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Diabetes

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Diabetes
Edith Stanfield
Capella University
Assessment, Communication and Collaboration
BSN 4002
Dr, Marzilli
March 9, 2014

Diabetes Introduction
The word “diabetes” means “siphon”. The term diabetes probably originated by Apollonius of Memphis around 250BC. It was published in English, in the first medical text in 1425. (Mandal, n.d., p.1). Every hour of every day, another person is diagnosed with Diabetes. More than 471 million people live with Diabetes every day, and there are about 13,000 newly diagnosed everyday (Diabetic Care Services, 2013, p. 1). Some of these people will not only be insulin dependent for life but they must change their entire family’s lifestyle. Not only does Diabetes effect the person who was diagnosed, but it affects friends and family, they must learn to live and adjust to have a diabetic in the family. Psychosocial issues are one of the biggest obstacles to overcome when being diagnosed with Diabetes. Family and friend support and encouragement will make this disease easier to manage. The purpose of this paper is to examine the lifestyles, demographics of my community and what, we as nurses, can do to help with managing this disease. Demographics Yuma, Arizona is a county located in the southwest corner of the State of Arizona. Yuma is part of the Metropolitan Statistical area. Yuma County’s southwestern Colorado River border forms a four-state division between southeast California, southwest Arizona, northeast Baja California State, and Mexico with northwest Sonora State. Yuma County was one of the four original Arizona Counties created by the first Arizona Territorial Legislature. The County territory was defined as being west of longitude 113 20’ and south of the Bill Williams River, which is located 23 miles south of Yuma, until 1982 when La Paz County was created from Yuma’s northern half (City of Yuma, 2013). Yuma, Arizona has an average high temperature in the winter of 88.0 degrees and a low of 61.0 degrees, with precipitation of 0.51 inches. The average high temperature during the summer of 111.8 degrees and a low of 87.9 degrees with precipitation of 0.01 inches (National Weather Service, 2013). According to the 2010 census, Yuma County has a total area of 5,518.96 square miles with only 4.87 square miles of water. The lowest point in the State of Arizona is located on the Colorado River in San Luis, Arizona which is part of Yuma County. Two major highways run through the City of Yuma, Interstate 8 and U.S. Route 95. The highest mountain is the Gila Mountains which are located east of Yuma in Fortuna Foothills which is part of Yuma County. The highest point is 3156 feet and are 26 miles long (City of Yuma, 2013). According the 2012 Unites States Census Bureau, the city of Yuma, Arizona has a population in the summer of 200,002 people and during the winter months the population increases by about 90,000 people. The male population is 54% compared to 46% females. Yuma population is made up of many races and cultures. The white population is the largest in this area making up 91.6% compared to the State of Arizona being 84.3%. Being connected to Mexico, our population consists of 60.5% Hispanics compared to the state of Arizona that only has 30.2% of Hispanics. The next highest is African American with a population of 2.5% compared to the State of Arizona that has 4.5%. Yuma’s population consists of 7.5% of children under the age of 5, 27.2% of ages 5-18, 16.4% of ages 19-65 and over 65 years of age is 49.3%. The foreign born population consists of 24.5% with a 50.8% population of families who speak more than one language (US Census Bureau, 2013). Yuma County has the highest unemployment rate in the state with 28.2% in November of 2013, where the State of Arizona is only at 8.3%, compared to October of 2013 at 32.0% in Yuma and 8.6% in the State of Arizona. Yuma County has an employment rate of only 63.5% of the population. Yuma County’s income ranges from 14.40% that make under $15,000 to 2.20% that make over $200,000, with the highest average being 18.28% making $50,000 to $74,999. Most of the community works out of town or even out of state (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). The biggest employers in Yuma are Yuma Proving Ground Army Base which employs almost 3000 civilians (YPG, 2013) and Marine Corp Air Station with employment of just over 3000 civilians (MCAS, 2013). The third largest employer is Yuma Regional Medical Center with over 2000 employees (YRMC, 2013). Education in Arizona ranks 44th in the United States, with only 27.27% graduating high school on time. Yuma County’s higher education opportunities consist of Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University. Higher education consists of 3,528 (6.92%) having an Associate’s Degree, 5,044 (9.89% having a Bachelor’s Degree, and 3,358 (6.59%) having a graduate degree (Education Consumers Foundation, 2010)
Health Status

Diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Diabetes is a disorder of the immune system that makes it difficult for the body to produce insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot convert sugar from foods into nutrients for the cells to survive. (http://www.joslin.org).
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as of 2012 diabetes in Yuma County has a 9.2% diagnoses rate, which is a decrease from 2010 at 11.3%. Patients with pre-diabetes are often unaware that they have it, and are not diagnosed until they require insulin. In 2010 Yuma County’s pre-diabetes rate was 7.5%, which does not include the people who remained undiagnosed until they started having symptoms. People are undiagnosed due to low income, and no health insurance (Center for Disease Control, 2012)
Risk factor percentages for the state of Arizona for Diabetes include smoking 14.3%, obesity 86%, inactivity 35.7%, hypertension 52.5%, and hypercholesterolemia 62.0%. Risk factors also include economic status, education, and lack of health insurance (Center for Disease Control, 2012)
There are noticeable differences in diagnoses by age, gender, income and education. Arizona shows an increase in the last 5 years of diagnosis of Diabetes. Ages 18-44 the increase is 1.2% going from 1.5% in 2008 to 2.7% in 2012. Ages 45- 74 shows an 8.8% increase going from 8.9% in 2003 to 17.7% in 2012. Ages 75 years and older shows a 6.8% increase going from 9.3% in 2008 to 16.1% in 2012. Women also seem to have a lower Diabetes rate than men, 8.8% vs 9.3%. Almost 600,000 adults in the state of Arizona have diabetes. (Delamater, 2006, p. 37)
Arizona, especially Yuma, has a high rate of Hispanics in the population, 60.5%. The Diabetes rate for Hispanics climbed from 9.3% in 2008 to 10.5% in 2012. These numbers only account for the population of Hispanics counted in the Census, and does not include the population of illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants range from 6% to 7.4% of the population in Yuma.
African Americans have the second highest diagnosis of Diabetes in Yuma County. With only a small population 2.5%, African Americans have a 1.2% diabetes rate, next to hypertension being the highest disease among African Americans. In Arizona in 2008, there were1755 diabetes related hospital stays per 100,000 people, 170 people more than the other western states. Ages 65 and older had twice the number of hospital stays as those between ages 45-64. In Yuma, County 176 diabetes related hospital stays per 100,000 people. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reported that in 2008 the cost of Diabetes in the United States exceeded $471 billion dollars and $58 billion dollars in lost revenue. Arizona reported that out of 402 discharges of diabetes, without complications, cost over $1.45 million dollars with an average hospital stay of 2 ½ days. Discharges with complications totaled $92 million dollars, with an average stay of 4 ½ days. In 2012 4.8 million people died in the United States from Diabetic complications. The cost per hospital stay averaged $23,272 dollars, which 21% of the cases were paid for by the county.
Description and Problem Statement
Diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. (http://www.Joslin.org). Diabetes is a disorder of the human immune system that makes it difficult for the body to produce insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot convert sugar from foods into nutrients for cells to survive. Excess sugar builds up in the blood and can eventually cause damage to internal organs and can cause premature death. Diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, which is an organ about the size of your hand, located behind the lower part of the stomach, beta cells produce insulin which is a hormone your body uses to move the glucose through your body, which is used for energy. Beta cells are destroyed by an autoimmune process, where no insulin can be produced so the glucose stays in the blood and causes serious damage to all the organ systems in the body (Diabetic Care Services, 2013).

