Essay on Diabetes

Introduction

Diabetes is a healthcare condition that has continued to affect so many people, both young and old. Understanding more about Diabetes will help people live a healthy lifestyle by avoiding all the possible things that might cause it. In this assignment, I will assess why Diabetes is a significant health issue to individuals and the world. I will discuss the background of Diabetes, its definitions, and the types of Diabetes. Besides, I will discuss what is needed to promote individual and group health for people who have Diabetes. By the end of the assignment, one will have better knowledge about Diabetes since I will also discuss the causes and preventive measures that can be undertaken to prevent the disease. Towards the end of the assignment, I will describe three achievable health promotion goals, hence helping fight against Diabetes. I will also describe some of the interventions and roles that different people, groups, and organizations play to reduce the high cases of Diabetes in the world.

Background

During the medieval ages, being diagnosed with Diabetes was like a death sentence. The pioneers of diabetes treatment were Thomas Willis, Sushruta, and Arataeus (Mandal, 2021). The three were Greek physicians who encouraged people to exercise on horsebacks to prevent excess urination. They also described other therapies like overfeeding and taking wine to reduce starvation and excessive loss of fluids (Mandal, 2021). On the other hand, the ancient Indians would test for Diabetes by taking ants near a person’s urine. If the human urine attracted the ants, then the person would be diagnosed with urine (Mandal, 2021). Diabetes is a disease that is the leading cause of high blood sugar levels. People who have Diabetes have bodies that cannot make enough insulin, or their bodies cannot use the insulin they have effectively (Healthline, 2021). Insulin is the hormone that moves sugars from the blood to the body cells. There are several types of Diabetes, including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, prediabetes, and Diabetes insipidus (Healthine, 2021). All these types affect our bodies differently, and they all have different effects, hence different coping strategies.

The rationale for Choosing Diabetes

Diabetes is among the most severe health issues in the world. This is the reason why I chose to discuss it to create awareness about it. The bad thing with Diabetes is that one can get it and not know that they have it. By the time they realize that they have Diabetes, the condition is worse, and the person is highly affected. According to Genesis Medical Associates (2015), one out of three adults have higher blood sugar levels; a condition referred to as prediabetes. If the persons do not change their lifestyles, the sugar levels increase, leading to other types of Diabetes (Genesis Medical Associates, 2015). Learning about Diabetes will allow people to support each other in the fight against Diabetes. This includes eating healthy meals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercising (Dowshen, 2021). Another reason why I chose to discuss Diabetes is to learn more about the causes and how to manage the disease. Since most people do not know about the condition, it is crucial to educate them so that in case they feel any symptoms, and they can get the treatment as early as possible (Dowshen, 2021). It is easy to deal with Diabetes as long as the signs are detected early enough and the patient follows the given guidelines on healthy living.

Epidemiology

Diabetes is a significant health concern since it affects so many people in the world. Diabetes can affect any person. However, some ethnic groups are affected more than others. The Alaska Natives and the American Indians are more affected by Diabetes as compared to all other ethnic groups. In terms of age, more than sixty-five years are more prone to getting diabetes than young people. According to Shaikh (2021), % of the people who are more than 65 years have diabetes. However, the young people are also affected but at a meager percentage compared to the older people.

The risk factors for Type 1 diabetes are hereditary, hence easily transferred from parents to children. Type 1 diabetes primarily affects young children and teenagers. Also, white Americans are at a higher risk of getting the disease than African Americans and Latino Americans (Shaikh, 2021). Type 2 diabetes affects middle and old age persons. Also, other risk factors for type 2 diabetes include genes, being overweight, a history of gestational pregnancy, and giving birth to a baby that is more than 9lbs (Shaikh, 2021).

It is important to note that diabetes is more prone in rural areas where people do not have access to health services and education. In the United Kingdom, 28% of the people with diabetes have issues obtaining medication due to a lack of health services and knowledge on how to go about diabetes treatment (Whicher et al., 2019 p.243). Besides, most of the people who are in the rural do not go for annual health checkups; hence their conditions get worse daily.

Assessment and assessment tools for Diabetes

Different tools are used during the assessment of diabetes. Assessing diabetes is very important as it helps differentiate between different types of diabetes and the extent of the condition. The Diabetes Prevention Screening Tool helps identify the persons at risk of getting diabetes (Diabetes Education Services, 2021). Such people are encouraged to join the CDC prevention program. There is also the Risk Test for Pre Diabetes patients to understand the risks they face as pre-diabetics (Diabetes Education Services, 2021).

