What is Diabetes?

What is Diabetes?

• Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
• There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

• Characterized by deficient insulin production, requiring daily administration of insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes

• Affects how the body uses sugar (glucose) for energy, stopping the body from using insulin properly, leading to high levels of blood sugar if not treated.

Gestational Diabetes

• A type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, characterized by hyperglycaemia with blood glucose values above normal but below those diagnostic of diabetes.

Risk Factors for Diabetes

• Being overweight or obese
• Being physically inactive
• Being age 45 or older
• Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels
• Having a close family member with type 2 diabetes
• Having a history of heart disease, stroke, gestational diabetes, or polycystic ovary syndrome

Blood Sugar Levels

• Normal blood sugar level: less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
• Blood sugar level above 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours: diagnosed with diabetes
• Blood sugar level between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L): prediabetes

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

• Polyuria (increased urination)
• Polydipsia (increased thirst)
• Polyphagia (increased hunger)
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
• Sores that do not heal
• Unexplained weight loss

Prevention of Diabetes

• Lifestyle changes are the best way to prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes
• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Stay physically active (at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily)
• Eat a healthy diet (avoid sugar and saturated fat)
• Avoid smoking

Dietary Recommendations for Diabetes

• Focus on nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats
• Choose complex carbohydrates for grains
• Limit intake of added sugars (in processed baked goods or sugar-sweetened beverages)

Management of Diabetes

• Use of insulin
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle
• Carbohydrate counting
• Balanced nutrition
• Avoiding hypoglycemia
• Exercise recommendations
• Blood glucose management
• Comprehensive education
• Proper use of insulin
• Health teaching about diabetes
• Psychosocial support

Nursing Diagnosis

• Ineffective Health Maintenance
• Risk for Unstable Blood Glucose Level
• Risk for Infection
• Deficient Knowledge
• Risk for Ineffective Therapeutic Regimen Management