4 Types Of Blood Tests Used For Diabetes Diagnosis

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What's Inside

Diabetes is a very common disease or health condition. Blood glucose level is very high here. Diabetes cannot make any rapid problems in your body. But being diabetic for a long time is dangerous. This may lead to serious health problems. Studies stated that 34.2 million people of all ages had diabetes – almost 10.5 percent of the American population. 

What Is Diabetes And Types Of Blood Sugar Tests?

The main source of blood sugar is the food that we eat. The glucose collected from our food is released into the bloodstream and used for energy. When there is a high blood sugar our body asks the pancreas to produce insulin which helps in using the blood sugar for energy production.

Blood Tests For Diabetes Diagnosis

Diabetes disturbs the process. As a result of diabetes, disorder body will stop producing enough insulin or resist using insulin. The shortage of insulin or the body’s resistance in using causes too much blood sugar to remain in the bloodstream. This may lead to serious health problems such as kidney disorders, heart diseases, and even vision loss. 

👉Symptoms To Be Noted 

An early diagnosis really helps in diabetes treatment. The following symptoms may be leading you to diabetes. Visit your doctor when you develop them. 

  • Excess urine, especially if you are urinating a lot at night
  • Unusual and uncontrollable thirsty feeling and hunge
  • Tiredness and feeling exhausted. 
  • Blurry vision and head ache.
  • Numbness or tingling in hands or feet. 

👉Diabetes Types

Basically, there are 3 types of diabetes. Type-1 diabetes, Type-2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. 

Type-1 diabetes

Type-1 diabetes is the stopping of the insulin-making process. Type 1 diabetes may develop quickly and it can be developed in children, teenagers, and young people. Type 1 diabetes is the acute one. It is compulsory to take insulin on a regular basis to survive if you have type-1 diabetes. It can be caused by genetic and hereditary reasons too. So, there is no clarity among doctors about the prevention methods. 

Type-2 diabetes

Type-2 diabetes is a common type of diabetes. In this case, the body resists using the insulin properly and thus blood sugar level reaches a high level. Around 93 percent of diabetic people developed type-2 diabetes. It takes years to develop in the human body. Usually, it is common in adults, but recent years show a hike in the number of children and teens developing the symptoms. There are prevention methods available for type-2 diabetes. Healthy lifestyle changes can lower the risk. It can be developed due to hereditary reasons too. It is better to test your blood sugar once in a while if you have a family history even if there are no prominent symptoms. 

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and may vanish after delivery. Gestational diabetes makes the pregnancy a bit risky. It is compulsory to control blood sugar levels during pregnancy through healthy lifestyle changes and a proper diet.  Type-2 diabetes is a risk factor for the child’s life too. The child can obese. He may develop type-2 diabetes during his life too. 

There is another condition called pre-diabetes. We cannot know if we are pre-diabetic without conducting a blood sugar level test. In the pre-diabetic stage, blood sugar is higher than normal. Studies stated that most of the people, who are in the pre-diabetic stage, do not really know their condition and continue to follow a lifestyle that may help them hit the diabetic stage.

👉Blood Tests To Diagnose Diabetes

  1. A1C Test Here, the doctor measures the average of your blood sugar level over a period of time. This can be 2 to 3 months. An A1C of 5.7 is normal. 5.7 to 6.4 show that you are pre-diabetic. Higher than 6.5 signifies that you are diabetic. 
  2. Random Blood Sugar TestA random blood sugar test measures your blood sugar at the time you are tested. There is no need to fast for this test. A blood sugar level higher than 200 mg/dL shows that you are diabetic and 140 – 199 mg/dL is telling you that you are in the pre-diabetic stage. 
  3. Glucose Screening Test You will be given liquid glucose to drink. One hour later your blood sugar will be tested. A normal result is 140 mg/dL. Doctors believe that the test is very effective for pre-diabetes diagnosis. 
  4. Fasting Blood Sugar TestThe blood sample will be taken after overnight fasting. A fasting blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL or below that is normal. 100 to 125 mg/dL is pre-diabetes and above 126 mg/dL is diabetes. 

👉Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is common between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Usually, doctors suggested a test over the period. It is always better to take the test to avoid the risk. A higher blood sugar level diagnosed early in the pregnancy may be type 1 or 2 diabetes. Then you should have a follow-up based on that. Be on the safer side as the risk factor of gestational pregnancy is not negligible. 

👉 Stay Away From Diabetes

Developing diabetes is a risk factor thought of your life. To be on the safer side always take precautions. Here are a few tips that can help you. 

  • As carbohydrates break down to blood sugar easily and cause a hike in blood sugar, it is always safe to reduce the usage. Restricting carbs will help you in other ways too. It is the basic tip to maintain a healthy BMI.
  • Regular exercise can save you even from the intake of medicine on a regular basis even if you are diabetic. It also prevents you from developing it.
  • Always consider water as your best beverage and avoid drinking any sugary drinks. Increased water consumption can manage blood sugar and promote insulin response.  
  • Obesity is considered to be the primary reason for developing diabetes. Shedding extra weight is important for being non-diabetic especially type-2. A balanced diet with non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fat along with regular exercises can help you in weight loss.
  • A healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, proper diet, and quality time for mental relaxation is the key to a healthy life. We feel more comfortable and settled. As a by-product, you are staying away from diabetes too. 

About Tim Mathew

Tim Mathew is an Endocrinologist specialized in general endocrinology, diabetes, and lipid metabolism. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in a science-related discipline and completed a medical school program in New York. Once Tim Mathew quoted that Endocrinology is both a challenging and rewarding medical specialty, so he wants to specialize in it. To know more about Tim Mathew kindly go through our about page.

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