The Diabetes Risk calculator is a tool that is used to detect undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes. The social Support Assessment Tool helps diabetic patients to have a support system (Diabetes Initiative, 2020). Patients who have Diabetes need a lot of support from family and friends. The support shown will help them adhere to the doctor’s instructions, hence improving the chances of being better. Another assessment is the Mental Health Progress Report. The report is filled up during the patient’s follow-up visits. The assessment involves questions determining if the patient is affected by the condition mentally (Diabetes Initiative, 2020). It helps the doctors to guide the patient on how they can cope mentally with Diabetes.

Health Promotion Goals that you will like to Achieve

One of the goals that I would like to achieve is to reduce the high number of people diagnosed with Diabetes. I will encourage people to ensure they exercise at least thirty minutes a day to become physically fit. To make this goal achievable, I will create small groups that will act as support systems. This will help push people towards healthy living, preventing them from being diagnosed with the condition (Cecelia Health, 2021). My goal is realistic since it is easy to adopt a good eating habit and exercise at least thirty minutes daily. Still, it becomes easier when these activities are done in groups so that members feel motivated. To ensure that the goal is achieved, I will set a time frame of three months. Each member must have dropped at least 10 pounds within three months and managed to exercise at least 30 minutes daily, consistently.

The second goal is to enhance a better diabetes management program. Most people who have diabetes do not know what they should avoid, while others ignore the advice given to them by the doctors. In this case, I will form a group of people of different ages who are diabetic. The group formed will be a support system that will help each other cope with Diabetes. I will encourage the group members to remain healthy by eating the right food and exercising daily (McDermott, 2020). For those that are older, they can do simple exercises like jogging and walking a few kilometers daily. After five months, I will assess each patient’s changes in sugar levels and the general healthcare status (McDermott, 2020). I expect the sugar levels to be expected or close to normal for most patients within this period. Besides, the patients will have adapted to the new lifestyle since they got used to it.

Interventions for your health promotion goals

As indicated above, the first goal is to reduce the high numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes. The first health intervention is by ensuring that people are engaging in vigorous activities and exercises. Before one retires to bed, they must ensure that they have done a bit of practice to increase the metabolic activities of their bodies (Harvard T.H CHAN, 2021). Exercising helps maintain a moderate weight; hence, the high obesity and overweight people will reduce significantly. Besides, exercise helps increase insulin sensitivity in the body. As a result, the body cells can consume the sugars that are in the bloodstream.

For this intervention to work, both individuals and groups work together. A person must know that they have a personal responsibility to ensure that they maintain healthy body weight. Besides, organizations can play a significant role by ensuring that they create team-building activities (Harvard T.H CHAN, 2021). Organizations can set a day or two per month whereby all the employees and employers are involved in various team-building activities. This will help to ensure that at least all members keep fit, even if some of the members might not be keeping fit at a personal level. Since young people are also at a very high risk of getting diabetes, schools should develop a schedule to see all the students engage in exercise activities (John Muir Health, 2021). For example, the school can decide to have a physical exercise lesson after every two days.

Another intervention that will see few people being diagnosed with diabetes is maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle. Most people, especially teenagers, eat food that is full of calories. First, one should ensure they increase the fiber intake (Science Daily, 2018). Fiber is essential as it helps to slow down the digestion of carbs and sugars. Foods that contain more fibers include legumes, vegetables, and whole grains. Too many carbs place a person at a very high risk of getting diabetes. Another healthy eating habit is taking plenty of water to stay hydrated at all times (John Muir Health, 2021). When one takes a lot of water, it also helps the kidney eliminate excess sugars through the urine (Science Daily, 2018). A well-hydrated person is at a lower risk of getting diabetes. However, one should avoid sugar-sweetened drinks as they raise the level of glucose in the blood.

Both individuals and organizations have a role to play when it comes to maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle. Families should ensure that they prepare meals that are balanced diet. As an individual, one has a choice to eat whatever they want. Following this, one should avoid taking foods with high carb content instead of increasing the intake of high fiber meals. Organizations should also participate in this intervention by preparing healthy meals for their employees (Science Daily, 2018). Communities should be encouraged to grow more fibers and take the origin foods rather than rely on ready-made foods with high calories. Also, schools can be involved by ensuring that they have a reasonable timetable for all the meals, and the fiber intake for each student should be higher than the carb intake.

