Diabetes is a metabolic disease, in which the human body fails to utilize the sugar (glucose) content in blood, thus resulting in high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period of time. Sugar present in our blood is a carried by a hormone called Insulin, to the cells and stored or used as a source of energy. Diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin is unable to effectively transfer the produced glucose to the body tissues.
Diabetes is a serious health concern and requires regular medical care. Most common symptoms of diabetes include – frequent urination, unusual weight loss, increased appetite and a desire to consume sweets.
Long and Short Essay on Diabetes in English
Below we have provided long and short essay on diabetes of varying length on various aspects of diabetes. After going through the essay you will be able to speak or write on various issues like – causes, symptoms, types, levels and effects of diabetes.
It will also focus on diet that should be taken by a diabetic person and its effects on other vital organs of human body.
Also, you will know about the global spread of diabetes and its preventive measures as well as the significance of the World Diabetes Day.
You can choose any Diabetes essay of your choice from the essays given below and use the information in competitions, debates, class tests etc.
Short Essay on Diabetes – A Silent Threat to Humanity – Essay 1 (200 Words)
Diabetes is a metabolic disease which is caused due to the excess of sugar (glucose) in human blood. It is also called as Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Our body produces a hormone – Insulin, which is primarily responsible for carrying glucose present in our blood to the cells to be stored and used as energy source. Problem occurs when either the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin produced is somehow unable to effectively transfer the glucose from blood to the cells.
A persistent increased blood sugar level is a potential threat to the vital organs and other parts of human body. Initial symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, dizziness, weight loss, increased hunger etc. Diabetes may cause severe complications like – consciousness loss, kidney failure, brain stroke, foot ulcers and damage to the eyes.
Diabetes Mellitus has become the most common disease and around 425 million people globally are suffering from diabetes; out of which 82 million belong to the south-east Asian region. India, which is also a part of south-east Asia, has over seven crores cases of diabetes recorded annually.
With lifestyle changes and less physical exercise, more and more people are getting affected by diabetes. It is estimated that given to the present state of affairs, total number of diabetes patients in south-east Asia alone, will rise to 151 million.
Essay on Effects of Diabetes and Diabetes Day – Essay 2 (300 Words)
Introduction
Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease caused due to the excess of blood sugar level in human body. An excessive quantity of sugar in blood, damages other vital organs like – kidney, heart and brain. Though, it is caused by the under production of insulin hormone by the pancreas, it is also a life style disease, caused due to unhealthy dietary habits and lack of physical exercise.
Effects of Diabetes on Health
Diabetes has wide range of effects on human body and health. It is the condition in which the glucose present in the human blood is somehow fails to be utilized as the source of energy. It could be either due to under production of insulin hormone, which carries sugar from blood to the cells, or it could be due to the unresponsiveness of cells to receive the sugar.
Whatever the reason may be, it results in excess blood sugar (glucose) content. Diabetes may potentially affect the vital organs like heart, kidney, brain and eyes. It may cause cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, kidney failure, hearing loss, bacterial and fungal skin infections and brain stroke.
World Diabetes Day and its Significance
Globally, around 425 million people are suffering from diabetes and the number is about to increase significantly in coming years if the preventive measures are not taken. Therefore, to raise awareness of people about diabetes, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) observes World Diabetes Day every year on 14th November.
World Diabetes Day was first launched in 1991, as a counter measure to the increasing number of diabetes patients around the world.
Conclusion
Diabetes Mellitus is a global threat, with billions affected globally by it, it becomes imperative to raise public awareness about the causes, symptoms and effects of diabetes in order to effectively reduce the number of patients globally. Global events like World Diabetes Day play a significant role in freeing the world from Diabetes Mellitus.
Essay on Diabetes Mellitus and Kidney Problems – Essay 3 (400 Words)
Introduction
Diabetes Mellitus is a condition when human body is unable to effectively utilize the sugar (glucose) present in its blood ultimately leading to high blood glucose level. Blood is a vital body fluid that reaches all the body parts, and an abnormally high glucose level in blood could potentially damage the vital body organs and other body parts.
