2014). Both types are life altering diseases and that can come with many risks.
Those that live with diabetes face many dangers to their health, besides the obvious high glucose levels. Those who are insulin dependent can pass out from a lack of sugar when their insulin in not properly administered, this can lead to head trauma and several other complications. Those who have diabetes are also at a higher risk for a multitude of other things. Such as blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation (Diabetes Latest, 2014). Some long term complications include heart disease (for example, heart attacks and coronary artery disease), stroke, nerve damage and an increased risk of infection (Clavell, 2009, p. 27-29).
Conclusion Diabetes Mellitus, a chronic disease caused from a lack of insulin in the cells body, plagues nine percent of the population. Fortunately many tests are available to diagnose patients who show symptoms. Once diagnosed, determining the type of diabetes can help classify whether it is type 1 or type 2. Those who have type 1 will be insulin dependent for the rest of their lives, and those who have type 2 can maintain it with a lifestyle change in diet, exercise and weight loss. Diabetes awareness is vital in society for if left untreated or undetected it may cause major risks to a person’s health.
References
Betschart, J., & Thom, S. (1995). In Control: A Guide for Teens with Diabetes. Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing.
Chase, P. (1995). Understanding Insulin Dependent Diabetes. Denver: The Guild of the Children 's Diabetes Foundation
Clavell, M. (2009). Mayo Clinic: The essential diabetes book. New York: Time.
Diabetes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/Conj-Dys/Diabetes.html Diabetes Forecast. A magazine published by the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetes Latest. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesfactsheet/ Diabetes Self-Management. A magazine published by R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc.
Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav Riddle, M., & Genuth, S. (2010). 10. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. In Scientific American medicine. Philadelphia & Hamilton: Decker Publishing.
Rubin, T. (2014). Type 2 diabetes treatment. Better Nutrition, 76(11), 48-54. Warrell, D., Firth, D., & Cox, T. (2010) Oxford Textbook of Medicine - 5th Ed. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.
Wolfsdorf, J., & Garvey, K. (2013). 9. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. In Scientific American medicine. Philadelphia & Hamilton: Decker Publishing.
Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav
Ana P. Pesqueira
Lonestar College Montgomery
Abstract
This paper will discuss and inform readers on the disease diabetes. There are two types of diabetes that affect human beings, Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus, in this paper the term diabetes will refer to diabetes mellitus. It will touch down on what causes diabetes and the symptoms that those with diabetes possess. The two type of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 will be explained thoroughly and in detail. It will deliberate how the disease is treated and managed. As well as the risk factors that come with being a diabetic.
The Ins and Outs of Diabetes Mellitus Type One and Two
Diabetes is a well know disease, but one …show more content…
in four people are have not yet been diagnosed. An estimated 29 million people in the United States are suffering from this disease and another 86 million adults (ages 20 and above) have pre diabetes. Without proper precautions, a change in diet, physical activity and weight loss, 15 to 30 percent of these adults will develop type 2 diabetes (Diabetes Latest, 2014). Like many other illnesses people often ask how and why diabetes comes about, and learning the symptoms of diabetes and how to diagnose it can be crucial to saving someone’s life. Although both are categorized under Diabetes Mellitus, type 1 and type 2 diabetes have some major differences, which will be discussed here. How to treat the onset of this disease can vary from patient to patient, but the different forms of treatment will be featured in this paper. Diabetes is a debilitating disease that hinders people all over the world and awareness for this growing disease should be spread.
Discussion
Most people have heard of diabetes, or know someone who has it or has had it. Generally when someone thinks about diabetes, they associate it with low blood sugar and insulin dependence. But what is really causing diabetes to occur? No one knows yet, it is still quite the mystery as to what exactly triggers it. What is known is that it is autoimmune (type 1), meaning that the body is attacking its own cells, in this case beta cells, which trigger the release of insulin (Diseases, n.d.). To understand what is happening with diabetes, or a lack of what is happening, it helps to know how one would normally process blood glucose, or blood sugar. In a person without diabetes glucose comes from two places, food and your liver, called glycogen when stored. When digestion occurs, glucose is absorbed into the blood stream and into the blood cells with the help of a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. This process keeps the glucose from building up in the blood stream and causing high levels of blood glucose. When someone does have diabetes, their body is not processing sugars in the same way. Their body is producing little to no insulin and so the glucose begins to builds up in the blood stream (Clavell, 2009, p. 9). Now that there is a basic understanding of what diabetes is, symptoms and diagnoses can be discussed.
There are several different symptoms that occur is patients with diabetes, but it all depends on the type. Patients with type 1 almost always present with these symptoms “hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) which include polydipsia (excessive thirst), polyuria (excessive urination), weight loss, polyphagia (excessive eating), fatigue, and blurred vision” (Wolfsdorf & Garvey, 2013). These symptoms become apparent 2 to 12 weeks before the patients seek medical attention. Those with type 2 have many of the same symptoms but much milder, they may also present with slow-healing infections, as well as dry and itchy skin (Riddle & Genuth, 2010).