The second goal is enhancing better management for people who are living with diabetes. Individuals have a tremendous responsibility to ensure that they follow the given guidelines to stabilize sugar levels efficiently. As a diabetic patient, one should know the type of diabetes they are suffering from and the measures they are supposed to take to become better (NIH, 2021). The first step that a diabetic person should take is to ensure that they are not stressed. Stress triggers sugar levels, hence raising them. To reduce stress triggers, one can listen to their favorite music, take a walk, breathing in and out, or doing their favorite activities (Diabetes UK, 2021). Also, a person needs to have a support system to reach out in case they feel stressed.

The second step that one can take to deal with diabetes is ensuring that they eat well. After being assessed by the doctor, a health care team should help the sick person come up with a meal plan (Diabetes UK, 2021). The meal plan should contain fewer calories, fewer sugars and salt, and high saturated fats. Also, a diabetic person should eat foods that have high fiber, like rice and bread. Instead of drinking sweetened juices, a diabetic person should ensure that they take plenty of clean drinking water. This helps to keep the body hydrated at all times.

Both individuals and groups have a significant role in ensuring that diabetic persons are taken care of. They have the necessary things needed for them to reduce sugar levels. Health facilities should make sure that they do follow-ups so that if a patient has forgotten to go for checkups, they can go upon being reminded. Besides, other organizations like NGOs should develop fiber for needy people who might not afford such things.

Evaluation of your Health Promotion Care

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise is not hard to achieve as long as the people involved know the benefits of exercising. Exercising is an effective strategy that will help prevent diabetes and prevent other diseases like heart attack and stroke (Diabetes UK, 2021). However, people should be allowed to choose the kind of exercise that they want to do. Instead of going for a run, one can engage in other activities like playing football, netball, or swimming (Harvard T.H CHAN, 2021). Since people are not the same, one should not be forced to go for a morning jog, yet they like swimming. If this is done, the exercises will be more effective since people will be doing them willingly. I would recommend that the government makes it paramount for organizations to have different days from engaging in other activities like swimming, running, jogging, etc. Also, schools should ensure that there are various exercises for all the students to have one or two activities that they can engage in easily.

The second promotion of care was encouraging people to eat healthy meals. From the above discussion, it is evident that people need to engage in healthy lifestyles. Whether a person has diabetes or not, engaging in a healthy lifestyle is very important (Science Daily, 2018. Following this, one should ensure that they avoid high calories and have high fibers. This healthcare plan can be effective only if the government and other non-governmental organizations are willing to provide the proper meals for the people in need. Some diabetic people do not have access to medical care; hence they cannot do follow-ups about their conditions. As a result, the health care plan will become hard to achieve if the doctors and health care workers do not follow up on their patients to ensure they have taken the right medicines and that the sugar levels are not increasing (John Muir Health, 2021. For this, I would recommend that treatment of diabetes becomes free of charge in all public healthcare institutions. This will make it easy for the poor diabetic people to go for checkups since they know they will not be asked for any money to get the services they need. During the Diabetes Awareness week in the country, the government led by the health care sector should ensure that people are educated about diabetes. This will help people learn more about it and engage in activities that will help reduce diseases.

Tannahill Health Promotion Model

The Tannahill Health Promotion Model helps in the prevention of diabetes and protection of people who have diabetes. As discussed above, diabetes can be prevented through eating the right foods and ensuring that one is physically fit. The Tannahill Health promotion strategy also suggests a good communication flow between the patient and the health care providers (Queens University Belfast, 2021). In this case, the healthcare providers should do the follow up’s for their patients. The third aspect of the Tannahill Health promotion program is that the citizens should be given health protection through the legislature, social measures, and financial measures (Queens University Belfast, 2021). This includes helping needy people eat healthy meals and ensuring that organizations and companies give their employees the proper meals. Besides, Companies, organizations, and schools should set aside specific days where each person is engaged in other activities like swimming, ring, and playing their favorite games.

