Understanding Type II Diabetes: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

This report explains Type II Diabetes, its symptoms, additional health problems associated with it, and treatment measures. It also provides information on what to do if you have diabetes and support groups available for prevention and treatment.

Type II Diabetes

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Additional health problems associated with type II diabetes.......................................................2
Signs and symptoms of type II diabetes......................................................................................2
What to do if you have diabetes...................................................................................................3
Medical Treatments for diabetes..................................................................................................4
Support and help groups for diabetes prevention and treatment..................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Type II diabetes is chronic condition that affects the way through which body uses and
regulates the motion of glucose. This long term condition results in circulation of too much sugar
in the bloodstream which can eventually lead to disorders of the nervous and circulatory system.
Type II diabetes is lifelong and can seriously damage the eyes, heart and specially the feet. This
report gives an explanation about type II diabetes and the additional health issues associated with
it. The discussion also revolves around the signs and symptoms of diabetes and treatment
measures that are advice to a patient suffering from diabetes.
MAIN BODY
Diabetes is an impairment where high blood sugar levels leads to disorders of the
circulatory and immune system. There are two ways through which type II diabetes develops i.e.,
when the pancreas do not produce enough insulin and when the cells respond poorly to the
hormone that regulates the circulation of sugar and there is intake of less sugar through these
cells. There is no available cure for type II diabetes and children with obesity have a higher
chance of contracting this disease. Insulin resistance is the main reason because of which people
develop type II diabetes. Insulin is a hormone which is produced in the pancreas that helps the
cells convert glucose (sugar) into energy, however in this case of diabetes, insulin is produced
but the cells cannot take it up for production of energy (Bommer and et. al., 2018). When the
cells cannot intake glucose, the pancreas produce more insulin to make up for the insulin that is
not absorbed which leads to building up of glucose in the bloodstream. There are a combination
of factors that can cause type II diabetes, such as genes, being overweight, presence of any
metabolic syndrome, production of too much glucose from the liver for storage. There is also a
possibility that bad communication between the receptors of the cells that can affect the uptake
of insulin and this chain reaction can lead to diabetes (Chaplin, 2020). High blood sugar level
can also be caused when beta cells in the pancreas may send out wrong signals for production of
high amounts of insulin. Insulin resistance can also result in a variety of metabolic syndromes
such as high blood pressure, high level of cholesterol and triglycerides. The possibility gaining
extra weight can also cause insulin resistance leading to type II diabetes. According to a research
conducted by UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), the prevalence of diabetes is increasing
with each surpassing day as about 90% of the adults have either been diagnosed with type II
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diabetes or are at a high risk for contracting the disease because of sedentary lifestyle (Diabetes
in the UK: 2019, 2020).
Additional health problems associated with type II diabetes
According to the NHS, if a person is diagnosed with diabetes it is important to undergo
regular check-ups and keep an eye on the health of a person who is suffering from type II
diabetes. There is a high chance of stroke or developing heart diseases if cholesterol and blood
pressure levels are not checked and treated (Zare and et. al., 2019). Smoking worsens the effect
of diabetes on the heart. Any numbness or pain should be immediately reported to the doctor as
this can be caused due to diabetes that cause damage to the nerves. Neuropathy is a severe
dysfunction of one or more nerves that can result in muscle weakness and affects other parts of
the body. Nerve damage causes vomiting, nausea and may lead to erectile dysfunction in men.
Ulcers and sore feet can cause loss of feeling as diabetes reduce the supply of blood to the feet.
Cuts, cracks, numbness of toes and feet should be reported to the doctor. If sore feet is not
treated at an early stage it can lead to gangrene which can only be treated by amputation.
Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damaged blood vessels leading to sight problems and even
blindness. Diabetes can also damage the filtering system of the body leading to kidney failure or
irreversible kidney disease. Susceptible skin conditions can develop as a result of bacterial and
fungal infections. The risk of developing dementia is directly related to poor control over the
blood sugar level. It is observed by the NHS, that people with diabetes have the possibility of
contracting Alzheimer's disease (Takehara and et. al., 2019). Diabetes and mental health issues
such as depression also go hand in hand. The management of diabetes is affected by depression
such as non- adherence towards diabetes medication. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels in women
can cause complications during pregnancy such as low blood sugar level in the newborn, unusual
growth in infants, type II diabetes in later stages of life and even death.
