Diabetes is a multi-systemic disease that causes damage to both large and small blood vessels throughout the body. This damage can lead to many well-known complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and stroke, but it can also lead to vision loss and even blindness due to a condition called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy, in which damage in the blood vessels of the retina occurs, is the leading cause of blindness in American adults (Noble & Chaudhary, 2010). Diabetic retinopathy is a very manageable disease, so the notion that so many diabetic patients still suffer from vision loss implies that there is a problem in the care diabetic patients are receiving from their healthcare providers. The following research aims to inform health care providers on the comprehensive care diabetic patients require in order to reduce the risk of vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy; this includes understanding the disease’s progression, diagnosing diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in the early stages, scheduling regular ophthalmologic check-ups, managing the patients’ blood pressure and blood glucose, administering laser eye treatments, and appropriately utilizing rehabilitation services for their patients.
Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive disease in which there are four stages: Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy, Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy, Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy, and Proliferative Retinopathy. In stage two Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy, the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina become blocked. As the condition continues to progress, more and more blood vessels become blocked and the retina sends signals for more blood vessels to be made. These new vessels break easily, le...
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Well how can you get it? Well it’s caused by damaged blood vessels in the tissue that the retina which is located at the back of the eye. When blood sugar levels are too high for extended periods of time, it can damage capillaries which are tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the retina. Over time these blood vessels begin to leak fluids and fats, causing edema. Then the vessels can close off which is called ischemia. These types of signs are non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (“Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment,”2016).
2. Compare and contrast the possible causes of Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
In 2006, Diabetes UK held a very successful promotion campaign called the “Measure Up” message...
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A critical thinking task that staff on our unit are frequently challenged with is treating low blood glucose levels, which are considered to be a blood glucose level less than 80 mg/dl. The flow chart that follows is what our diabetic educators would like to see being done by nurses to address low blood glucose levels. Although the flow chart is straightforward and easy to follow, nurses often use nursing wisdom, which is based on their knowledge and experience (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012). For example, rather than giving orange juice or one tube of glucose gel and rechecking a patient’s blood glucose in 15 minutes, nurses may wait for a breakfast tray to arrive and recheck a patient’s blood glucose after breakfast. Possible risks include a patient not eating his or her breakfast and their blood sugar continuing to drop.
Type 2: Is the most common form of diabetes affecting 90-95% of the 21 million people with diabetes and is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. Those people who are at higher risk of getting this type of diab...
Diabetes is a disease that is very common in the world. Early detection of diabetes can significantly decrease the risk of it getting worse throughout a person’s life. There are symptom...
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With the current literature research diabetes a growing among patients across the world. There several ways nursing can educate their patients on this disease that is killing their patients day to day. Educating their patients on getting physically active, changing their diet, and not smoking our some
In recent years, diabetes education has become an integral part of diabetes treatment (Piccinino et al, 2015). The 2012 National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) defines education as an exchange of knowledge, tools and practices that will address client needs. Patients need information about their illness, side effects, complications and how to care for it. Diabetes education must be effective and accurate in quality, content, and method (Atak & Arslan, 2005). Diabetes education should happen concurrently with diagnosis and throughout treatment for a patient and should involve a structured program.
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Diabetes is a common disease, which can be a serious, life-long illness caused by high levels of glucose in the blood. This condition is when the body cannot produce insulin or lack of insulin production from the beta cells in the islet of Langerhans in the pancreas. Diabetes can cause other health problems over time. Eye, kidneys, and nerves can get damaged and chances of stroke are always high. Because of the serious complications, the purposes of teaching a plan for diabetes patients are to optimize blood glucose control, optimize quality of life, and prevent chronic and potentially life-threatening complications.
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