So you are diabetic
If you have just recently been diagnosed, then there is a lot to learn. Be careful where you get your information from. The doctor should be your first source. Your doctor should prepare you with literature and other teaching materials, as well as refer you to support groups. Being diabetic does not mean that your life will change. It means that you will have to make important decisions about maintaining your health. If your diagnoses require you to take oral hypoglycemia, then you need to know how they work, when to take them, and the signs and symptoms of hypo and hyperglycemia. For those who must receive insulin injections, they must learn to give themselves the injections and take their blood glucose level. The best idea is to take it easy. All of this information can seem overwhelming at first. Nobody expects you to know everything. Above all, be patient with yourself.
It is important to understand why you have diabetes. Diabetes, whether type I or type II, has been found to have certain genetic links. Genetically speaking, the risk of type 1 diabetes for offspring of the mother is 1-3%, the risk for offspring of diabetic fathers is 4-6%, with a concordance of identical twins between 30-30%. 50%. (1) Regarding type II diabetes, the genetic risk predisposition to first-degree relatives is 10% to 15% and the concordance of identical twins can exceed 90%. (1)
In type I diabetes, the individual’s autoimmune system gradually destroys the beta cells within the pancreas. The signs and symptoms of diabetes do not begin to manifest until 80%-90% of the beta cells are destroyed. Beta cells are important because they are responsible for the production of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the bloodstream at any given time. For example, when a person indulges in a high sugar meal, there will be large amounts of glucose circulating in the blood. To protect the body from excessive amounts of glucose, there is a cascade of hormonal signals that stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin and return unused glucose to the cell, where it will remain until the body requires it. High glucose levels can put a person at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Excessively low blood glucose levels can be just as dangerous as hypoglycemia. The acceptable range of blood glucose levels is considered an optimal range between 90-120 mg/dl. Diabetes diagnoses require blood tests for confirmation. Usually, one of the following blood tests is done;
1. Fasting plasma glucose level greater than 126 mg/dl
2. Random or casual plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dl, including the signs and symptoms of Type I Diabetes.
3. Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test with a level greater than 200 mg/dL with a glucose load of 75 mg.
Type II diabetes is by far the most prevalent in those people diagnosed with diabetes. Also, certain populations have a predisposition to diabetes more than others. Native Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans appear to have higher rates of Type II diabetes than their non-Hispanic white counterparts.
The signs and symptoms of diabetes can differ depending on whether the person is Type I or Type II. For type I diabetics, symptoms include polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst), and polyphagia (excessive hunger), as well as weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of type II diabetes are not as obvious as those of type I. In type II diabetics, the onset is later in life. Also, your pancreas still produces some endogenous insulin. Therefore, its symptoms are not as detectable. Symptoms include delayed wound healing, peripheral neuropathy (decreased sensation or pain in the extremities), fatigue, and visual changes. o Diabetes, like hypertension, is a disease that must be treated for life. Diabetics who take proper care can live long and healthy lives into their nineties.
References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_cell
2. Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirksen, Medical-Surgical Nursing 6th ed., Mosby, copyright 2004, p. 1270-1273.