Diabetes is a health complication whereby insulin produced cannot be utilized by the body effectively. It also occurs when the blood sugar level in the body is extremely high. The body relies on blood sugar as its primary source of energy, and it is derived from the food eaten. Insulin in the body has the principal role of getting glucose into the body cells ( American Diabetes Association, 2018) . However, at times, the body under produces the required insulin or does not utilize its produced insulin. The main types of diabetes include; Type 1, Juvenile, Gestational and Type 2.
Children and teens are the most prone to diabetes type 2 but it can also evolve at any phase in life. It’s managed by daily intake of insulin for one to stay alive. The American Diabetes Association (2018) attributes its complication to failure to utilize produced insulin. The condition can develop at any age in life. It is, however, most diagnosed in middle-aged and older adults. According to Rosenthal and Burchum (2018), it is the most prevalent.
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Gestational diabetes mainly develops in pregnant women. However, it often disappears after a child is born (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2018). Though, one is prone to develop type 2 diabetes while juvenile diabetes is most prevalent in adolescence and is characterized by increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
The condition is treated by the use of metformin drug. The drug lowers the production of glucose, thus improving the sensitivity of the body to insulin, enabling the insulin use in the body (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2018). For an adult, the first dosage is 850 mg/day or 500 mg morning and evening. Then for the extended dose (E-R), the patient has to take an initial dose of 500-1000 mg/day.
Rosenthal and Burchum (2018) maintain that the patient is advised to take the drug with meals. The drug should be titrated slowly to reduce any gastrointestinal adverse impact. For E-R, the patient should take with during the evening meal. In this case, glycemic control is not achieved, and then the immediate release should be introduced (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2018). The patient should avoid alcohol and grapefruit and only consume foods rich in high fiber ( American Diabetes Association, 2018) . The patient should monitor their carbohydrate consumption, avoid sodium (less than 2,300mg/day) and eat olive oils, fish fats, and nuts. Foods rich in trans and saturated fats should be avoided (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2018). Metformin has common side effects in some patients and may include abdominal pain, muscle pain, low blood sugar, diarrhea, and physical weakness. Others include heartburn, dizziness and chills.
Diabetes can lead to long term effects that include nerve damage, foot damage, depression, hearing impairment, eye damage, kidney damage, and cardiovascular complications. Short term effects mainly entail low blood glucose and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2018). Pharmacologic approaches to glycemic treatment: Standards of medical care in diabetes—2018. Diabetes Care, 41(Supplement 1), S73–S85. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/41/supplement_1/s73.full-text.pdf
Rosenthal, L. D., & Burchum, J. R. (2018). Lehne’s pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice providers . St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
