Sample Essay- Diabetes

Diabetes, often referred to as a lifestyle disease, is very common nowadays. We know people who have this
kind of disease or at least one or two in the family has this. In the United States, it is estimated that almost 24
million of the general population is affected by diabetes in lifelong terms. In 2007 alone, roughly 1.6 million of
people at the age of twenty above are diagnosed with this condition. Not to mention, there are still a lot of
people who have not still received prompt diagnosis and medical attention yet display the signs of symptoms of
the dreaded disease (National Diabetes Information Editors, 2011). The sections hereafter will discuss on the
main basic points one must understand about diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (2010) pointed out that diabetes affects chiefly the metabolic functioning of
the body. The way the body utilizes digested for energy and growth is affected. The food that people eat is
usually broken down into glucose. This glucose forms as kind of sugar present in the blood and this is the main
source of fuel or energy for the body. Problems arise when such glucose or blood sugar becomes abnormally
high. In the normal body process, digestion allows the glucose to be used up by the tissues and cells of the body
for energy, growth and repair. Cells in the body contain a membrane or covering that does not automatically
allow substances like glucose to get inside it. In order for glucose to get inside the cells, a hormone called
insulin must be available. This insulin is normally produced by a large gland behind the stomach called
pancreas.

During eating, the pancreas is signaled by the brain to produce the adequate amount of insulin so that the blood
sugar in the bloodstream can be taken up by the cells. However, in diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce
sufficient amount of insulin. At most instances, it produces very small or no amount of insulin at all. Another
problem is that the cells of the body cannot respond the properly to the insulin that is produced. This is called
insulin resistance. It means that an abnormality is happening as the “doors” that allow entry of glucose in the
cells cannot be opened. The pancreas will not cease in producing insulin because the cells have very little
amount of sugar inside it. But still, resistance will not allow the access of glucose in the cells. As a result of
these, the glucose builds up in the bloodstream and becomes a by-product as it is excreted with urine
(Emedicine Editors, 2010). So, although the body contains large amount of sugar in the blood, it is not able to
convert this into the desired component to fuel the cells. Sometimes, the increased amount of insulin can
eventually lead the entry of blood sugar into the cells. However, the pancreas would be exhausted and would be
unable to compensate with the body’s increasing insulin needs. Consequently, the excessive glucose in the
bloodstream due to the failure in cellular entry will start to build up in tissues around the kidneys, heart, eyes
and nerve endings. Such build-up explains the short-term and long-term complications of diabetes.

How does one determine if he or she has diabetes? In the early stage of the disease, only few symptoms may
appear so one will not know right away if he or she is already suffering from the condition. The rapid and
serious effect of diabetes is seen on its complications on the eyes, kidneys and cardiovascular system. If you
experience frequent urination, extreme thirst and/or hunger, sores, bruises and wounds that heal slowly, dry and
itchy skin, unapparent weight loss, blurry vision, abnormal fatigue or drowsiness, tingling or lack of sensation
in the hands or feet, recurrent skin, gum, bladder or vaginal yeast infections, you may be at the brink of having
the disease(Mayfield, 1998).

Diabetes affects people of all ages and races. But there are various groups in terms of gender, age and
ethnicities who are at a greater risk of developing the disease. The occurrence is much higher in men but the
serious effects of this disease are more prevalent among women. Women with diabetes tend to have lower
survival rates and poorer quality of life compared to men who have the disease. Complications of the disease,
such as blindness, are also more seen in women. Pregnant women may also acquire the condition during
pregnancy. This is termed as gestational diabetes. Certain racial groups are also highly affected by
diabetes. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific
Islander Americans are at higher risk for diabetes especially the type 2 form of the disease. The explanation to
this, according to many researchers, is that the ancestors of these ethnic groups had developed a certain kind of
gene ought to be “thrifty” in nature. This means that this gene allowed them to store foods in preparation for
famines where foods were scarce. Over time, when the scarcity of food became uncommon for these groups in
America, the genes that were once of use were no longer working the same way it did for their ancestors.
Meanwhile people with certain lifestyles are at risk of the disease. People, who have unbalanced diet like high
cholesterol and low fiber meals, above 45 years old, overweight, and who have sedentary lifestyles are included.
A family history of diabetes can impose the development of the disease because the inherited genes are more
susceptible to diabetes (CDC editors, 2010).

Moreover, the cause of diabetes can be attributed to the abnormal function and cell’s resistance at a metabolic
level, as described earlier. In Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune reaction, or when the body destroys and attacks
its own cells, happens. The exact cause of such reaction is unknown but it can be attributed to triggers that
include: infection with a particular virus or bacteria, exposure to chemical toxins from foods and exposure to
cow’s milk during infancy. Such assumptions are still unproven though. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is
caused by variations in insulin production and glucose transport to the cell. It can be due to unbalanced diet,
obesity, physical inactivity, some medicines, pregnancy and other conditions in the body which can affect
production of insulin such as pancreatitis. Stress and high blood pressure also have direct relationship to the
occurrence of diabetes.

Treating diabetes, in type 1 and type 2 cases, varies in each individual who has the disease. The goal of
treatment is centered in keeping the levels of blood sugar in the blood as normal as possible. It would entail
self-management, medical intervention and more importantly modification in lifestyle. Insulin injections are the
most common treatment for diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, it would also include exercises, balanced diet along
with insulin doses. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand covers weight reduction, complying with diabetic diet
and medications to maintain the normal level of glucose in the blood. Weight reduction and exercise can be
helpful to the whole treatment process because it increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Thereby, cells can
permit the entry of glucose in order to lower sugar levels in the blood. Oral medications are given as
maintenance treatments, in case lifestyle modification is not enough. Furthermore, there is no acknowledged
absolute cure for diabetes. At the moment, continued scientific and clinical researches are made in the hope
curing diabetes (McCulley, 2008). The transplantation of islets, which are cells that carry insulin in the body, is
one example of the current subjects that is still under investigation. Thus, the management of diabetes, at the
moment, is still on the preventive and treatment levels.

People who already have diabetes are advised to modify their lifestyles. If the condition is associated with
obesity, weight reduction is called for. It can be in the form of doing exercises but it does not necessitate heavy
workouts. Moderate activities like walking for 30 minutes could help a lot in this sense. Activities of daily
living which are advantageous include taking the stairs instead of elevators and walking to work if
possible. Aside from that, living with diabetes also means being conscious of the foods that one takes in. One
should avoid foods that are high in salt and cholesterol as well as carbohydrates. A healthy diabetic diet
includes fruits such as apples, oranges and peaches. Vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, beans and peas, and
green leafy vegetables also top the list. Fiber rich foods to also include grains would be a great diet alternative
because fiber delays sugar absorption or build up, so as to lower down glucose levels.

In the end, the way to get diabetes in clear perspectives from its cause down to its management entails
awareness. Timely medical consultation is also of major help. Keeping blood sugar levels as normal as possible
is the central factor in having healthy and longer life in spite of having diabetes.