Diabetes occurs when the body is not able to consume sugar and use it as energy. It leads to the building up of excess sugar in the blood. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause serious health risks and damage to your tissues and organs like kidneys, heart, nerves, and eyes. The doctor can detect prediabetes, diabetes, and gestational diabetes with a blood sugar test.
Any person showing signs of diabetes must be tested for the same. Certain people don’t show any signs but are at risk of type 2 diabetes and are required to get tested. Pregnant females can be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Testing supports doctors which helps them to manage diabetes and prevent serious medical issues. Also, it clears your doubts about how to control diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
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Type 1 Diabetes is often detected in kids and young adults with diabetes symptoms like the urge to frequent urination, feeling thirsty, and diabetic ketoacidosis. This form is quite common in families.
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Type 2 diabetes is often found in people 35 years of age or older. Overweight people having a minimum of one risk factor can suffer from the same. Children can also develop type 2 diabetes. Doctors prescribe testing children and adolescents between 10 and 18 who are obese with a minimum of one risk factor like low birth weight, a parent having diabetes at the time of pregnancy, or other factors.
If the glucose levels in the blood are higher than compared to the normal range but not high to be termed diabetes, the condition is known as prediabetes. It is a serious condition as there are high chances of developing type-2 diabetes. But you can prevent this condition with the right preventive measures. Kids diagnosed with type 2 diabetes must get tested every year.
Moreover, the females planning to get pregnant must be tested for type 2 diabetes. The testing must be done in the first 15 weeks of getting pregnant. If you are tested positive then special care must be taken at the time of pregnancy.
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Gestational diabetes- Pregnant females who don’t have a previous history of diabetes must get tested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Also, it is quite important that you must again get tested within 12 weeks after delivery.
Risk factors of diabetes
The factors enhancing the risk differ on the basis of the type of diabetes.
Type -1 diabetes
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Prior family history
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Physical stress
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Injury to the pancreas like tumor, infection, surgery, or accident
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Presence of autoantibodies
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Exposure to diseases caused by viruses.
Prediabetes and type-2 diabetes
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Obesity or overweight
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Hypertension
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Low HDL cholesterol
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Physically inactive
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Age 45 or above
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Polycystic ovarian syndrome
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Prior history of stroke and heart disease
Gestational diabetes
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Previous family history
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Obese or overweight before getting pregnant
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Over 25 years of age
Diabetes complications
If the glucose levels remain high then the body tissues get damaged severely. Certain complications are life-threatening. Various complications are listed below:
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Cardiovascular issues like chest pain, stroke, heart attack, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol.
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Neuropathy or nerve damage leading to tingling or numbing in fingers or toes
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Eye damage or retinopathy leads to glaucoma, blindness, and cataracts.
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Kidney damage or nephropathy resulting in kidney failure
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Foot damage comprises poor blood flow, nerve damage, and poor healing of sores and cuts.
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Erectile dysfunction
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Depression
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Hearing loss
Management of diabetes
Diabetes management is quite essential. You are required to take steps to reduce the risk factor and to keep diabetes under control.
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Keep the blood glucose level normal by including a diet plan, enhancing physical activity, and taking prescribed medicines.
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Control blood cholesterol levels such as HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.
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Manage blood pressure as it must not be over 140/90 mmHg.
Tests used to detect diabetes
The clinicians ask to go for various diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes. He will ask you if you have symptoms or not and if you are pregnant.
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Fasting plasma glucose test- This test monitor blood glucose levels. This test has to be taken empty stomach in the morning. You are not recommended to drink or eat except for some water.
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HbA1c test- It is a blood test that monitors your blood glucose over the last three months. You can drink and eat before going for the test. The doctor will look at certain factors before prescribing this test. Various factors are pregnancy in the second or third trimester, anemia, and blood disorders. These attributes are important for accurate results. Moreover, certain kinds of hemoglobin also interfere while measuring A1C levels.
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Random plasma glucose test- The specialist uses it to detect diabetes when you can’t go for 8 hours fast.
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Glucose challenge test- This test is specially designed to test gestational diabetes in pregnant women. The phlebotomist takes a sample of blood an hour after consuming glucose. It is not recommended to fast for it. If the blood glucose levels are found too high then this test needs to be repeated.
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Oral glucose tolerance test- This diagnostic test supports doctors to diagnose prediabetes, type- 2, and gestational diabetes. You are required to fast for 8 hours. The phlebotomist will draw a blood sample for monitoring glucose levels after fasting. Then, another blood sample is taken after 2 hours of consuming liquid rich in sugar. If the final result is high then you might have diabetes. In the case of pregnancy, the blood is drawn every 2 or 3 hours.
Takeaway points
Regular screening of blood sugar or Diabetes Test in Bangalore is quite important for modifying eating habits, physical activity, and required medicines or insulin titrations. You must discuss with the doctor your ideal blood glucose level. Ideally, you must keep the blood sugar levels between 80 and 130 mg/dL before a meal. Also, after two hours of a meal, it must be less than 180 mg/dL. Hence, if you still have doubts about how to control diabetes then you must talk to your doctor.