Signs and symptoms of type II diabetes
The symptoms of diabetes vary from person to person depending on the elevation of
blood sugar level. One of the major symptom of diabetes is presence of ketones levels in the
urine sample of the patient. As ketones are the by-products that are produced due to breakdown
of fat and muscles due to unavailability of insulin (Skinner, Joensen and Parkin, 2020). Frequent
urination, increased thirst and episodes of extreme hunger are experienced by the people
suffering from diabetes. Slow healing sores of feet and occurrence of infections such as skin or
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vaginal infections can develop at any age. There is unexplained weight loss along with blurred
vision which is followed by irritability which is more common in people above the age of 40.
Diagnosis of pre-diabetes is also a major symptom that can help a caregiver identify the
possibility of developing the disease. Pre-diabetes occurs when the blood sugar levels are very
high in a person but not high enough for it be classified as diabetes. It can also be called as
precursor to diabetes. High blood pressure can essentially slow down the functioning of kidneys
and lead to chronic kidney disease (Cherrington and et. al., 2021). With the presence of diabetes
a minor skin condition can turn into a severe infection with serious consequences. High sugar
level in blood can cause dental and oral health issues because high sugar in blood impairs white
blood cells in the mouth which can lead to easy entry of infectious pathogens in the body. The
thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones controlling the metabolism which can be
caused as a result of hypothyroidism, a condition linked to diabetes. In some cases there is a
possibility that one might experience no symptoms at all. Some symptoms are gender-specific
such as men might experience decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction along with poor
muscle strength whereas women suffering from diabetes can develop urinary tract infections,
sever yeast infections and itchiness all over the body.
What to do if you have diabetes
Blood sugar levels are highly affected by the eating habits of an individual. It is necessary
to consume plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains in your diet to fulfil the nutritional
requirements of the body. Opting for products with no dairy and lean meats (Williams and et. al.,
2020). Not consuming foods that are high in sugar and fats. It is also ideal to watch your carb
intake as these carbohydrates turn into sugars when processed inside the body. Practising
mindful eating and managing the nutrients on the plate. The food consumption will be determine
how the body will react to insulin or drugs that will be administered to control the sugar in the
blood. It is also required to regularly exercise for 30 minutes as an active lifestyle will help in
effective management of diabetes and will reduce the level of sugar in blood. Regular activity
also helps lower the risk of getting a heart disease (Peng and et. al., 2020). Physical activity also
helps in reducing the overall body weight and help ease stress. If one has contracted diabetes it is
necessary to see a doctor at regular intervals and get tested. A physician can help in examination
of symptoms which will helps in early diagnosis of diabetes. Anxiety worsens the symptoms of
diabetes as blood sugar levels rise when a person experiences stress. Relieving stress through
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yoga and individual hobbies can help in better management of stress. Smoking is a risk factor for
many heart diseases, nerve damages and even foot problems, therefore it is beneficial to quit
smoking. The amount of alcohol consumption should be reduced as it rises blood sugar levels
and are even high in carbs. There might be a possibility that while drinking alcohol the blood
sugar level can go too high or very low.
Medical Treatments for diabetes
Diabetes is a complex condition which require enormous range of healthcare practitioner,
specialist and treatments. Every individual are different so treatment depends according to their
requirements. For type 1 diabetes, insulins are used by injection or by pump whereas, type 2
diabetes uses insulin or tablets. Insulin is a medication help to manage the blood glucose level in
body and also keep person healthy (Warren and Hixenbaugh, 2020). Diabetes can also treated by
medication, diet, exercise, insulin and emotional support. Medications can stimulate cells in
pancreas to produce more insulin and also depend upon the types of diabetes of an individual
has. Metformin from biguanide family is first medicine that prescribed by doctors, it is used to
treat type 2 diabetes other medications are sulphonylureas, alpha-glucosidase inhibitor
(acarbose), prandial glucose regulators (repaglinide and nateglinide), DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2
inhibitors, etc. Acarbose tablets reduce starchy food absorption which means glucose level not
rises, DPP-4 inhibitors block the action of DPP-4, an enzyme destroy the incretin hormone
whereas, SGLT-2 inhibitors decreases amount of sugar absorb by kidney and pass out in urine
and to know that prandial glucose regulator could also cause hypoglycaemia means low blood
sugar level (Daliu and et. al, 2020). Diabetes medications are not always safe but it also has side
effects like weight loss or weight gain, feeling sick, etc. In England, treatments for diabetes are
free if person is 60 or above age just need to claim medical exemption certificate. The risk of
diabetes can be reduced by changing the lifestyle, eating balanced diet and healthier food is a
great way to manage individuals health. Thus, individual must have diet plan which includes:
drinks without sugar or replace with fruit juices, find low calories drinks, get some proteins from
pulses, unsalted nuts & eggs, eat fruits, vegetables and healthier snacks having natural source of
sugar, choose high fibre carbs such as white rice & cereals, adding vitamins, minerals and fats in
your diet (Sanlier and Gencer, 2020).
