There are many diseases and conditions that can affect us personally and our loved ones. One of the most important things that you can do when you or a family member are diagnosed with a medical problem is to find out all of your options. I am not saying that you should try to self diagnose yourself, or that the internet has all of the answers that you are looking for, however it is always a good idea to find out as much as possible about the medical issue so that you can discuss and understand everything with your doctor.
Also, it is wise to do some research on the traditional and alternative ways to manage or treat a medical issue so that you know what all of your options are when you discuss a plan with your doctor. In this paper I am going to briefly tell you what type two diabetes is along with the pros and cons of traditional and alternative ways to manage or treat type two diabetes. After explaining the pros and cons of different traditional and alternative routes I will explain what I would do if I was affected by the medical condition- type two diabetes.
When we eat food our body goes through a long complex process to break down the foods that we eat helping our body efficiently use everything we need from the food and then it gets rid of what we do not need. One process that takes place after we eat is the body breaks down the sugars and starches from our food and turns them into glucose in the blood stream. Then, the hormone insulin, produced by our pancreas stimulates our cells to take the glucose from the blood stream, which provides our body with the energy that we need. When a person has type two diabetes their body either rejects insulin or does not produce enough insulin.
When the cells begin to reject the insulin, the pancreas will begin producing more insulin trying to compensate, but then eventually if untreated, the pancreas shuts down and insulin production is completely stopped. This causes high levels of glucose or sugar in the blood, which is easily measured and typically easy to manage if with some life style changes combined with other treatments. Initially the cells are starved of energy, and then eventually the buildup of glucose in blood can lead to serious damage to the blood vessels in your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart.
Type two diabetes is also known as adult onset of diabetes; however with the increase of childhood obesity, more and more children are being diagnosed with type two diabetes than ever before because body fat interferes with insulin absorption. Most people that are diagnosed with type two diabetes are overweight, and their body fat is primarily stored in their abdomen area. Other risk factors include race, inactivity, age, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Once a person is diagnosed with type two diabetes there is one thing that they must do regardless of which medical treatment path they choose to pursue.
They must continuously monitor their blood glucose level. This includes the morning, before they eat, after they eat, and before bed which will determine what their body needs; what they can eat, along with what treatment option they should use. Although everyone with diabetes needs to monitor their blood sugar there are a couple of options that they can choose from to test their blood glucose level. The first and most popular way to monitor your blood glucose level is with a blood glucose meter. This is done by pricking your skin so that a strip in the blood glucose meter can read the level of glucose from your blood at that specific moment.
Most insurance companies cover diabetes test supplies; however before you go out and buy the supplies call your insurance company to find out which brand they cover and what percentage of the testing supplies they will cover. Test supplies are expensive, but some companies are willing to work with you to provide you with a meter and some supplies if you do not have insurance. Another option that is fairly new still being researched is the continuous glucose monitor which is implanted in the skin and sends your blood glucose level to a device that resembles a pager as often as every minute.
The implant needs to be changed every few days by a doctor which is something that doctors and researchers are working on extending so that it is a practical to use. The continuous glucose monitor is expensive and most insurance companies will not cover the continuous glucose monitor just yet, but there is hope that they will be covered in the future. There are many traditional ways to treat and manage type two diabetes based on Western medicine, and health insurance is available in the United States for people with diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, “Starting in 2014, all new health insurance plans, whether sold inside or outside the Marketplace, cannot deny coverage, charge more, or refuse to cover treatments because you or someone in your family has diabetes. ” The most important and most challenging way to manage type two diabetes is by changing your life style. Changing your life style includes eating healthy, exercising regularly, along with reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
Eating healthy is more expensive than eating fast food and junk, but it is important for someone with type two diabetes to eat foods that are high in fiber, low in fat, with minimal processed and simple sugars. There are many resources out there including doctors, dieticians, the internet, and books that can help teach someone with diabetes what foods they should be eating. Exercising regularly is also an important life style change. Inactivity is a huge risk factor for getting diabetes, but once someone is diagnosed doctors recommend that they get 150 minutes of aerobic activity each weak along with some strength building exercises.
With the combination of exercising and eating healthy one should be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight. An endocrinologist, dietician, and nutritionist should be able to help someone with diabetes figure out a plan to help them get to a target weight and to maintain it. Another traditional way to manage diabetes is insulin therapy. Insulin cannot be taken orally because the body’s digestion process breaks down the insulin before it enters the blood stream, therefore insulin needs to be injected so it can directly enter the blood stream and help the cells absorb glucose.
There are different types of insulin that are used for the specific needs for each individual that needs it. Insulin can be given though a shot or there are insulin pumps that people wear on their body so that all they have to do is push a button with the correct dose when they need it. The insulin pump is much more convenient for people that do not always have the privacy they need to give themselves an injection, and that need to take it multiple times a day. Most insurance companies cover insulin for diabetic patients. Insulin has been used for many years because it is the hormone that the body produces for the cells to absorb glucose.
Another route for managing type two diabetes is taking medications that can be pills or injections that, “Stimulate the pancreas to produce and release more insulin, inhibit the production and release of glucose from the liver, block the action of stomach enzymes that break down carbohydrates, and improve the sensitivity of cells to insulin,” (Mayo Clinic) Each medication has different effects and is used differently or in combination with other medications to get the body’s blood glucose level to a healthy state. Diabetes medications are generally covered by insurance, but can be very expensive if you are paying out of pocket.
