Type 2 diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Type 2 diabetes - Essay Example If this process does not occur, then the blood sugar rises beyond the desired amount, which is 160 mg/dl on the upper limit (Macleod, 2007). Until recently, type II diabetes was considered to be a disease for the adults but current trends have shown that even children are at the risk of acquiring it thanks to poor lifestyles, which have culminated into numerous cases of childhood obesity. This paper will discuss type II diabetes, its causes and effects as well as its prevalence rate among other related issues. Type II Diabetes Type II diabetes is considered to be the most prevalent among the various types of diabetes that we have such as type 1 and gestational diabetes. This is due to the fact out of the approximated figure of 220 million people suffering from diabetes worldwide, 90% are said to be suffering from this type II diabetes (Zimmet, 2009). It is sad to note that a lot of people continue to lose their lives as a result of diabetes, which, according to health experts, is a d isease that is mostly reliant on our lifestyle and therefore is preventable. It is estimated that in the year 2004, 3.4 million patients lost their lives and to make matters worse, statistics indicate that the rate of deaths will have doubled in the period between 2005 and 2030. Currently, it is estimated that 285 million i.e. ... For example, India is believed to have the highest number of diabetic cases with approximately 51 million patients, followed by China with more than 43 million patients (Takrouri, 2007). This can be attributed to poverty, which makes it difficult for people to access medical services in terms of regular checkups so as to perform early diagnoses. Most people in these regions will find it necessary to visit a doctor when the condition has already become chronic and therefore more difficult to treat. This is made worse by the fact that type II diabetes is not easily detectable as it is considered as not having obvious symptoms in its early stages, which makes it almost impossible for someone to suspect that he or she is suffering from the disease. In fact, research indicates that a person can live with the disease for as long as 10 years or more without knowing (Chase, 2002). There are various symptoms which when observed, a person should take the step of consulting a doctor so as to co nfirm whether he or she is ill or not. These are for example frequent urination also known as polyuria, fatigue, increased hunger and thirst as well as unintended weight loss. Polyuria in this context results from high concentration of glucose in the blood, which triggers the flow of water from the cells through osmosis and into the bloodstream, in an effort to create a point of equilibrium (Elaine, 2007). Consequently, the water in the bloodstream increases and as a result, the kidney is forced to react by ejecting it out as urine and the cycle continues. By so doing, it means that a lot of water is discharged from the body unnecessarily and therefore, the patient becomes increasingly