Causes and Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes is identified by high sugar (glucose) content in human blood. Glucose is a source of energy for the body and is normally present in blood which supplies glucose to other parts of body. The body parts that receive glucose do so with help of a hormone called Insulin. As long as the pancreas normally produces insulin, the blood glucose level is maintained. But, an abnormality in insulin production or its inefficiency to effectively transfer the glucose to the body tissues, leads to excess of glucose in blood. This metabolic condition is identified as Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus.
Common symptoms of diabetes mellitus include tiredness, loss of stamina, sweating, persistent hunger, loss of weight and frequent urination. Any such symptoms must not be neglected and proper medical advice must be sought.
How Diabetes is Related to the Health of Kidney
Diabetes is one of the most common causes of kidney failure. Kidneys are the vital body organ which cleans the blood. A high content of glucose in blood damages the blood vessels of kidney, resulting in a medical condition called Diabetic Nephropathy.
With damaged blood vessels, your kidneys will not be able to effectively clean the blood, resulting in waste accumulation in your blood and body as well. This cycle continues, further damaging the kidneys and also other body parts. If the damage continues, it might result in serious complications including kidney failure.
The damage to the kidneys begins long before the other symptoms of diabetes actually appear. Patients suffering from diabetes should get their kidneys examined from time to time. Retention of urine in the bladder caused due to diabetes might also result in pressure on kidneys, further damaging them.
Conclusion
It is recorded that around 30 to 40% of diabetes patients will eventually face kidney failure. The number is disturbing given the billions of diabetes patients worldwide. Apart from raising people’s awareness on diabetes, there is also a need to make the tests of kidneys affordable for a common man. Diabetes patients must be regularly tested for the health of their kidneys and other vital organs.
Essay on Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Attack – Essay 4 (500 Words)
Introduction
Diabetes is a metabolic condition in which the blood retains more glucose, than it should under normal conditions. A high blood glucose level may damage the vital organs of human body like kidney, eyes, ear, heart and brain. Diabetes is caused due to under production of insulin hormone by the pancreas, which acts as a bridge for blood sugar (glucose), to move from blood to the other cells of the body.
Signs of Diabetes Mellitus
Some of the typical symptoms of Diabetes include anxiety, tiredness, blurred vision, headache, irritation, weakness, loss of stamina and faster heartbeat. These are only initial symptoms of diabetes and indicate the forthcoming severe consequences. Every sign of diabetes speaks volumes about the effects of the disease. For example, tiredness, dizziness is caused due to the inability of one’s body cells to successfully convert blood glucose into energy. Increased blood sugar levels in the blood damages the vital organs including heart.
Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Attack
Person suffering from diabetes is more likely to have cardiovascular complications including heart attack. Diabetes leads to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, escalating the possibility of a heart attack.
High glucose content in the blood damages the blood vessels of heart. Damaged blood vessels are unable to pump the required blood at the required rate, ultimately causing heart attack and other heart diseases. People suffering from diabetes are more likely to have cardiovascular disorders from a very early age, than the people who are not suffering from diabetes.
There are also certain factors which might increase one’s chance of heart attack, like smoking, drinking liquor, obesity, high cholesterol level and unhealthy lifestyle. The given factors, if present with diabetes, substantially increase the chances of a heart attack.
Prevention is Better than Cure
The best way for a diabetic person to stop a heart attack from occurring is by keeping a check on his/her blood sugar level. A diabetic person should always take necessary precautions to keep his/her blood sugar level under control. The precautions include – routine checkup of sugar level and heart, avoiding unhealthy and oily food, quit smoking, adapting to healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and early morning walks etc.
The blood vessels of a diabetic patient are already weaker as compared to that of a normal human being. If a diabetic patient consumes unhealthy or junk food, he/she increases his/her cholesterol level, which together with the damaged blood vessels makes a heart attack most likely possibility. Activities like exercising and walking keep one’s cholesterol level under control, hence decreasing the chances of a heart attack.