Population Issues
Yuma has many Indian reservations and also sits on the Arizona, California, and Mexico border, socioeconomic status can create non-compliance issues with diabetes treatment. Social gatherings include lots of high calorie high carbohydrate foods. Foods are one of the main reasons people get together for social gatherings. Not having medical insurance, being unemployed, being a low income family or a single parent can cause great stress on a family. People can feel they are being avoided by others, that they are different, and that they need to keep their diagnoses a secret, so they do everything everyone else does at these gathering, eat (Guthrie, Bartsocas, Jarosz-Chabot, & Konstantinova, 2010, p. 3). People should consider joining a support group, they can meet other people that are dealing with the same issues and realize they are not the only one, that it is not their fault and can learn to live with the disease. Accepting and recognizing the need for change, will help with coping skills, social skills and management of your Diabetes (Diabetic Care Services, 2013).
Communication
Effective communication enhances one’s ability to understand one another (O’Daniel & Rosenstein, 2011). Effective communication allows health care providers and patients to clearly express their needs and understandings of their healthcare, which in turn makes it easier for the health care team to be responsive to the patient’s needs. Effective communication skills help patient’s and health care providers work through problems and conflicts that arise during their hospital stay or community health fair and can also help prevent conflicts by reducing misunderstandings between the patient and the health care providers. Since communication skills will be the foundation upon which other issues and topics will be explored, developing effective communication skills will help the health care provider be able to attend to the patient’s needs and questions.
Identification of Communication Methods
Communication methods are characterized by the way people appear (or attempt to appear) in communication, the way they tend to relate to the ones they communicate with and how their messages are typically interpreted (Ellingson, 2002). “Be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of your profession” (Nurses and Midwives Conduct, 2008, p. 2).
Communication methods can be different for every person. The first thing we must find out is about the person and how they learn. Depending on the personality and their learning style is the way that communication should be approached with each individual person. The one thing that all communication methods should have in common are: be specific, well-reasoned, confident, supportive, expressive and forceful (Jung, 1971).
Technological communication is the most common use of teaching communication now days (Oxford University, 1998). As health care professionals we need to be sure that the selected technology is correct and complies with all the health and safety issues for the topic being discussed. To properly communicate the information to the community, we must first learn and understand the topic, the use of the technology correctly. We must encourage and give constructive feedback to motivate the community and to keep them using and understanding the method of choice. Each member of the community should be treated with dignity and respect, and communicate at a pace and in a manner that best meets the needs and preferences of each individual in the community.

Effective Communication Strategies
Communication strategies are plans for communicating information related to a specific issue, event, situation, or audience (O’Daniel & Rosenstein, 2011). They serve as the blueprints for communicating with the public, patients, and even collaboration with your health care team.
Communication strategies, do not have to be formal. They just need to involve taking the time and thinking about the problem or issue, and determine the best approach for communicating the information.
Developing a communication strategy is to determine the reason why the communication is necessary and defining the information in easy to understand and desired objectives. Once the reason for communication is determined, the presenter can focus on the audience and the ways they would like to reach them. The presenter must keep in mind that the demographics, knowledge, education level and the concerns of the individual play an important role in communication strategies.
Barriers to Communication
The community agrees that communication between the patient and the health care provider should be easy (O’Daniel & Rosenstein, 2011). It is important to remember that there is a difference between talking and communicating. When talking, people tend to use barriers that prevent their ability to communicate, when communicating, the presenter must be successful in getting their point across and for the audience and the member of the health care team understand what is being said.
Physical barriers are easy to spot. These can be things like closed doors or the distance between you and the person you are speaking too. Sometimes in the community environment, personal space can be difficult. The layout and the environment can make communication easier or harder. Without physical barriers, this encourages greater openness and frequently creates closer working bonds (Smith, 2013).
Perceptual barriers are internal. If you go into a situation thinking that the people you are talking to aren’t going to understand or be interested in what you have to say, think before we speak. To overcome emotional barriers is to have completer confidence in what you are saying and your body language and tone of voice, while you are speaking. By believing in yourself and what you have to say, you will be able to communicate clearly without becoming involved in your emotions (Smith, 2013).
Cultural barriers, whether they are social culture, race or simply a work culture, can delay communication if two different cultures clash (Smith, 2013). In the community environment, identifying the problem and coming up with an efficient way to solve it can quickly can defeat any cultural, racial, social or institutional barriers and any arguments between audience members.
Language barriers, I think are the biggest barrier, no matter what type of career you work in. In the health care field, we need to be careful using slang, or large technical words. We need to keep the language as simple as possible. When giving a presentation in the community, several classes should be held in different languages.
Gender barriers have become less of an issue in the last few years. Men and women tend to form their thoughts differently. The difference has to do with how the brain of each sex is formed during gestation. Men are better at visualizing, where women are better at language-based thinking and emotional identification (Smith, 2013).
Interpersonal barriers are what keep us from reaching out to each other and opening ourselves up, not just to be heard, but to hear others. Poor self-image is the most difficult barrier to overcome because of deeply rooted prejudices about our place in the world.
Strategies for Improvement
Nurses always say, “My patient is non-compliant”, but we do not know the issues behind why people do not manage their Diabetes. Health care providers are seen as the expert who knows what is best for the patient; education is the technique used for delivery of knowledge to the patient. Health care providers do not always understand the behavior of the patient. Nurses assume that the patients should change their behavior, want to change their behavior, and that their health and their prescribed regimen are major priorities for them (Delamater, n.d. p. 5). To ensure that behavior change does not occur, nurses should not establish rapport with the patient, if we take control away from the patient by telling them what to do, there is a better chance of them following their physician’s orders (Delamater, n.d. p. 7). As nurses the best way to help our community is to educate them on the pathophysiology of Diabetes, and to educate them on how to manage their Diabetes without being an inconvenience of their lives and their family’s lives. Effective interventions require an understanding of why, how, and when patients do not comply with health care providers (Strawhacker, 2010).
Health care providers should use a patient-centered care approach, set up a collaborative meeting, communicate clearly, listen, use reinforcement and provide direct interventions including diet (diabetesjournal, 2012, p. 13). In my opinion, another effective intervention is problem solving, this teaches patients and their families how to identify problems, generate solutions, make decisions, and evaluate their success.
People who come to community events are ready to learn and accept their disease. It is important to get the patient more involved in their learning process, if they understand what you are teaching them. Education is the key to effective health.
Conclusion
Yuma population consists of mostly Indians and Hispanics, which use high calorie high carbohydrate food to entertain, and with Yuma having a 28.2% unemployment rate, social gatherings are an inexpensive way to have fun. Managing Diabetes can be a challenge for the individual and the family. It is important that the family be supportive, attend education/group classes together, learn new recipes and try them as a family. The cure for barriers to communication is to practice by using your communication skills as often as possible. By engaging with others, we learn what our actual strengths and weaknesses are. This allows us to communicate our ides in a clear straight forward manner. Communication is not a one way street. To have others open up to you, you must be open yourself. By overcoming these barriers to communication, you can assure that the statement you are making is just not heard, but understood by the person you are speaking too. In this way, you can be confident that the patient understands and your thoughts are expressed in a clear precise manner.
Elliot P. Joslin, M.D. ScD posted this in the diabetic manual in 1959. “Insulin is a remedy for the wise and not the foolish, be they patients or doctors. Everyone knows it requires brains to live long with diabetes, but to use insulin successfully requires more brains” (http://www.joslin.org)

References

(2012, January). Standards of medical care in diabetes-2012. Diabetes Journals, 35, 11-63. Retrieved from www.care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/supplement_1/s11.full.pdf.html
Center for Disease Control (2012). Diabetes by state. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects.cda2.html
Center for Disease Control (2012). Diabetes facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov.diabetes/consumer/research.htm
City of Yuma (2013). City of yuma demographics. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Yuma-arizona.html
Dealing with type 1 diabetes in children. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.diabeticcareservices.com/diabetic-education/type-1-diabetes
Delamater, A. M. (2006). Improving patient adherence. Clinical Diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/2/71.full
Diabetic Care Services (2013). Dealing with type 1 diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.diabeticcareservices.com/diabetic-education/type-1-diabetes
Education Consumers Foundation (2010). 2010 Highest level education attained. Retrieved from http://www.education-consumers.org/national.htm
Ellingson, L. A. (2002). Communication research trends. Communication and Culture, 21(3), 3-9. Retrieved from http://www.cscc.scu.edu/trends/v21/v21_3.pdf

