Diabetes is a disease that everyone has heard of, and knows that it affects adults and children alike. Over 200 million people have this disease worldwide, and Type 2 diabetes usually affects 90-95% of the diabetic population. Diabetes is generally classified in two types: Type 1 is a condition in which insulin is not produced by our body, and Type 2 occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin and its effects. Though there are many factors that play a role in diabetes, the exact cause of the disease has not yet been pinpointed.
If you have been experiencing increased thirst, or urination, and have noticed changes in your vision, and if this disease affects your family you should probably get a check up. Diabetes need not be debilitating, and is very easy to bring under control. An early diagnosis of diabetes is important in order to take advantage of a variety of different available treatment options.
Although the symptoms for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are common, yet they differ from person to person, and so the symptoms experienced by a diabetic relative do not necessarily mean diabetes for you. There are quite a few ways that a doctor can test a person for diabetes. These tests are usually performed on your blood and urine, and several other tests exist to determine glucose levels in your blood.
If you are feeling excessively thirsty, frequently urinating, feeling tired, having blurred vision or getting tired fast, then you need to consult a doctor. Furthermore, if tingling, numbness, unhealed sores or wounds, and rashes accompany these symptoms, a doctor would definitely recommend some additional tests.
Physicians recommend a test known as fasting plasma glucose test and an additional test known as oral glucose tolerance test. The fasting plasma glucose test is fast, easy and cheap and is therefore widely used. If this test shows blood glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl then this indicates a pre-diabetic condition. If a person is diagnosed with blood glucose levels above 126 mg/dl then diabetes can be confirmed.
In the oral glucose tolerance test, where blood is taken after fasting (usually performed after an eight hour fast) and then another test is done two hours after drinking a glucose rich beverage. If the blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl then it is a pre-diabetic condition and if the blood sugar level exceeds 200 mg/dl then the physician confirms this as diabetes.
Physicians will also investigate your family history. If you have family members with diabetes, your doctor may advise you to go for fasting tests every year in order to keep a check on the possibility of diabetes.
There is no cure for diabetes; it can only be managed by carefully controlling sugar levels in your blood. Treatment of Type 1 diabetes usually involves insulin injections, and modifying your diet can often control Type 2: both types of diabetes can greatly benefit by controlling your intake of sugars, carbohydrates, and fatty foods. Your doctor can work closely with you to monitor your diet and recommend changes in your lifestyle in order to bring this chronic condition under control.
In conclusion, diabetes is relatively easy to control, and an early diagnosis of diabetes can considerably change the outcome of the disease and how it affects your life.
If you have been experiencing increased thirst, or urination, and have noticed changes in your vision, and if this disease affects your family you should probably get a check up. Diabetes need not be debilitating, and is very easy to bring under control. An early diagnosis of diabetes is important in order to take advantage of a variety of different available treatment options.
Although the symptoms for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are common, yet they differ from person to person, and so the symptoms experienced by a diabetic relative do not necessarily mean diabetes for you. There are quite a few ways that a doctor can test a person for diabetes. These tests are usually performed on your blood and urine, and several other tests exist to determine glucose levels in your blood.
If you are feeling excessively thirsty, frequently urinating, feeling tired, having blurred vision or getting tired fast, then you need to consult a doctor. Furthermore, if tingling, numbness, unhealed sores or wounds, and rashes accompany these symptoms, a doctor would definitely recommend some additional tests.
Physicians recommend a test known as fasting plasma glucose test and an additional test known as oral glucose tolerance test. The fasting plasma glucose test is fast, easy and cheap and is therefore widely used. If this test shows blood glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl then this indicates a pre-diabetic condition. If a person is diagnosed with blood glucose levels above 126 mg/dl then diabetes can be confirmed.
In the oral glucose tolerance test, where blood is taken after fasting (usually performed after an eight hour fast) and then another test is done two hours after drinking a glucose rich beverage. If the blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl then it is a pre-diabetic condition and if the blood sugar level exceeds 200 mg/dl then the physician confirms this as diabetes.
Physicians will also investigate your family history. If you have family members with diabetes, your doctor may advise you to go for fasting tests every year in order to keep a check on the possibility of diabetes.
There is no cure for diabetes; it can only be managed by carefully controlling sugar levels in your blood. Treatment of Type 1 diabetes usually involves insulin injections, and modifying your diet can often control Type 2: both types of diabetes can greatly benefit by controlling your intake of sugars, carbohydrates, and fatty foods. Your doctor can work closely with you to monitor your diet and recommend changes in your lifestyle in order to bring this chronic condition under control.
In conclusion, diabetes is relatively easy to control, and an early diagnosis of diabetes can considerably change the outcome of the disease and how it affects your life.
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