Along with the well known traditional ways to treat and manage diabetes there are some alternative treatments that have been successful with some patients, however there is not as much research and facts about the alternative routes to manage diabetes therefore I am just going to explain the alternative routes for treatment and management based on the research that I have done. First, I consider traditional Chinese medicine an alternative and more natural route for managing and treating type two diabetes because it is not based on Western medicine.
Chinese medicine does not try to manage your blood glucose levels, but it is used to bring your body to a natural balanced state. For many years insurance companies did not cover Chinese medicine, but as time has gone on and as more and more patients are seeing positive results due to Chinese medicine and it’s natural methods insurance companies are beginning to cover certain aspects of Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, a combination of natural organic herbs, botanical medicines and supplements, and mind and body practices.
Chinese medicine is less expensive to pay for out of pocket than traditional medical routes for managing diabetes if your insurance does not cover it. The most expensive part of Chinese medicine is acupuncture, but that is now covered with many health insurance plans. There are 20 points in the body that acupuncture is used on and has been proven to lower glucose levels and to help lower cholesterol which prevents the cardiovascular complications from diabetes if done one to two times a week long term. Acupuncture also helps improve peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain which are two issues with type two diabetes.
There are over 200 organic herbs and supplements along with botanical medicines that doctors specifically use for each individual patient that are proven to stimulate insulin secretion, enhance insulin sensitivity, and reduce carbohydrate absorption. The mind and body practices includes meditation, the relaxation response, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and biofeedback help reduce stress. According to Taking Charge of your Health and Wellbeing, “Stress increases the release of glucose from the liver and decreases insulin receptor sensitivity, making insulin work less effectively.
” Another alternative route for treating type two diabetes is bariatric surgery. This surgery is only used for people who are severely over weight and considered obese. There are many different forms of bariatric surgery, but according to US News Health, ‘it physically restricts the amount of food that patients can eat and/or interrupts the digestive process. ” According to Healthline News after the surgery, “the small intestine spontaneously begins to produce a molecule called GLUT-1 that helps the body use glucose.
” This surgery has risks, and is not guaranteed to treat type two diabetes; however there have been many positive results in patients with type two diabetes that have had the surgery performed. Bariatric surgery is mainly for weight loss, which helps the body overall, but now that doctors have discovered that the small intestine produces this molecule that helps the body use glucose it may become more popular for people with type two diabetes. This is definitely the most expensive treatment option out of all of the different options that I have explained.
Some insurance companies cover bariatric surgery, but they may not cover some of the specific procedures. The cost of the surgery is $12,000-$35,000 or more depending on who performs the surgery, if there are any complications, and how long the hospital stay is. After doing research on the traditional and alternative methods of treating or managing type two diabetes I have to say that I would use a combination of treatment options. Changing your life style has to be the most difficult part of managing diabetes, especially considering the fact that people with type two diabetes are generally overweight.
This means that they do not live a healthy life style, and it is very difficult to change your life style habits. Learning how to eat healthy and getting the initial motivation to work out would be challenging. Also, I understand that not every treatment option works for everyone, but I would try to manage my diabetes with the most natural route possible. I think that being dedicated to eating healthy and working out as often as possible, and incorporating Western medicine and Chinese medicine would be the best way to go about managing type two diabetes.
Also, I think that it would be wise to get health insurance because the cost of managing type two diabetes can be expensive, especially if you have had the condition for a long time without knowing it or if there are any complications. If I was obese, having a difficult time changing my life style, and the traditional Chinese medicine method along with medication or insulin were not proving to be effective, I would absolutely be interested in bariatric surgery if my health insurance covered it.
Everyone has different opinions on how they would manage medical issues, and this is what I think would be most efficient. References “Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and Diabetes. ” Awakening Wellness Centre. 2011. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://www. acupuncture-victoria. com/conditions/diabetes/ “Continuous Glucose Monitoring. ” National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. NIH Publication No. 09-455. 4 October 2013. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://diabetes. niddk. nih. gov/dm/pubs/glucosemonitor/ Griffin, M., Nazario, M.
“New Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Options. ” Web MD: Diabetes health center. 8 Sept. 2011. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://diabetes. webmd. com/features/new-treatments Hafner, C. “How Can I Pay for TCM Treatments? ” Taking Charge of your Health and Wellbeing. 29 July 2013. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://www. takingcharge. csh. umn. edu/explore-healing-practices/what-traditional-chinese-medicine/how-can-i-pay-tcm-treatments Heitz, D. “How Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Cure Type 2 Diabetes?
” Healthline News. 29 July 2013. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://www. healthline. com/health-news/aging-how-gastric-bypass-eliminates-type-2-diabetes-072913 “Information on Bariatric Surgery. ” USNews: Health. 28 Jan. 2010. Web. Accessed on December 15, 2013 from http://health. usnews. com/health-conditions/heart-health/information-on-bariatric-surgery Mayo Clinic staff. “Diabetes Treatment: Medications for Type 2 Diabetes. ” Mayo Clinic: Type 2 Diabetes. 22 Oct. 2011. Web.