References
Guthrie, D. W., Bartsocas, C., Jarosz-Chabot, P., & Konstantinova, M. (2010). Psychosocial issues for children and adolescents with diabetes. Lifestyle and Behavior, 16, 7-12. Retrieved from http://www.spectrum.diabetesjournals.org
Jung, C. G. (1971). Communication strategies for various personalities. Retrieved from http://www.personalityexplorer.com/FREEResources/CommunicationStrategiesForVariousPersonalities.aspx
MCAS (2013). Employment. Retrieved from http://www.mcas.yuma.marines.mil/employment
Mandal, A. (n.d.). History of diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.new-medical.net/health/history-of-diabetes.aspx
National Weather Service (2013). Yuma, AZ weather forecast. Retrieved from http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Yuma&state=AZ&site=PSR&textField1=32.7253&textField2=-114.624&e=0#.UyDTmIW5Fo0
Nurses and Midwives Conduct (2008). The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. Retrieved from http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/Standards/nmcTheCodeStandardsofConductPerformanceAndEthicsForNursesAndMidwives_TextVersion.pdf
Oxford University (1998). Support individuals to communicate using technology. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/#q=support+individuals+to+communicate+effectively
O’Daniel, M., & Rosenstein, A. H. (2011). Professional communication and team collaboration. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/odanielm_twc.pdf
Smith, C. (2013). The seven barriers of communication. Retrieved from http://opin.ca/article/seven-barriers-communication
Strawhacker, M. T. (2010). Multidisciplinary teaming to promote effective management of type 1 diabetes for adolescents. Journal of School Health, 71(6), 213-217. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/journalofschoolhealth.pdf
US Census Bureau (2013). State and county quick facts. Retrieved from http://www.quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04/04027.html
YPG (2013). Employment. Retrieved from http://www.yuma.army.mil/employment
YRMC (2013). Employment. Retrieved from http://www.yumaregional.org/employment

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...ADAL Tamara Zgadzaj Tutor: Thomas Torley This plan will examine three main long term problems affecting people with diabetes: • eyes • kidneys • heart and brain People with diabetes should visit an eye doctor regularly, every year for an eye exam. Eye problems that can occur with diabetes include : cataracts ( a clouding of the lens ), glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyes ), retinopathy ( eye changes with the retina in the back of the eye ). Symtoms of eye problems are : blurred vision, spots or lines in your vision, watery eyes, eye discomfort, and loss of vision. Diabetics should check for urine problems at least once a year. Proteins in the urine are a sign of kidney disease. Also, blood pressure should be checked regularly. Symtoms of kidney problems can include, swelling of the hands, feet, and face. Weight gain from edema, itching and drowsiness. If they will get promt treatment, there is a chance to slow down the changes in the kidneys. All people with diabetes have increased chance of heart disease and even stroke. Heart disease is the major cause of death for diabetics. It's important to control other risks such as high blood pressure and high fats ( cholesterol ), as well as blood sugar. Symtoms of heart attack are, shortness of breath, feeling faint, feeling dizzy,sweating, nausea, chest pain or pressure, pain in the shoulders, jaw and left arm. Warning signs of stroke are, sudden numbness or weakness in the face,arm, or leg, usually on...

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...wrote about diabetes for my biology research paper. I need someone to proof read for me. It is in APA style. Thank you! =) In America, the fact that fast food restaurants are located at every corner many people becomes obesity leading to huge risk factors. The various issues of unhealthy living lead to multiple life threatening diseases, such as diabetes. When people hear the news that they have been diagnosed with diabetes, it makes them feel frightened. In 2011, statistics show that in United States 25.8 million of children and adults has diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2012). American Indians and Alaska natives have a higher percentage of adults with diabetes than other ethnicities (Collazo-Clavell et all. 2009). Diabetes is a serious life-long illness caused by high level of glucose in the blood. This condition is when the body cannot produce insulin that is located in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that moderates the blood level. Diabetes affects the process of how the body uses blood sugar (Collazo-Clavell et all. 2009). Glucose is significant since it is “the main source of fuel” (Collazo-Clavell et all. 2009). There is no cure for diabetes but there are ways to lower the risks. Although diabetes is a disorder, it can also lead to other factors such as heart attack, kidney failure, or death. A person with diabetes has to maintain a healthy lifestyle including eating the right food, exercising, controlling their blood sugar level, and be optimistic. Diabetes...

