Diabetes Patient Education Tool, Essay Example

Diabetes mellitus (DM), better known as diabetes, is a major public health problem all over the world. As of 1997, WHO (World Health Organization) assessed its occurrence in the world to be higher than 135 million, and a further projection of its increase by 125% by the year 2025. Many people who have diabetes also have problems with their hearts. Things that cause diabetes are mostly the causes of heart disease. If you have diabetes, you are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop heart problems.

The most common type of diabetes is Type II diabetes. This diabetes is quite difficult to detect at first and a person suffering from it can go years before detecting the disease. This is the reason why at least 280,000 heart attacks occur yearly. Most of these attacks could be avoided. The scariest fact is that a person with diabetes has a 60% chance of dying as a result of a heart problem.

When you minimize and manage the causes of diabetes, you do the same for heart disease.

This type of diabetes is caused by a number of factors that cause the body to be unable to produce enough insulin effectively. The factors include:

1. Physical inactivity and Obesity
2. Genetic Susceptibility
3. Insulin Resistance
4. Anomalous Glucose Production by Liver

Sings to watch out for:

If you have diabetes and any of the following characteristics, it is advisable to see a doctor for a heart checkup

• A waist larger than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women
• High blood pressure
• High LDL levels, i.e. bad cholesterol
• Low HDL levels, i.e. good cholesterol
• A family history of heart disease
• Are a smoker
• Eats a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fats(American Diabetes Association, 2014)

People suffering from diabetes are prone to the following types of heart diseases;

Coronary Artery Disease; caused by fatty deposits (plaque) narrowing the coronary arteries. When plaque builds up, the amount of blood reaching the heart is reduced. When these fatty deposits suddenly break off, they can cause a heart attack. One of the most common signs of a buildup of plaque is chest pains. This happens when the heart is forced to pump blood through coronary arteries that have been clogged.

Congestive Heart Failure; a gradual condition where the heart’s ability to pump blood properly reduces. This basically means that your heart is slowly stopping to function and is failing, thus the name heart failure. Symptoms of this type of heart disease is mainly the shortness of breath when engaging in physical activity and leg swelling.

Take Action

If you show any of the signs mentioned above, it is important that you take action.

1. Stop Smoking as it increases your risk of congestive heart failure.
2. Exercise regularly as it helps control your blood sugar and keep the heart muscles active.
3. Regular medical checkups are important in helping to identify risk factors early enough. Delayed detections usually lead to more serious problems and reduces the chances of getting better.
4. Medication is important for managing both diabetes and heart problems. Keep up with the required daily dosage of medicine. It is important that a patient suffering from both diabetes and heart problems manage their blood sugar through monitoring methods and medication.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2014, June 13). Heart Disease. Retrieved from Diabetes.org: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/heart-disease/

American Heart Association. (2013, January 31). Cardiovascular Disease & Diabetes. Retrieved from American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Diabetes/WhyDiabetesMatters/Cardiovascular-Disease-Diabetes_UCM_313865_Article.jsp