After these symptoms begin to surface and they seek medical attention a doctor is able to run a series of test is they suspect the patient to have diabetes.
Typically there are a few tests a doctor can perform to diagnose you. The first is called an A1C test, this tests the blood glucose from the last 2 to 3 months, this test is preferred because no fasting is necessary. Anything that comes back less than 5.7% A1C is normal, anything between 5.7% and 6.4% A1C is considered pre diabetes and anything that is greater than 6.5% A1C is diabetes. The second test is the Fasting Plasma Glucose, or FPG, this test is done after fasting (normally eight hours of no eating or drinking, besides water). If the results come back with anything less than 100 mg/dl it is considered normal, if it is between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl they say the patient is pre diabetic and anything that is higher than 126 ml/dl is full blown diabetes. Also used is the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test or the OGTT, this test checks the blood glucose levels before as well as two hours after drinking a special sugary drink that determines how your body processes sugar. With this test, 140 mg/dl or less is normal, 140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl is pre diabetes and 200 mg/dl or higher is diabetes. Last is the Random Plasma Glucose Test where the blood is checked and anything higher than 200 mg/dl is considered diabetic (Diagnosing Diabetes, 2014). Out of those who are diagnosed with prediabetes, about “25% of subjects deteriorate …show more content…
into type 2 diabetes, while a further 25% revert to normoglycaemia” (Warrell, Firth & Cox, 2010). Once the patient has been diagnosed as a diabetic, determining the type of diabetes they have comes next.
As stated above, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are cause by a glucose buildup in the blood stream, but each type is different and has different treatment courses.
Both types do have to constantly check their blood glucose levels. This is done by pricking the finger with a lancet and depositing the blood onto a test strip which is then read by a meter that revels the blood glucose level. Only about five percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 1. With that type, the glucose build up is caused by a lack of insulin, meaning that the body is producing little to none. This type of diabetes was once called “insulin dependent diabetes and is commonly found in children (Clavell, 2009, p. 10). These patients must be frequently injected with insulin to maintain their blood glucose levels, they do this with a syringe or an insulin pump (Clavell, 2009, p. 150-154). The number of those who have type 2 diabetes are much higher. About 95% of adults 20 years old, or older, have type 2 diabetes. With type 2, there is still a buildup of blood glucose, but this time the body is producing insulin, only the cells have become immune to it. It is not clear why they become immune, but studies have determined that excess weight and fatty tissue are both big factors (Clavell, 2009, p. 11). That is to say, most people who develop type 2 diabetes are severely over weight, and therefore more typical in adults. It is not as common for these people to be insulin dependent, although it is not
always ruled out. In most cases type 2 diabetes can be maintained by simply maintaining a healthy diet and implementing exercise into their lives (Riddle & Genuth, 2010). In some cases, “exercise, diet, and good health practices can cure this illness” (Rubin, 2014). Both types are life altering diseases and that can come with many risks.
Those that live with diabetes face many dangers to their health, besides the obvious high glucose levels. Those who are insulin dependent can pass out from a lack of sugar when their insulin in not properly administered, this can lead to head trauma and several other complications. Those who have diabetes are also at a higher risk for a multitude of other things. Such as blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation (Diabetes Latest, 2014). Some long term complications include heart disease (for example, heart attacks and coronary artery disease), stroke, nerve damage and an increased risk of infection (Clavell, 2009, p. 27-29).
Conclusion Diabetes Mellitus, a chronic disease caused from a lack of insulin in the cells body, plagues nine percent of the population. Fortunately many tests are available to diagnose patients who show symptoms. Once diagnosed, determining the type of diabetes can help classify whether it is type 1 or type 2. Those who have type 1 will be insulin dependent for the rest of their lives, and those who have type 2 can maintain it with a lifestyle change in diet, exercise and weight loss. Diabetes awareness is vital in society for if left untreated or undetected it may cause major risks to a person’s health.
References
Betschart, J., & Thom, S. (1995). In Control: A Guide for Teens with Diabetes. Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing.
Chase, P. (1995). Understanding Insulin Dependent Diabetes. Denver: The Guild of the Children 's Diabetes Foundation
Clavell, M. (2009). Mayo Clinic: The essential diabetes book. New York: Time.
Diabetes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/Conj-Dys/Diabetes.html Diabetes Forecast. A magazine published by the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetes Latest. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesfactsheet/ Diabetes Self-Management. A magazine published by R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc.
Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav Riddle, M., & Genuth, S. (2010). 10. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. In Scientific American medicine. Philadelphia & Hamilton: Decker Publishing.
Rubin, T. (2014). Type 2 diabetes treatment. Better Nutrition, 76(11), 48-54. Warrell, D., Firth, D., & Cox, T. (2010) Oxford Textbook of Medicine - 5th Ed. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.
Wolfsdorf, J., & Garvey, K. (2013). 9. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. In Scientific American medicine. Philadelphia & Hamilton: Decker Publishing.
Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav