Diabetes: Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors

This article provides information on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of type 2 diabetes. It explains how genes, extra weight, and other factors can increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. It also discusses initiatives to reduce type 2 diabetes and provides tips on managing the condition.

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Diabetes
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Question 1
Signs and Symptoms
Type two diabetes is a severe illness that interferes with sugar metabolism in the human body.
Type 2 diabetes is milder than type one diabetes, the pancreas engages in the production of
insulin but it is not sufficient for the human body, or sometimes the body cells are resistant to it.
Among the people with diabetic conditions, almost 90% of them suffer from type 2 diabetes
(Jaacks et al, 2016). This condition is mostly due to diet, lifestyle, age or family history (Zinman
et al, 2015). The condition is also experienced in people with obese cases. Some of the possible
symptoms and signs of type 2 diabetes include; increased hunger even after food intake, high
weight loss, increased thirst, dry mouth, feeling weak and tiredness all the time, frequent
urination, headaches and sometimes migraine and having a blurred vision. Type 2 diabetes
symptoms and signs can be gradual and mild during the early stages. Some of the main
symptoms and signs of type two diabetes include;
Frequent urination
When the blood sugar level increases, the kidney help in trying to remove excess sugar into the
blood by filtering it. This makes one urinate more frequently especially during the night (Wanner
et al, 2016).
Increased hunger
Individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes do not often get adequate energy from the food they
consume. This is because the glucose in food is not transformed into energy by the insulin that is
produced, hence the body cells receives inadequate glucose from the bloodstream. Therefore,

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these individuals end up feeling hungry all the time despite eating all the time or the amount that
they eat.
Increased thirst
Due to frequent urination to remove excess sugar one becomes dehydrated and one feels
abnormally thirsty.
Tiredness
Type 2 diabetes can influence the energy levels of an individual. One feels tired and fatigued all
the time. This feeling of tiredness comes in because of inadequate movement of energy to the
body cells from the bloodstream.
Blurred vision
Excessive sugar in the blood damages tiny blood vessels that are in the eyes that in turn results
into blurred vision. The blurry vision may be in one of the eyes or both eyes can come and go. If
a person’s diabetes becomes untreated, it can damage the blood vessels (Paul et al, 2015). This
can lead to permanent vision loss.
Slow healing of wounds
Excessive sugar in the blood damages the blood vessels and body nerves, which ends up
impairing the blood circulation (Pfeffer et al, 2015). Therefore, even small cut wounds take
weeks or months to heal. The slow healing of wounds is a sign of the disease occurrence.
Question 2
Factors influencing type2 diabetes

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There are conditions within the human body and environment that increase the likelihood of type
two diabetes developing. Some of the factors that are a risk for type two diabetes occurring
include;
Genes
Different bits of DNA influences the way the body produces insulin. Scientists have associated
numerous gene mutations in increasing type two diabetes. Several gene mutations have proved to
influence the risk of type two diabetes, especially between twins. (Lou et al, 2015).
Extra weight
In most instances, obesity and overweight are likely to cause insulin resistance which leads to
diabetes type 2 especially among people who carry extra pounds around the abdomen. This is
experienced among children and also adults. Insulin resistant people often have high blood
pressure, high cholesterols, triglycerides and extra fats around the waist.
Broken beta cells and bad communication between cells
If the cells that help in making insulin send out incorrect amount of insulin and at the mistaken
time, blood sugar is raised. This increased blood glucose damages the cell (Neal et al, 2017).
The cells may also send bad signals and end up not picking up the messages appropriately. This
influences how the body makes use of glucose or insulin which causes a chain reaction and
which leads to diabetes.
Too much fat in the liver

