Medical Essay on Teens with Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes condition happens when the beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system. The beta cells are responsible for insulin production in the body. Insulin is a hormone that makes it possible for sugar or glucose to move in body tissues. Patients with type 1 diabetes have high blood sugar. This can lead to dehydration whereby the high sugar which is build up is released in urine causing loss of water from too much peeing; weight loss whereby the urine takes calories with it, (Cavan, 2013). Additionally, the body damage occurs where too much glucose in the body cause harm to small blood vessels found in the eyes, kidneys and even the heart. This makes patients more prone to strokes and heart attack.

This condition is quite rare such that about 5% of patients with diabetes have type 1, (Cavan, 2013). Some of the symptoms of the disease are; heavy thirst, increased hunger even after eating, having a dry mouth, fatigue, blurred vision, frequent urinary and skin infections, frequent urination, pain in the belly, wounds that dont heal well, quick mood changes among others. For females, changes or even loss of menstruation can be experienced. When a patient shakes a lot or is confused, breaths rapidly or suffers a loss of consciousness, then it becomes a great emergency. Blood test for sugar levels is used to diagnose the condition. The condition, however, is not treatable it requires lifelong management for patients to keep the sugar levels in a recommended amounts.

Type 1 diabetes among teenagers is the second most common chronic condition. Morbidity and premature mortality in this group cause great suffering. For teens, the situation needs careful management since these individuals are in a period of transition and changes due to puberty can be a difficulty in managing the condition. It is very important for nurses to come to the aid of families to empower them with information on the effects of puberty on insulin and even have a discussion on emotional and behavioral changes, (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). These have an impact in diabetes management in teens. The medical management essence should be integrated into the entire daily lives of teens, (ANA, 2010). They should enjoy their lives and still use their medication well. The teenagers should be told on how to handle the condition themselves and take responsibility for managing their medication.

Parents and families to diabetic teens are torn between giving them a chance to grow and monitoring the condition full time. Parents worry about the behavioral and emotional changes in their teenagers and how they will impact on their blood sugar and the overall management of the condition. However, parents should let their children grow and enjoy what other teenagers without the condition do. Parents should have constant conversations with their teenage children about concerns both of them have. Being open with their teenagers will allow them to share about teenage experiences and parents will offer the best advice. The transition to adulthood has its challenges that need a caring parent to help handle them.

Some of the issues to be addressed by nurses and caregivers of teenagers with Type 1 diabetes include; advice on depression and self-esteem; how to monitor glucose; talks on insulin resistance; taught on insulin pump therapy; risky behaviors; glucose targets and hemoglobin test, (ANA, 2010). Resources with this information should be availed to the teenagers and their families and made available on the accessible online support sites. It is important for teenagers to understand the need for testing the blood sugar levels more often and how to manage their meals. Teenagers tend to eat without monitoring their carbohydrate portions. Tips such as a need to have a routine low treatment and pouring snacks on a bowl instead of eating directly from the package will be good strategies to avoid overeating. Eating foods that are good for blood sugars is important. To most teenagers, missing an insulin dose or failing to do a sugar test might seem not so important but parents understand the long-range consequences brought about by this.

Having adequate sleep is another component that affects ones blood sugar. It is therefore essential for teens to have enough sleep to keep their sugar levels in check, (Gray, 2017). Company and support groups offer a good strategy to manage type 1 diabetes. Keeping friends who support the diabetic lifestyle will make it possible for teenagers to adopt good habits that make management of the condition much easier. In addition, support groups help cope with self-esteem matters that might arise in teenagers with the condition, (Ersig, Tsalikian, Coffey, & Williams, 2016). Experts encourage teenagers to have fun, make friends and engage in sporting activities despite their condition. Staying active is also encouraged, in fact, it is important to set a goal for oneself. They should, however, make sure they balance their leisure activities and management of the condition. Diabetes is not a life sentence that should cut short fun-filled activities.

Type 1 diabetes management needs to be done collectively. In schools, teachers and school management should also be incorporated in the management of type 1 diabetes in teens, (Grabowski, Aagaard-Hansen, Willaing, & Jensen, 2017). They should be made aware of what is expected of the teenage and allow some time for the learner to test their sugar levels and also watch for symptoms of the condition and if need be the call for medical help. The teachers will arrange for the teenager to put up with their management plan. Having a snack time, time to check blood sugars, taking medication, eating the right meals and any other items in the plan should be adhered to. Teachers too will ensure that bullying and teasing by the condition for these teenagers are not there. For diabetic learners who are more comfortable to speak with their teachers, they benefit a lot from sharing their diabetic journey with teachers who offer guidance to them.

