Philip Cezar B.

Alverio

BSN IV-13

Definition of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by the inability of the pancreas to

produce insulin or to use the insulin produced in the proper way. Diabetes is the
7th leading cause of death among Americans; over 15 million Americans suffer
from one form or another of this disease.

Description of Diabetes

After a meal, a portion of the food a person eats is broken down into sugar
(glucose). The sugar then passes into the bloodstream and to the body's cells via a
hormone (called insulin) that is produced by the pancreas.

Normally, the pancreas produces the right amount of insulin to accommodate the
quantity of sugar. However, if the person has diabetes, either the pancreas
produces little or no insulin or the cells do not respond normally to the insulin.
Sugar builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine and then passes from the
body unused.

Symptoms

 Excessive urination
 Thirst
 Weight loss
 Lack of energy
The symptoms described above may not necessarily mean that you have
diabetes. However, if you experience one or more of these symptoms,
contact your doctor for a complete exam.

Treatment
Type 1 (Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)
Type 1 diabetes is treated with intensive insulin therapy. This type of treatment is
designed to achieve near-normal blood sugars safely - while keeping the episodes
of low blood sugars ("insulin reactions") to a minimum. Insulin therapy includes:

 Multiple Daily Injections of Insulin (Flexibility is important!).

 Use of Insulin Pens or Pumps.
 Use of new type of insulin: Lispro or Humalog (extremely fast-acting) -
replaces regular insulin.

Type 2 (Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)

The treatment used in treating type 2 diabetes will be based on the physiological
defects experienced by the patient. The three most common problem areas are:
the pancreas, the liver and the muscle.

 Pancreas: Abnormal response to meals.

 Liver: Abnormal sugar production.
 Muscle: Abnormal lack of sensitivity to insulin.

Frequent monitoring of blood sugars is critical to the proper treatment of

diabetes.

Blood glucose monitoring: for type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes on insulin, at

least 2-3 times daily: for type 2 diabetes on pills, 4-7 times weekly.

Hemoglobin A1C or Glycosylated Hemoglobin: measurements of long-term

control (3 months' worth). For type 1, every 3-4 months; for type 2 every 6
months.

Diabetes patients should avoid hypoglycemia.

Worrying about hypoglycemia is normal. Hypoglycemia does NOT, however,

have to be an insurmountable obstacle to achieving tight control.

Most of the time, nobody (especially the patient!) is to blame. The sensing of
lower blood sugars changes with intensive control.