Stay healthy with Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus

This article focuses on the experiences of people living with type 2 diabetes and how such experiences should be improved upon.

Diabetes is a non-communicable disease that has reached an epidemic level worldwide. It has devastating effects on global public health, and on the socioeconomic lives of individuals, often times leading to untimely death.

In this post you will learn about diabetes mellitus, what it means, and the experiences of people living with the disease.

What You Will Learn

The topics for discussion are arranged in six sections as follows:

• Diabetes mellitus

• About type 2 diabetes

• Experiences of living with type 2 diabetes

• Recap of positive type 2 diabetes experience

About Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a global public health problem with more than 300 million people living with the disease. Diabetes occurs when insulin fails to get glucose absorbed in the body cells.

The problem occurs when the pancreas which duty it is to produce insulin is unable to produce insulin or adequate insulin, or when the body is unable to respond to insulin.

Consequently, glucose accumulates in the blood while the body cells are starved of glucose and energy.

Type 2 diabetes occurs due to lifestyle changes as well as factors such as change in dietary patterns, consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and smoking, which prevent insulin from working appropriately.

It is the commonest of the three main types, occurring in 90% of people living with the disease, the other two being type 1 and gestational diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include but not limited to excessive thirst, frequent urination, tiredness, increased hunger and blurred vision.

If diabetes is not well managed it may lead to complications such as sexual problems, damaged nerves, diabetic foot, damaged heart and blood vessels, damaged eyes, damaged kidneys, infections and diabetic coma.

According to the World Health Organization, diabetes ranks among the 10 leading causes of death worldwide.

Check for Diabetes

Experiences of Living With Type 2 Diabetes

The experiences of people living with type 2 diabetes vary by context and demographics but based on available evidence and my experiences with diabetics, people living with the condition are likely to experience the following:

1. Diabetes Management and Support System

Diabetes may be difficult to manage on a daily basis, particularly when there is poor support system from health providers and relatives.

People living with diabetes self-manage their condition in order to achieve good blood glucose level, and live a normal life. However, self-care is difficult without support.

For example, it is the duty of the treatment supporter or care giver to remind and encourage timely drug intake, and appropriate self-care practices.

But where such support is not strong, it becomes difficult to take medications on a daily basis, and to lead a healthy lifestyle that will engender good health.

2. Support System and Diabetes Knowledge

People living with diabetes may receive support from close relatives and support groups, but may still not achieve good glycemic control because of support groups’ poor knowledge of diabetes.

Strong support system minus good knowledge of diabetes will make little or no impact on health outcome.

This is because only wrong decisions based on poor understanding of diabetes, its risk factors, control and prevention will be made.

For example, there is evidence of diabetes being treated with herbal drugs, and other concoctions believed to be the cure for diabetes.

When the support group lacks correct information concerning diabetes, the diabetic suffers the consequences.

3. Spiritual Connotation

People living with type 2 diabetes may manage their diabetes believing it is spiritual.

Management of diabetes has been linked to spirituality. In fact, it is influenced by belief in divine healing.

This belief may be counter productive as some of the very religious diabetics may totally depend on this belief and stop their drugs and regular checks.

Stopping their drugs and regular checks may lead to the deterioration of their condition, and development of complications.

It is noteworthy that spirituality plays a key role in self-management of diabetes. But this must be a positive role.

4. Traditional and Orthodox Treatment

Diabetics may struggle with self-management as they combine traditional and orthodox treatment.

They believe in the efficacy of native medications in controlling their blood glucose.

Some of them believe that native medications can cure their diabetes while others combine the two based on advice from relatives and friends.

However, the question is whether the use of unorthodox treatment for diabetes works.

Research has shown that people with type 2 diabetes who tried native medication, stopped because it did not help their condition.

It is noteworthy that the health literacy level of care givers, family members and friends play a key role in determining whether native medications will be used or not.

5. Lack of access to culturally sensitive diabetes education

Culturally sensitive diabetes education takes into account the patients’ culture when providing information on diabetes management that requires changes in lifestyles.

Diabetics may lack access to culturally appropriate diabetes education because it is not readily available.

Diabetes education that is not culturally appropriate may be dismissed as insensitive and therefore unacceptable.

Therefore, diabetics who lack access to culturally sensitive classes may not achieve good glycemic control and a healthy life.

Many diabetes classes miss the point when they are not culturally sensitive.

Lack of culturally diabetes education is an issue irrespective of the context, and people fail to appreciate such classes that do not speak to their ways of life positively.

6. Diabetes impact on life

Diabetes may have a negative impact on their social, spiritual, economic and political lives.

Self-management of diabetes demands consistent efforts at maintaining normal glucose level.

Diabetes treatment may consume huge financial resources which are used to perform laboratory tests and procure medications.

This can be difficult for those that pay out of pocket for their treatment. A diabetic with little income may find it difficult to cope with treatment expenses.

Treatment of diabetes will further deplete scarce resources. Also, the burden of ill health due to diabetes may affect political inclinations and restrict social relationships.

The burden of diabetes will also affect one’s spiritual life. Spiritual obligations, for example, may not be fulfilled while on a sick bed, while there may be doubts as to the possibility of divine intervention.

Avoid Diabetes Complication

7. Health Communication

Diabetics may not understand health communication and the relevance.

Doctor-patient relationship is important in ensuring optimal care and adherence to medications and recommendations.

Poor communication between diabetics and health providers will impact negatively on compliance to treatment.

Ambiguous health messages on diabetes management will make it difficult to achieve set goals.

For better care, health communication should be holistic and not restricted to health facilities.

But when there is no interest by both parties for consistent engagement, it robs off on sustainable blood glucose control.