Parents with diabetic teenagers have to make great sacrifices for their children. The condition has a great financial burden, and these parents have to forgo a lot to provide for their children. Even for parents who have health insurance still have to add in more money to cater for the bills and other expenses paid out of pocket. They worry a lot for their children and often deprive themselves of pleasures of life. Depression, stress, and anxiety are high among these parents compared to other parents. They are never sure if their teenagers will be responsible enough to adhere to the management plan. In the quest to let their children grow into independent adults, some parents fail to strictly monitor the diabetes plan thus outcomes that would otherwise be avoided come into play.

Parents with type 1 diabetes teenagers also need to enroll in support groups. Feeling of depression, stress and anxiety impact negatively on their productivity and therefore, they need some social support. This is by sharing with parents who have such teenagers too and device some coping mechanisms. The doctor or healthcare provider attending to their teenager can be a good starting point for these parents to seek help. The providers will explain to them what to expect with the condition and how best to handle the condition. Support groups provide a chance for the parents to express their sentiments without being judged and by a person who shares similar experiences. It has been found that parents with diabetic children suffer isolation and need to found a way to interact socially.

For teenagers, parental involvement in their treatment plan is sometimes seen as nagging. Some report that constant reminding from parents makes them feel inadequate taking care of their own self and, in turn, leads to defiant behavior. Some teenagers want their parents to leave the care as they feel they can handle their own life. However, parents feel relieved when they constantly monitor their children to ensure that all procedures are adhered to. As a result, a conflict between parental expectations and teenage experiences occurs. The teenage period is affected by hormones as one grows and teenagers sometimes rebel against the condition. They dont want to think about the condition all the time and miss out on things they do with their friends. This coupled with pressure and nagging from parents to follow the management plan makes them depressed.

The young generation often needs quick and rapid results. Sometimes the sugar levels in the blood can get out of control. Some teenagers get worked up and even demand to have new insulin regimens that would work faster for them. Coping with injections causes disagreements between teenagers and their parents. Drugs have a span of time within which they start acting in the body. Teenagers expect instant results and get frustrated as they have to wait for some time before their sugar levels get stabilized.

As the responsibility of managing diabetes type 1 shift from parents to teenagers, there is need to insist on important matters such as checking the blood sugar level before going to bed. There have been reported cases where teenagers were found dead or unconscious on their bed (Mosley, 2016). This is because the glucose levels fell too low during their sleep. Parents have a responsibility to remind their children to ensure that they have enough glucose levels to sustain them throughout the night. However, some of the concerns are whether the children will put up with the practice when parents are away? Probably when in college, will they do the right thing on their own when parents are not watching? The lifestyles in college make parents worry whether their teenagers will be responsible enough to manage the condition without being reminded, (Ersig, Tsalikian, Coffey, & Williams, 2016).

In conclusion, the issue of teenagers type 1 diabetes management is not only for the parent and the child but also for the entire community. Information is power, teenagers should be availed with all relevant information on how to manage the condition and taught to be responsible on their own. Proper self-management is the prayer of every parent such that they would not be forced to check what their children are doing at all the time. Both parents and the teenagers should be offered support from all areas to cope with this condition that has no definite cure.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author.

American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Nursesbooks. org.

Cavan, D. (2013). Reverse Your Diabetes: The Step-by-step Plan to Take Control of Type 2 Diabetes. Random House.

Ersig, A. L., Tsalikian, E., Coffey, J., & Williams, J. K. (2016). Stressors in teens with type 1 diabetes and their parents: immediate and long-term implications for transition to self-management. Journal of pediatric nursing, 31(4), 390-396.

Grabowski, D., Aagaard-Hansen, J., Willaing, I., & Jensen, B. B. (2017). Principled Promotion of Health: Implementing Five Guiding Health Promotion Principles for Research-Based Prevention and Management of Diabetes. Societies, 7(2), 10.

Gray, M. A. (2017). Outcomes and Solutions for Children and Families Affected by Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Mosley, M. (2016). The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet: How to Beat Diabetes Fast (and Stay Off Medication). Simon and Schuster.