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Support and help groups for diabetes prevention and treatment
There are several health and services provide by the UK government such as if a person
is 60 above an using insulin or medications to control diabetes then they entitled free prescription
and under 60 has to claim the medical exemption certificate in England. Prescription of diabetes
are free for everyone in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The London Diabetes Centre is
providing wide range of clinical expertise and consultants to guide about diabetes. The NGOs
and charity in UK are working for people suffering from diabetes and providing knowledge in
general public, they also raising campaigning and awareness among the public as well as
supplying funds for research (Jia and et. al., 2019). Sometime, people with diabetes focus only
on carbohydrate contents in their diet so NHS has provided following advice for the diabetes
people: do not skip their breakfast, avoid fatty meat, take lean meat like skinless chicken, always
keep hydrated, eat cooked food instead of fried, avoid sugary snacks, have rich source of
proteins. The NHS also advice some sensible points that one should cut down with alcohol,
sugar, processed meat and salty foods and have some rich fibres, veggies and fish in their diet.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that glucose is very important for production
of energy in the body making up muscles and it also acts as a source of fuel for the brain
performing viral functions in the body. Diabetes can be prevented by following a healthy
lifestyle and following up with a doctor on a regular basis. Preventive measures of diabetes
mellitus is characterised by administration of different anti-diabetic medications and certain
lifestyle modifications otherwise it can lead to high morbidity and mortality rate.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bommer and et. al., 2018. Global economic burden of diabetes in adults: projections from 2015
to 2030. Diabetes care, 41(5), pp.963-970.
Chaplin, S., 2020. ‘Diabetes at the front door’: meeting the needs of diabetes patients in
emergency. Practical Diabetes, 37(3), pp.105-107.
Cherrington and et. al., 2021. Study of emotional distress in a comparative effectiveness trial of
diabetes treatments: Rationale and design. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 107, p.106366.
Daliu and et. al., 2020. Abscisic acid identification in Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus L.
(Moench): Perspective nutraceutical use for the treatment of diabetes. Natural product
research, 34(1), pp.3-9.
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Jia and et. al., 2019. Evaluation of clinical decision support systems for diabetes care: An
overview of current evidence. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 25(1), pp.66-77.
Peng and et. al., 2020. Effects of a combined fucoidan and traditional Chinese medicine formula
on hyperglycaemia and diabetic nephropathy in a type II diabetes mellitus rat model.
International journal of biological macromolecules, 147, pp.408-419.
Sanlier, N. and Gencer, F., 2020. Role of spices in the treatment of diabetes mellitus: A
minireview. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 99, pp.441-449.
Skinner, T.C., Joensen, L. and Parkin, T., 2020. Twenty‐five years of diabetes distress research.
Diabetic Medicine, 37(3), pp.393-400.
Takehara and et. al., 2019. Differences Between Patient-Reported Versus Clinician-Observed
Nonulcerative Signs and Symptoms of the Foot in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus. Journal
of Wound Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 46(2), pp.113-116.
Williams and et. al., 2020. Adherence and diabetes. In Adherence to treatment in medical
conditions (pp. 423-453). CRC Press.
Warren and Hixenbaugh, 2020. Global and regional estimates and projections of diabetes-related
health expenditure: Results from the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas.
Diabetes research and clinical practice, 162, p.108072.
Zare and et. al., 2019. Efficacy of cinnamon in patients with type II diabetes mellitus: A
randomized controlled clinical trial. Clinical nutrition, 38(2), pp.549-556.
Online:
Diabetes in the UK: 2019, 2020 [Online] Available through <
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dme.14225 >
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