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Free Warning Signs of Diabetes Essay Sample
The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the warning signs of looming diabetes. The primary causation factor of diabetes is increase in the blood sugar content, implying that all the warning signs of diabetic infection are associated with an increase in the sugar level present in the blood stream. High blood sugar is due to either insufficient production of insulin or the body cells are not responsive to the insulin being produced. Dietary habits can play an integral role in increasing blood sugar content, especially if the glucose digestion system is not effective. The identified warning signs discussed in this paper include extreme thirst, large volumes of urine, dry mouth, blurry and floating visions, vaginal itching among women, incomprehensive weight loss or gain, and darkening of the armpit, neck and groin skin. Weakness and fatigue are also common indicators of an impending diabetic infection. It is important to note that these warning signs of diabetes are closely related with high levels of blood sugar, which is due to an inefficient blood sugar digestion system and worsened by poor dietary habits associated with high sugar intake.
Warning Signs of Diabetes
Diabetes is commonly referred to as diabetes mellitus, which is a collection of metabolic illnesses that increases the blood sugar in the body. This is because insulin production by the body is limited or the body cells are inactive to the insulin that is being produced. According to Weinger & Carver, the term metabolic implies that the illness is closely attributed to digestion of food to yield energy and growth. A larger portion of our diet is digested to glucose as a source of energy. The digested glucose is expected to be absorbed into the blood stream with the aid of insulin, a hormone, produced by the pancreas. The modes of occurrence of diabetes influences the kind of diabetes a patient is suffering from. As a result, there are three forms of the disease, namely diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2 and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s inability to generate its own insulin, hence, necessitate the sufferer to inject himself with insulin. Type 2 diabetes results from the cells inactivity to insulin, a circumstance, in which cells face a deficiency of insulin. Gestational diabetes is common to expectant mothers who have never suffered from the disease, and are experiencing high blood glucose level in the course of their pregnancy. The common characteristic that all patients of diabetes have is that the glucose amount is tremendously high, condition, referred to as hyperglycemia. Having reviewed the causes of diabetes, it is essential to note the signs, linked to this disease such as Polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia, erectile Dysfunction, unclear visions and vaginal itching among others. This paper discusses the warning signs of diabetes, which are mostly due to the increasing levels of sugar in the blood.
The first sign notable among diabetics is frequent thirst, a condition, referred to as polydipsia. This normally denotes type 2 diabetes. Beaser & Campbell point out that thirst is a consequence of reduction in hormone, which controls water excretion by body through the skin and the kidney. Low levels of the hormone accelerate the water excretion, leading to patient’s dehydration. This creates an urge to drink more water to compensate for the already excreted. Another instance that increases thirst is diabetes, notable by considerably high levels of sugar in the blood stream. The mechanism behind the increased thirst is that excess glucose, present in the blood stream, draws a lot of water from body tissues, which also increases thirst. This forces an individual to drink much water to avert the thirst. Cases of extreme thirst should serve as a looming indicator of diabetes, and people should revise their dietary habits and adopt preventive measures to curb the onset of diabetes. In most cases, extreme thirst is an indicator of the increasing levels in blood sugar, and posing the need to reduce sugar intake through adopting appropriate dietary and engaging in physical activity.
The second warning sign of diabetes is an extremely large volume of urine, approximated to be 2.5 - 3 liters within 24 hours in adults. This symptom is also referred to as Polyuria or diuresis. The excess sugar in the blood drawing water from tissues, leaves them dehydrated, hence, the patient combats this by drinking more water or fluids that are again excreted in the form of urine. This symptom is, sometimes, integrated in diabetes’ definition. Polyuria and polydipsia are in concurrence with each other. Nevertheless, it is possible to have the either of them, but the latter might be a cause or an effect. Large volumes of urine are a warning sign of looming diabetes, and are usually an outcome of extreme thirst as indicated earlier.
The third warning sign of diabetes is a dry mouth. The increased sugar levels due to diabetes have a tendency of affecting the oral hygiene of a person. Some common grievances from these patients include gum illnesses, cavities, dry mouth and even loss of teeth, though very uncommon. This symptom can worsen the diabetic condition by forcing the illness to become uncontrollable. Oral diseases have an effect of further increasing the blood sugar content, present in the blood stream. The ability to test sweet foods is severely reduced, forcing the patient to add sweeteners to food as compensation. On the contrary, it only exacerbates the condition as you subject the bloodstream to more sugar and negative impact to the oral health. Griffith et al. (158) assert that diabetes accelerates oral infection and oral infections accelerate diabetes. This concurrence of oral infections and diabetes is primary in averting and treating diabetic complications because one cannot be treated singly. In addition, cuts and sores take moderately a longer period to restore to health. This is common in type 2 diabetes due to the body’s weakened defensive mechanism upon infections.