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...Diabetes: the most common disease that runs in my family A Research Paper Presented In partial Fulfillment of the Course PE 211 04 Health Principles To Professor Earl Henry December 4, 2013 Health Principles December 4, 2013 Abstract Diabetes is a disease that runs on my mother’s side of the family. This paper will pull out the different types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Each type has different symptoms that will show the requirements of receiving diabetes. Diabetes can be treated but it can’t be necessarily be curable. It is important that to motivate people to start taking care of their body’s. Young children around the world, especially in America start getting treatments for being diabetic. It is devastating to see young children suffer at young ages because of the foods they eat and not getting plenty of exercises. Having a good health is very important and for young children there should not be any excuses. The reason why I picked this topic is because my mother’s side of my family are diabetics and it is very common to them. My grandmother has to take medications everyday for her diabetes. My family has the decency to take care of their body’s, but it’s a disease that runs in our family. There is a great chance for me in the future to catch this disease if I do not pay attention to my own health. Everett Grant Professor Henry Health Principles December 4, 2013 Diabetes There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes, it goes through family history...

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Diabetes

...Diabetes Diabetes mellitus, or often referred to as diabetes, is a metabolic disease in which a person has high blood sugar. This can happen either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because the cells in the body do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Insulin is the hormone that unwinds the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Another name for this type of diabetes is juvenile diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In this type either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin the body produces. Another type of diabetes is Gestational diabetes, which only occurs in women because it shows up during pregnancy. (Schütze, Rix, Laws, Passey, Fanaian & Harris, 2012) Diabetes can be a serious lifelong disease; which can lead to heart attacks, kidney failures, blindness, and even death. Type 1 diabetes also known as juvenile diabetes is characterized by the body’s immune system destroying insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body store Glucose (sugar) in the body. This being said the body cannot regulate blood sugar, and glucose levels rise in the body. Type 1 diabetics need to regulate their blood sugar by taking insulin shots and like both forms of diabetes regulating what is eaten. Because their body is not...

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Diabetes

...Diabetes It all starts with the consumption of food that contains carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then metabolized into a type of sugar called glucose. The body needs glucose because glucose is a source of energy for the cells. After being metabolized, glucose moves into the bloodstream and the body detects that the blood glucose level is rising. In response to this, the pancreas, which is a little gland that sits underneath the stomach, starts releasing a hormone called Insulin. And it’s insulin that helps our bodies get the energy from the food we eat. The bloodstream then takes the glucose and the insulin to every cell in our bodies that needs it. The body functions best when the blood glucose is at an optimum level. It doesn’t respond well to high levels of blood glucose. Normally, there’s a cycle within the body that balances out the glucose and insulin levels. In this case, the food we consume or the liver releases glucose into the bloodstream and the pancreases releases the insulin that carries the glucose to the cells. However, diabetes occurs when this system fails to function properly in the bodies of many individuals today. According to the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic lifelong condition that affects our body’s ability to use the energy found in food. It is a cellular disease that involves the lack of glucose receptors on cell membranes. Although diabetes is a complex condition, its common theme involves either the lack of insulin...

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Diabetes

...People with diabetes suffer from high blood glucose, or blood sugar. The foods we eat create glucose. The glucose is critical to our heath because it creates energy for the cells that make up our muscles and tissues. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose turn into energy, without it the glucose stays in your body. There are three different types of diabetes. Type 1, your body does not produce insulin. Type 2, the more common, your body does not use or produce insulin well. Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones that make cells resistant to insulin. The cause of diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to break down the glucose and turn it into energy. There are serious health risks having too much glucose in your system. There could be damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves. As well as, cause strokes, heart disease and even the need to remove a limb. Some of the most common symptoms are increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger and unexplained weight loss. If any or all of these symptoms are discovered consult your physician immediately. Certain people have risk factors that can be looked at when trying to diagnose diabetes. There are also genetic factors that can play a part and increase your chances of getting diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is increased if your parent or sibling has this form of diabetes. Type 2 is more likely to develop in people that are overweight or have a family history. Gestational...

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