Research Paper – Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Research Paper – Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Introduction

Diabetes is a relatively common condition worldwide. It is the third most common medical cause of death. As such, nearly one-third of Americans with diabetes, over 23 million, go untreated (Galicia-Garcia et al., 2020). Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic condition recognized by a high blood glucose level. Too much blood glucose damages the body’s vital organs and other systems, which can result in a number of severe health issues. The disease’s most prevalent form is type 2 diabetes. The hallmark of type 2 diabetes is the inability of bodily tissues to produce insulin as intended; as a result, insulin insufficiency may also be present (Galicia-Garcia et al., 2020). Patients with type 2 diabetes take medications to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin or lower the amount of glucose the liver produces. Obesity, lack of physical activity, unhealthy foods, and excessive sugar intake from sweets and beverages are all common lifestyle factors linked to this type of diabetes (Galicia-Garcia et al., 2020).

Clinical Presentation and Complications

The typical clinical presentations of type 2 diabetes are excessive urination, thirst, and hunger. Others include exhaustion, weakness, irritation, stress, headache, recurrent infections, vision changes, dehydration, weight loss, slow-healing wounds, and numbness or tingling of the feet or hands (Galicia-Garcia et al., 2020).

Complications from diabetes mellitus could develop if it is not managed. Hypoglycemia can occur when blood glucose levels drop below 60 mg/dL due to using too much insulin, taking oral hypoglycaemic medications, eating insufficiently, or engaging in intense physical exercise (Carpenter et al., 2019). Diabetes ketoacidosis is another complication due to a lack of insulin or insufficient insulin. Hyperglycaemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome can occur, which can lead to altered awareness.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

 Management

Nurses must provide accurate and updated information regarding the patient’s condition in order for healthcare practitioners to establish successful therapies and management. The goals of nurses are to restore fluid and acid-base balance, reverse or rectify metabolic abnormalities, find the associated cause of the ailment, and aid in its management. Other goals include preventing complications and giving information about the cause, prognosis, personal care, and therapy (Galicia-Garcia et al., 2020).

Diabetes is controllable with a lifetime dedication to routine blood sugar readings, a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and diabetes medications or insulin administration. The primary objective of treatment is to lower elevated blood sugar levels initially, and the long-term aim is to prevent diabetes-related complications (Carpenter et al., 2019). Exercise and a healthy diet are the primary treatments for type 2 diabetes. If exercise and diet are insufficient to maintain the blood glucose levels stable or close to normal, the doctor may prescribe medications to lower blood glucose levels. These medications include biguanides like metformin, meglitinides such as repaglinide, sulfonylureas such as glimepiride, and injectables such as mitiglinide, exenatide, and sitagliptin (Padhi et al., 2020). These medications can be taken alone or in combination with insulin.

Nursing Interventions

Interventions must be carried out in a team by the nursing team. Educating the patient about home glucose testing is essential. Secondly, reviewing the contributing reasons for glucose imbalance, such as the client’s typical circumstances, is essential since factors such as skipping meals, infections, or other ailments can arise. Encouraging the client to study nutrition labels so they may choose diets high in fiber, low in calories, and low in glycaemic content (Carpenter et al., 2019). It is crucial to discuss the impact of the client’s antidiabetic drugs. Since many therapy formulations have diverse effects on blood sugar regulation and side effects, clients should be informed about how their drugs work. To ensure medication expiry dates are accurate and to enhance insulin intake, the validity of the insulin must be examined. The kind of insulin utilized, as well as how it will be delivered and when it will be administered, should be examined. (Carpenter et al., 2019). Periodically, injection sites should be monitored.

Conclusion

In summary, diabetes mellitus is a dangerous, occasionally fatal disease that requires regular monitoring and effective management with medication and dietary adjustments. Individuals who have type 2 diabetes can live longer and in better health by maintaining good health, visiting their doctor frequently, and taking the recommended medications.

References

Carpenter, R., DiChiacchio, T., & Barker, K. (2019). Interventions for self-management of type 2 diabetes: an integrative review. International journal of nursing sciences, 6(1), 70-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.12.002.

Galicia-Garcia, U., Benito-Vicente, A., Jebari, S., Larrea-Sebal, A., Siddiqi, H., Uribe, K. B., & Martín, C. (2020). Pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(17), 6275. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176275.

Padhi, S., Nayak, A. K., & Behera, A. (2020). Type II diabetes mellitus: A review on recent drug-based therapeutics. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 131, 110708.