Diabetes Mellitus Geriatric

What Is Diabetes Mellitus Geriatric

Diabetes Mellitus Geriatric or Type II diabetes (adult-onset diabetes) is increasingly becoming more and more common and physicians and doctors nationwide are expressing concern for the elderly who remains vulnerable to developing diabetes mellitus since this condition will be far more complicated to manage and poses unique concerns for family doctors and geriatricians (doctors practicing care for the elderly people). Type II diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder wherein the body has either become insulin resistant or the pancreas is no longer producing enough insulin to process glucose and help in the absorption through the blood vessels.  At first, most physicians will advise their patients to endeavor to manage their symptoms with exercise and healthy diet.
 
This simple approach to type II diabetes is not effective for most elderly patients doctors have found out, since their blood vessels are already weak because of age and the added stress of constant high blood sugar level increases the rate at which the blood vessels are being damaged, especially the small blood vessels that affects the eyes, heart and other internal organs whose main supply of oxygen comes from small blood vessels.  Type II diabetes management for the elderly is also unique because most patient already have other medical conditions aside from the diabetes itself like high blood pressure, arthritis, vision problems, heart conditions and others that makes it more difficult to manage diabetes symptoms.  Also complicating matters for the the elderly, is the medications taken for their other medical conditions (most elderly patient have an average of 4 prescription daily). These medicine can adversely affect the management and control of the blood sugar levelsof older diabetics since many medicines also contain some form of sugar. Added to this is the fact that the time intervals for each medicine can affect the treatment plan and must therefore be taken into account by geriatricians.

Some if not most elderly patients will also have some kind of physiological disorders that may hinder the treatment of diabetes mellitus.  Some elderly feel depressed and lonely and may not stick to the treatment guidelines prescribed by the physician; in this case the patient becomes more and more at risk for developing serious complications from diabetes like diabetes coma and total blindness or heart failure.  This is why aside from treating the diabetes symptoms; doctors must also provide some kind of assistance to the elderly patients to enhance their quality of life and not just focus on the metabolic disorder itself. The elderly patients with diabetes are at higher risk for severe hypoglycemia and must be monitored constantly.

Diabetes Mellitus Geriatric will remain a concern for most practitioners since the patients are frailer and their medical conditions are far more complicated than healthier and younger patients.  It is therefore important for family members of elderly type II sufferers to be more supportive and provide medical and emotional support for the older patients to help them stick to treatment guidelines provided by their physician and strict diet that accompanies the management of diabetes for a more effective management.  See your doctor for all medical advice related to all adult-onset dabetes or type two diabetes mellitus.