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Home > Exigence > Vol. 1 (2017) > Iss. 1

 
Exigence

Abstract

Many Americans are unaware of the diabetes crisis. Experts estimate that in the near future, a third of all adults in the United States will be diagnosed with diabetes. For diabetic patients, lack of management can swiftly lead to complications that can be life changing and even life threatening. Having a physician who can work closely with a patient to try different methods of medication and therapy can make the difference between the success and failure of a patient. Unfortunately, many people diagnosed with diabetes do not take their diagnosis seriously. A substantial percentage of diabetics cannot afford to manage their disease because of the cost of medical care and supplies. There is hope that with new inventions and research it will become easier to manage diabetes and hopefully one day there will be a cure. (137 words)

First Page

Many Americans are unaware of the diabetes crisis. It is estimated that “by the year 2050, one-third of all adults in the United States will be diagnosed with diabetes” (Unger). Most people believe that diabetes is a single condition, but actually it includes “a heterogeneous group of disorders that meet a single criterion for diagnosis: hyperglycemia” (Draznin). Hyperglycemia occurs when there is too much glucose in the blood because there is no, or not enough, insulin in the body. This lack of insulin is important: “this absolute or relative insulin deficiency prevents them from properly metabolizing glucose and leaves them with chronically high concentrations of glucose in the blood” (Unger). Diabetes is a harsh disease, and without close monitoring and control, it can quickly lead to complications and, in some cases, even death. People who have diabetes need substantial training and education in order to fully understand their disease and to be able to properly manage it. Although this disease can be very challenging, there are abundant resources that diabetics can take advantage of to ensure that they have the tools, education, and supplies they need so that they can live a healthy life. This multitude of resources can enable people with diabetes to live a “normal” life; therefore, there is no real reason why people with diabetes should neglect their bodies and struggle with complications. For diabetic patients, lack of management can swiftly lead to complications that can be life changing and even life threatening. Unfortunately, medical science has not found a “cure for any form of diabetes and [there are] few effective treatments for the specific complications” that result from diabetes (Gozani). Therefore, people with diabetes must take responsibility for their body in order to avoid the pain, suffering, and financial debt that results from complications. Lack of proper management and monitoring can lead to “numerous long-term complications that can result in blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and the amputation of toes and feet”

Last Page

Because of America’s current diabetes crisis, diabetics, physicians, and families need to come together to work out the best ways to manage and prevent diabetes so that all the people affected by this disease do not have to continue to struggle. It is never going to be a simple and easy task to manage diabetes, until the day there is a cure. Diabetes is a very challenging disease because it is so unpredictable, there are struggles with insurance and financial coverage, and there is a lack of perseverance and support. However, with adequate education and resources, people with diabetes can properly manage their disease and they can live a healthy, normal life. If all the physicians, diabetics, and families come together to manage this terrible disease, then the United States will not have to face a time when one-third of all the adults in this country will be diagnosed with diabetes.

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