Conclusion

Diabetes is indeed one of the most severe diseases in the world. Diabetes affects both the young and the old and people of all ages. Although people at the age of 65 and older are more prone to being diagnosed with diabetes, other factors also determine if a person is prone to getting diabetes (Healthline, 2021). For example, a child can get diabetes from their parents; hence they get hereditary diabetes. Women who have experienced gestational diabetes are also at a very high risk of contracting the disease again (Shaikh, 2021). People who are not physically fit are also prone to getting diabetes. Following this, it is evident that although some people are more prone to getting diabetes, several other factors play a significant role.

Although diabetes is a severe condition worldwide, it can be controlled and the high rates reduced. This can be achieved through two maintaining it; exercising and eating suitable meals. Since some people cannot afford the healthy diet recommended for diabetic people, the government and other non-governmental organizations can provide such meals to the people (Whicher et al., 2019 p.243. Also, ensuring that the medication services are accessible at the public hospitals will encourage most people to go for follow-ups. Exercising is easy since there are so many activities that help burn calories (Shaikh, 2021). That is why it is essential to let the person choose activities they are good at and concentrate on them. Generally, although diabetes is a serious condition, it is easy to prevent and manage it if all resources are available.

References

Cecelia Health, 2021. How to Set and Achieve SMART Goals — in Life and Diabetes – Cecelia Health. [online] Cecelia Health. Available at: <https://www.ceceliahealth.com/how-to-set-and-achieve-smart-goals-in-life-and-diabetes/> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Diabetes Education Services, 2021. Screening Tools for Diabetes – Diabetes Education Services. [online] Diabetes Education Services. Available at: <https://diabetesed.net/screening-tools-for-diabetes/> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Diabetes Initiative, 2020. Tools: Assessment Instruments. [online] Diabetesinitiative.org. Available at: <http://www.diabetesinitiative.org/resources/type/assessmentInstruments.html> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Diabetes UK, 2021. 10 Tips for Healthy Eating with Diabetes. [online] Diabetes UK. Available at: <https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/10-ways-to-eat-well-with-diabetes> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Dowshen, S., 2021. Diabetes Control: Why It’s Important (for Teens) – Nemours KidsHealth. [online] Kidshealth.org. Available at: <https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/diabetes-control.html> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Genesis Medical Associates, 2015. The Importance Of Understanding And Preventing Diabetes – Genesis Medical Associates, Inc. [online] Genesismedical.org. Available at: <https://www.genesismedical.org/blog/the-importance-of-understanding-and-preventing-diabetes> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Harvard T.H CHAN, 2021. Simple Steps to Preventing Diabetes. [online] The Nutrition Source. Available at: <https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/disease-prevention/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Healthline, 2021. Everything You Need to Know About Diabetes. [online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes#:~:text=Diabetes%20mellitus%2C%20commonly%                                                                                 20known%20as,the%20insulin%20it%20does%20make.> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

John Muir Health, 2021. Preventing Diabetes. [online] Johnmuirhealth.com. Available at: <https://www.johnmuirhealth.com/health-education/conditions-treatments/diabetes-articles/preventing-diabetes.html> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Mandal, A., 2021. History of Diabetes. [online] News Medical. Available at: <https://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-Diabetes.aspx#:~:text=The%20term%20diabetes%20was%20probably,sweet%20taste%20of%20the%20urine.> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

McDermott, A., 2020. 7 Long-Term Goals for Better Diabetes Management. [online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/living-better-with-type-2-diabetes/long-term-goals-everyone-with-type-2-diabetes-should-make> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

NIH, 2021. 4 Steps to Manage Your Diabetes for Life | NIDDK. [online] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: <https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/4-steps> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Queens University Belfast, 2021. Health Promotion. [online] Queens University Belfast. Available at https://www.qub.ac.uk/elearning/public/HealthyEating/HealthPromotion/ [Accessed 1 June 2021]

Science Daily, 2018. Physical exercise reduces the risk of developing diabetes, study shows. [online] ScienceDaily. Available at: <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220102420.htm> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Shaikh, J., 2021. What Population Is Most Affected by Diabetes?. [online] MedicineNet. Available at: <https://www.medicinenet.com/what_population_is_most_affected_by_diabetes/article.htm> [Accessed 1 June 2021].

Whicher, C., O’Neill, S., and Holt, R., 2019. Diabetes in the UK: 2019. Diabetic Medicine, [online] 37(2), pp.242-247. Available at: <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dme.14225> [Accessed 1 June 2021].