It is noteworthy that individualized health communication is relevant, and where it is not mainstreamed into diabetes care for each diabetic, treatment objectives will not be achieved.

8. Professional Advice

Diabetics may acknowledge professional advice but take personal self-care decisions.

The importance of professional advice in diabetes management cannot be overemphasized.

Evidence shows that professional advice helps diabetics manage their condition successfully.

But the overbearing influence of some care givers, families or friends with alternative advice makes it difficult for a diabetic to follow health providers’ advice.

Taking personal self-care decisions instead of following health workers’ recommendations may lead to non adherence to recommended treatment.

These decisions are most likely to be influenced by care givers, families, relatives and friends.

Also, it is possible that such professional advice may not have been properly communicated to diabetics, leaving them with little or no information from the professional standpoint.

This will make diabetics depend on advice from informal sources.

9. Health Manpower

Diabetics may face inadequate health manpower to take care of their health needs.

When there is shortage of trained health workers, people living with diabetes and patients in general suffer.

They will experience long waiting time in the hospital, and receive inadequate attention from the available staff.

Moreover, health workers battle with excessive workload which will lead to drop in the quality of service delivery.

It goes without saying that health providers play a key role in diabetes management, while diabetics benefit immensely from their expertise.

They provide professional care that should be of the highest quality.

But where they are not enough or at the right mix, it becomes difficult for patients to receive the best of healthcare.

This is a major challenge for patients particularly in the developing world.

Diabetes and BP check

10. Adherence

People living with type 2 diabetes may face many challenges which may lower compliance level with treatment.

Poor adherence is a major challenge and it cuts across every aspect of diabetes self-management.

They may have to take many pills at a time, wait a long time before receiving healthcare in the hospital, and meet poorly motivated and overworked health providers.

They may be facing socioeconomic difficulties, lack of psychosocial support, weak support system, social exclusion, poor healthcare services, unfriendly attitude of health providers, and high cost of treatment.

These challenges will impact negatively on the psyche of diabetics and indeed patients generally which will make them start losing their heads, missing hospital appointments and stopping their drugs.

11. High Cost of Treatment

High cost of treatment may consume a big part of patients’ income.

This can be very challenging particularly when there is no money. This is particularly worse for patients paying from their pockets.

Patients in this group include those struggling to earn a decent income, those living below poverty line and patients unable to work due to recurrent ill health from diabetes.

A patient that is having challenge with meeting up with the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, water, and clothing will find it difficult to cope with high cost of diabetes treatment.

It is a major challenge that will impact on the general health and wellbeing of such patients.

It is a chronic condition that demands proper care. It sure will eat deep into patients’ pockets, making it difficult for the poor and those not covered under national health scheme to cope.

12. Glucose Monitoring Kit

Glucose monitoring kit is required for regular blood glucose check.

It is recommended that each diabetic should own a kit to regularly monitor blood glucose, and adjust treatment accordingly.

However, diabetics may not afford glucose monitoring kit.

They may not afford the high cost of the kit. For those who can afford it, they may not be able to use it correctly.

Research has shown that many diabetics do not own glucose monitoring kit and only check their blood glucose in the health facilities.

It is therefore difficult to understand how glycemic control can be achieved without regular blood glucose monitoring.

Not having monitoring kit will make it difficult to know how well blood glucose control is progressing.

Do you know that it costs less in the long run to have a monitoring kit than going to check regularly in the health facilities?

You spend more in the hospital to test blood for glucose than will be done with the monitoring kit.

The use of the kit is simple and easy to learn. It is a technique that every diabetic should learn.

Diabetes and Diet

13. Knowledge of Diabetes

Knowledge of diabetes and its complications is important in the management of diabetes.

The diabetics, care givers, families and friends should have good knowledge of diabetes to successfully manage diabetes.

Diabetics may not be well informed about diabetes management. Their care givers, families and friends who make up their support systems may lack good knowledge of diabetes.

With good knowledge of diabetes, it is less stressful to live with diabetes, and easier to adhere to treatment plan.

The sources of this knowledge are important as many of the people living with diabetes learn about diabetes from various sources including health workers, families and friends.

Attention must be focused on knowledge that helps to control blood glucose level.

Diabetics must take note of credible sources of information and stick to those.

Wrong information impacts negatively on diabetes management. It is important for diabetics and their care givers to seek knowledge at all times.

14. Relationship with Health Providers

A cordial relationship between diabetics and health providers will improve understanding of diabetes care.

This will also open up a communication channel that will enrich interactions between people living with diabetes and health providers.

However, diabetics may fail to keep in constant touch with health providers and vice versa leading to a communication gap that will not augur well for diabetes management.

For example, breakdown in communication will make it difficult for diabetics to access correct and useful diabetes education.

Also, diabetics may lack interactions with health providers outside health facilities.

The void created by this will be filled by informal learning sources who may have wrong information and unable to provide the needed guide for successful diabetes management.

Recap of Positive Type 2 Diabetes Experience

This post revealed common experiences of living with diabetes and the steps that should be taken to achieve successful self-management of diabetes.

There is no reason a person living with diabetes should die from the condition.

It requires the concerted efforts of the government, diabetics, healthcare workers, care givers, families and friends to close ranks and provide adequate support for people living with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetics should avoid lifestyles that worsen their condition with complications.

They must not be complacent with self-care so as to achieve good glycemic control.

Finally, uncomplicated diabetes is a manageable chronic condition that permits a normal and healthy life when blood glucose is properly under control.

What do you think about type 2 diabetes? Kindly share your thoughts or experiences in the comments section.

Next post will explore ways to control type 2 diabetes. Stay tuned!