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The liver plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar. The accumulation of fat in the liver leads to
difficulties in controlling fasting glucose levels. This situation also results in the body being
extra resistant to insulin which ,makes the pancreas and its beta cells to strain, and this raises the
risk of type two diabetes.
Age
Individuals who are aged 45 years and above are at high chances of developing diabetes type 2.
As one gets older then the risks of getting diabetes type 2 increases. The cholesterol levels also
shoot up with age, and blood glucose increases. Development of type two diabetes in older
people can be linked with lose muscle mass, minimal exercises and gaining more weight as they
age.
Race
People of a particular racial or ethnic group may be prone to develop type 2 diabetes. African
Americans, American Indians, Mexican Americans, Pacific Islanders, native Hawaiians, and
Asian Americans have a high risk of developing the disease than whites. This is because these
populations have most cases of overweight, increased blood pressure and hence the chances of
developing diabetes type 2.
Gender
During the first half and the last century, the cases of type two diabetes were more prevalence to
females. Nowadays the prevalent of the disease are equal between male and females in all
populations. For instance, a higher percentage of men is likely to develop diabetes type 2 in
their early middle age. Women are at high chances of developing the disease when they reach

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menopause. Pregnant mothers are also likely to pass the disease to the infant since high blood
sugar in the mother also causes an increase in the blood sugar of the baby hence leading to
obesity or overweight.
Family history
If one of the family members either father, mother, brother or sister has type 2 diabetes, then a
person from that family is likely to have the genetic disposition of this chronic condition
(Fuchsberger et al, 2016). The risks of developing the disease are very high not unless one plans
on ways to prevent the development of the disease.
Stress and depression over time are also among the factors that raises the chances of developing
diabetes type 2.
Question 3
Initiatives that are taken into place to reduce type 2 diabetes
High preventive measures have been put in place to reduce the type 2 diabetes (Care, 2019). The
measures that have been put in place include; scientific measures, cost-effective, scalable
inventions, and strategies that are directed to the vulnerable population (American Diabetes
Association, 2017). Diabetes can be prevented and controlled through; managing of weight by
eating a healthy and balanced diet and reducing the intake of processed foods, exercising
regularly, limiting alcohol intake, quit smoking and monitoring of blood pressure. The
government has put more efforts especially in Australia where this disease has been the fastest
growing non- communicable disease. The food industry has been transformed, and people are

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being sensitized more. In Landau area, approximately around 1 out of 18 adults are affected with
diabetes type 2 (Inzucchi et al, 2015).
Foods that may aid in the prevention of type two diabetes are; health fat from nuts, olive oil, fish
oil, flax seeds or avocados. Whole fruit rather than juices and vegetables that are fresher can
reduce the risks of diabetes. High fiber cereals are also of high health impact in preventing the
diabetic condition. A random glucose test is also essential for the doctors to measure the blood
sugar and determine if a person has diabetes or not so that to start treatment or seek for
preventive measures.
Exercising helps control weight, lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterols and triglycerides,
strengthens muscles as well as reducing anxiety. This reduces blood sugar and increases body
sensitivity to insulin. Complete lifestyle change is very important in reducing the chances of
diabetes especially to the families and individuals who are prone to this disease.
Although individuals can take the initiative to improve their health, the achievement of health for
the entire population requires cost-effective public policy measures by the government.
Currently, the government of Australia has only been able to educate the population concerning
ways to change their diets and lifestyle. Measures have also been put in place to reduce
childhood exposure to junk foods which are contributing factors of high chances of diabetes.
Other measures like decreasing the salt or sugar in the processed foods have been put in place to
prevent diabetes type 2 although this has been left to the voluntary industries.
Individual education and voluntary actions are the ones that are needed for diabetes prevention.
Government actions may be put in place but fail if individuals do not accept to change their
lifestyle. Individuals who have a family member with a diabetes type 2 are advised to seek for

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doctor’s assistance to learn how to prevent the disease. Those who may sense to be overweight
are encouraged to involve in exercise activities to reduce the risk of diseases and always monitor
their weight regularly. People should also be advised to monitor their blood pressure regularly to
be aware of their health status.
Although type two diabetes has no specific cure, the condition can be managed. Through
lifestyle modification and treatment medication such as insulin and metformin, the disease can be
controlled and reduce the complications that are associated with it. Once a person has been
diagnosed with type two diabetes, the doctor prescribes to the patient some regular tablets and
insulin to regulate the blood sugar and to reduce the risk of the long term diabetic complications.
Healthy foods with low cholesterol and regular physical exercise are among the most practiced
ways of managing the prevalence of diabetes type 2 (Hayward et al, 2015).

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Reference
American Diabetes Association, 2017. 2. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes care,
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