Recognising & Testing for Diabetes

Recognising & Testing for Diabetes
Diabetes is a very serious medical condition. It occurs
when your body does not produce and use enough insulin
(which controls glucose levels). Diabetes can be
categorised as either Type 1 or Type 2 and is a condition
which is on the rise. You therefore need to know what to
look out for.

If you have diabetes you may not notice any symptoms but
there are two main signals; hypoglycaemia (low blood
sugar/glucose) and hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar). If
you are hypoglycaemic then your insulin has lowered your
glucose levels too much and this may lead to dizziness,
shaking, hunger pangs and sweating. On the other hand if
you are hyperglycaemic this can result in weight loss,
nausea, dizziness and/or light headedness.

Some more extreme symptoms you may notice as a diabetic are
peripheral neuropathy (the loss of nerve functions in the
arms and/or legs) and diabetic retinopathy (when the blood
vessels of the eyes change, limiting or even eliminating
vision). If you notice any of these extreme symptoms you
should seek emergency medical care immediately. This will
reduce the chances of permanent damage to your body.

If you notice any of the above symptoms you should consult
your doctor immediately. They will discusss your family's
medical history, any history of diabetes in the family, any
medication you are taking and any medication you are
allergic to. Your doctor is then likely to recommend one
of the following tests to you:

FINGER STICK TEST:- This involves pricking your finger to
draw a single drop of blood, placing this drop on a
disposable test strip and then analysing the concentration
of glucose in your blood using a small glucose meter
machine. This test is the easiest but has approximately
10% of the accuracy of a laboratory test.

FAST PLASMA GLUCOSE TEST:- You cannot eat for 8 hours
before this test. It involves having blood drawn and
tested before you arrive. Once tested your blood reading
should not be above 126 mg/dl. Otherwise, you could be
diabetic and will need to confirm through either a Glucose
Tolerance Test or Glycosylated Haemoglobin Test.

If the tests conclude that you have diabetes then don't be
alarmed. In most cases diabetes can be managed effectively
with a proper diet and natural remedies. Even if you don't
notice any symptoms it is still a good idea to see your
doctor and get yourself tested. It's the only way to
identify the problem and if neccessary start taking
preventatory measures.

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