A blurry vision is another sign, linked to diabetes type 1. The patients suffer from visual impairment by seeing unclearly. High blood sugar affects the eye lens to transform its shape and become less flexible. As a result, it affects the eye focus and leads to unclear vision. Other visual problems, connected to diabetes, include double and cloudy visions, and floating spots notable in front of the eye. Double vision is influenced by nerve damages, whereas cloudy vision results from cataracts due to the swelling of the retina. The blurry vision is mainly due to lack of water in the eye tissues, which, in turn, makes the retina to be less flexible.
Vaginal itching among women patients is also a sign of type 2 diabetes. The vaginal skin might be red and sore, revealing yeast infections. Regular yeast infections of approximately four to five times further confirm the type 2 diabetic condition. The yeast survives on sugar, implying that a diabetic female patient will increase the yeast multiplication since there is too much sugar in their blood. The high level of blood sugar counters the body’s ability to fight infections, reducing the advantageous bacteria in the vagina, paving the way for the bacteria to take over rapidly. Such yeast infections mean that the disease is not efficiently managed because the blood sugar levels are apparently high. Additionally, the itching might be accompanied by unpleasant white discharge.
Diabetes can be revealed by darkening of the armpit, neck and groin skin, which is a type 2 indication sign. This sign is quite uncommon and it might affect one individual among 300 people with the disease. However, the darkening is not only confined to the mentioned parts, but it can also spread to other surfaces of the body. It is familiar with overweight diabetics and the condition has no recognized remedy. It can be considered that losing weight can be its controlling factor since it is more attributed to obesity. This condition also affects health persons apart from diabetics.
Incomprehensible weight loss or weight gain signifies a type 1 diabetic condition in patients. The body pays off for lost fluids by pushing the patient to eat, resulting to weight gain among diabetic patients. Weight lose can be explained in terms of glucose deficiency by body tissues, even though the food intake might have remained constant. This upsets the growth of tissues. Shivering and numbness of both hands and legs discloses diabetes type 2. High blood sugar levels affect the nerves, specifically the tiny blood vessels, incorporated in the nerve. There are diverse problems, connected to this, but the most notable ones are tingling or numbness in the hands and feet. Closely associated effects to the feet, legs and hand include burning feeling.
Erectile dysfunction is a sign, connected to male diabetes patients. Beaser & Campbell approximate that 35-75% of male diabetic patients are at risk of impotence during their lifetime. Erectile Dysfunction among men with diabetes are sophisticated and entails damage to the nerves, blood vessels and muscle functioning. This damage to male sexual organs implies that diabetic male patients cannot get an erection. The disease spoils the blood vessels and nerves that direct erection in males. Erectile dysfunction tends to worsen with aging of male patients.
Weakness and fatigue are common indication of illnesses inclusive of diabetes. Glucose from food needs to be digested to produce energy with the help of insulin. When the digestion process faces insulin inadequacy; thereby glucose stays out of the cells in the bloodstream, no energy is produced for the body. This gives rise to energy starvation by the cells, weakening the body. Altered mental status is also a warning sign of diabetes, and includes anxiety, inattentiveness, confusion, tremendous tiredness and inexplicable irritability. The above named are signs of diabetes, classified as altered mental status and are indicators of other illnesses like hyperosmolar hyperglycemia nonketotic syndrome.
In conclusion, diabetic condition occurs due to high sugar level in the blood. The various types of diabetes depends on the type of causes, although they are both related to the level of sugar content in the blood, which is mostly associated with dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles. Type 1 diabetes results from the breakdown of the body to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes emerges, when there is insulin resistance. Gestational occurs in pregnant women who have never suffered from the disease. There are various warning signs that are allied to diabetes, namely excessive thirst, excessive urinations, oral infections, erectile dysfunction, shivering and numbness of legs feet and hands, fatigue and general weakness and vaginal infections. The three basic diabetes’ signs are Polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia. Majority of this signs are symptoms of other health problems, hence, it is necessary to be tested for diabetes to exclude other signs. Some of the symptoms such as Polyuria and Polydipsia are concurrent, while others accelerate diabetes, which also accelerates the symptoms.