A diabetic person must also take precautionary measures to keep his/her high blood pressure under control. Such patients are more likely to get a heart attack when compared to any normal patient of high blood pressure.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a silent killer; when unchecked, it slowly damages the vital organs resulting in their malfunction and severe health complications. Necessary precautionary measures should be taken, especially by a diabetic person to keep his/her heart and other vital organs in a healthy condition. Diabetes damages the heart’s blood vessels increasing the possibility of a heart attack.
Long Informative Essay on Diabetes – Essay 5 (600 Words)
This one is a complete essay providing information about “Meaning, Types, Causes, Symptoms, Effects and Levels of Diabetes.”
Introduction
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which is identified by the high blood sugar (glucose) level. An increased blood glucose level damages the vital organs as well as other organs of the human’s body causing other potential health ailments.
Types of Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus could be further classified into the following two types –
1) Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is classified by deficiency of insulin in blood. The deficiency is caused by the loss of insulin producing beta cells in pancreas. This type of diabetes is found more common in children. It is characterized by an abnormally high or low blood sugar levels.
The patients of type 1 diabetes require regular administration of insulin. The type 1 diabetes is hereditary i.e. you are most likely to have type 1 diabetes if any of your parents had it. Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes include frequent urination, thirst, weight loss and constant hunger.
2) Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by the inefficiency of body tissues to effectively respond to insulin, which may be combined by insulin deficiency. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes.
People with type 2 diabetes mellitus take medicines to improve the body’s responsiveness to insulin or to reduce the glucose produced by the liver. This type of diabetes mellitus is generally attributed to lifestyle factors like – obesity, low physical activity, irregular and unhealthy diet, excess consumption of sugar in form of sweets, drinks etc.
Causes of Diabetes
The food that we eat is broken down into useful compounds through the process of digestion. One of these compounds is glucose, usually referred to as blood sugar. Glucose is food for the cells of human body i.e. body cells rely on the availability of glucose for further using it as a source of energy. The job of carrying glucose to the cells of the body is done by the blood.
But mere carrying the glucose to the cells by blood isn’t enough for the cells to absorb glucose, a job which is done by hormone insulin, supplied by the pancreas. Insulin acts as a bridge for glucose to transit from blood to the body cells. Problem arises when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the body cells for some reason doesn’t respond to receive the glucose; both the cases result in the excess of glucose in blood, which is referred as Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Most common symptoms of diabetes are fatigue, irritation, stress, tiredness, frequent urination and headache including loss of strength and stamina, weight loss, increase in appetite etc.
Levels of Diabetes
There are two types of blood sugar levels – fasting blood sugar level (blood sugar test before food) and postprandial blood sugar level (blood sugar test two hours after having meal). Sugar level measured after fasting for at least eight hours generally after an overnight fast is called fasting sugar level. Blood sugar level below 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) before eating food is considered normal.
Sugar level measured after two hours of eating is called postprandial glucose level or PP level. The PP blood sugar level should be below 140 mg/dL, two hours after the meals.
Though, the maximum limit in both the cases is defined, the permissible levels may vary among individuals. Some people may have normal fasting sugar level of 60 mg/dL while some may have the normal value of 90 mg/dL.
Effects of Diabetes
Diabetes may have severe health consequences and it affects vital body organs. Excessive glucose in blood damages kidneys, blood vessels, skin resulting in various cardiovascular and skin diseases and other ailments. Diabetes damages the kidneys, resulting in accumulation of impurities in body. It also damages the heart’s blood vessels increasing the possibility of a heart attack.
Apart from damaging vital organs, diabetes may cause various skin infections and the infection in other parts of the body. The prime cause of all type of infections is the decreased immunity of body cells due to their inability to absorb glucose.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a serious life threatening disease and must be constantly monitored and effectively subdued with proper medication and by adapting to a healthy life style. By following a healthy lifestyle, regular checkups and proper medication one can observe a healthy and long life.
Related Information: