Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease. It is a chronic disease
that has no cure. Therefore it comes to no surprise that this disease has
acquired countless number of attentions. Unfortunately, 5.4 million people in
the United State are unaware that they have this disease. Until they do, they
have already developed life-threatening complications. This may include
blindness, kidney diseases, nerves diseases, heart diseases, strokes, and
amputations. It is no wonder that diabetes is known as the silent killer.
Diabetes is condition where the body does not produce or properly use insulin,
which is a type of hormone that converts sugar, starches, and other types of
foods into the energy that humans need everyday. It controls the blood sugar
level and without it, death is inevitable. There are two major types of
diabetes: Type I, and Type II. Type I is where the body does not produce any
insulin also known as insulin dependent or immune-medicated diabetes. It is a
disease that destroys the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin. Type II,
is where the body can’t make enough or properly use insulin, also known as
non-insulin dependent. Other specific type of diabetes may have its origin from
certain genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition inflection and other
illness. The cause of this disease remains a mystery. Genetics, environmental
factors, lack of exercise, plays an important role in the cause of diabetes.
Diabetes can cause different types of problems depending on which types of
diabetes they have. For Type I diabetes, two problems may occur: ketoacidosis,
and hyperglycemia. In ketoacidosis, your body produces ketones. This occurs when
your blood glucose level increases too high. The productions of ketones have its
unpleasant results. Ketones can cause you to vomit, have trouble breathing,
become dehydrated, have dry itchy skin, and/or go into a coma. Hyperglycemia is
where your blood glucose level is too low. In results, one may feel shaky,
tired, hungry, confused or nervous. Lastly, there may be complications for Type
I diabetes. Since the levels of glucose are high, it can damage organs. Eyes,
kidney, and nerves can be damaged. It may also provoke heart and blood vessels
more likely. In Type II diabetes, three types of problems can occur such as high
blood glucose, low blood glucose, and complications itself. In high blood
glucose, there are times when your blood glucose level may increase too high.
This occurs more likely when one is under a lot of stress. When the glucose
level does increase, problems such as headaches, blurry vision, thirst, frequent
trips to the restroom, and dry itchy skin may occur. When the body lacks blood
glucose, a problem such as low blood glucose may occur. This is also called
hypoglycemia. When hypoglycemia occurs, one may feel shaky, tired, hungry,
nervous and confused. With all of these serious complications, it is highly
recommended that people get checked for diabetes before other problems arise.
Diabetes seems to be targeting at certain ethnic groups. Because of this
information, a biological/genetic factor may be involved. The percentages,
calculations, and estimates, seems to be pointing at three ethnic groups:
African American, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. According to the
Diabetes American Association, it is estimated that African Americans are 1.7
times more likely to have diabetes than Hispanic whites. Thus, Hispanic
Americans are almost twice as likely to have Type II diabetes then non-Hispanic
whites. There are even cases where in most tribes, half of the populations of
the Native American have diabetes. People who have diabetes have a certain
nutritional management to keep their diabetes under control. Because of the fact
that there are different types of diabetes, there are different nutritional
managements to suit each type with its specific needs. For type one diabetes,
the goal of the nutritional management is to lower the glucose in blood, since
the glucose level is too high. To control the level, diabetics must take insulin
shots before meals, exercise, and/or maintain a healthy diet. The diet must be
low in fat, have moderate amounts of protein, and have high complex
carbohydrates. This may include breads, cereals, noodles, or rice. The diet must
have consistency; it is recommended that the same number of calories is consumed
each day, and that the meals and snacks are timed. Meals must never be skipped.
Being active by exercising, helps the human body cells consume the glucose. The
process helps lower the glucose levels in blood. Therefore, exercise is very
helpful for diabetics. The nutritional management is also similar for type two
diabetes. However, losing weight is also a step for the nutritional management.
By losing weight, the body is more likely to take the insulin. Therefore,
exercise is involved and is advised so by the doctor. The nutritional management
varies from person to person since everyone is different. Therefore, a dietitian
may help the diabetic to plan out a meal plan that fits. 15.7 million or 5.9% of
the men women and children in the United States have diabetes, while estimates
of 10.3 million are diagnosed. Sadly, one third of these people are not aware
that they have the disease. According to American Diabetes Association, each day
approximately 2,200 people are diagnosed with diabetes and an estimate of about
798,000 people will be diagnosed this year. Estimates of 7.5 million of men and
8.2 million of women have diabetes. In 1995 alone, diabetes has contributed to
more than 187,000 deaths and this year, 190,000 will die from diabetes. Of the
two types of diabetes, type 1 usually occurs during childhood or adolescence.
Risks of developing type 1 in siblings and adolescence is higher than virtually
all other sever chronic diseases with its peak incidence during puberty. Some
warning signs include frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger,
unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue, and recurring skin, gum or bladder
infection. Type 2, the most common form of diabetes, usually occurs after the
age of 45. Nearly 18.4% of the United States population ages 65 and older have
diabetes. However, unlike type 1, people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms.
Subsequently, there are many treatments when dealing with diabetes. Since people
with diabetes have blood sugar problems, meal planning for sugar control, and
excising is just one method of treatment for diabetes. But sometimes, these
treatments are not enough to help out with the problems. The next step is to
take medicine. These methods are: oral medicine such as pills or insulin shots.
However, people with type 1 diabetes don’t produce any insulin for the glucose
to pass into a cell, therefore they can’t take any oral medication and insulin
shots are their only way to keep blood sugar levels down. When diabetics signs
starts to appear upon an individual, it is imperative that they must seek a
physician immediately. If not, one may develop life-threatening complications,
which in severe cases, can result in death. The numbers of deaths will only
climb even higher, and diabetes will remain its title as the sixth leading cause
of death by disease in the United States. As information about diabetes continue
to spread out across the nation, more people will be informed and familiar about
this serious disease, in result, advance action will take place for care and
maintenance. The silent killer title will thus be removed, and diabetes will not
remain in the dark.

Bibliography
Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney, What is diabetes?: 112-115; Nutrition
Concepts and Controversies 8th edition (2000) packet from The medical Center at
the University of California, San Francisco; Caring for your Diabetes Medical
Notes on Diabetes, BBC News; http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/medical_notes/
American Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.org