Diabetes Diagnosis: How is Diabetes Diagnosed?
What is the definition of Diabetes?
Hyperglycemia or Diabetes is the result of abnormally high glucose levels due to an imbalance of insulin in the blood. Insulins job is to convert glucose into energy to fuel the body's cells. If glucose is not converted properly, complications and organ damage can occur.
An elevated sugar level or glucose level is the definition of diabetes. The body uses insulin to regulate glucose levels, so when insulin cannot perform its job properly, complications of the disease occur. Common symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst and frequent urination.
There are two forms of diabetes:
Type 1: Is genetic, the pancreas does not make insulin. It is usually diagnosed in young children Type 2: Is metabolic, in that insulin is being produced but the body is resistant to it.
Both forms of diabetes create an elevation in glucose levels in the blood and therefore must be monitored daily.
A sedentary lifestyle, being overweight or having family members previously diagnosed with diabetes is at a high risk for contracting this progressive disease.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms vary and may not present themselves in all people. Some have no signs at all of the disease while others may exhibit any of the following:
- increased urination, extreme thirst, non healing wounds, fatigue, irritability and headache.
The body reacts to protect itself by getting rid of the excess glucose through the kidneys causing frequent urination or polyuria. With frequent urination comes dehydration which causes the excessive thirst and headache. These symptoms are the same as dehydration caused by a hangover.
Living a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight are risk factors for development of the disease.
How do I find out if I have it?
The first step to knowing your risks is knowing the signs. From there, a visit with a medical professional will determine if you indeed have the disease. By performing specific tests, a doctor can diagnose your risk factors, whether you have it and what type you have. How is diabetes diagnosed by a doctor?
In general, a glucose level of 70 mg/dl-125 mg/dl is normal. A doctor will perform testing in order to measure your specific blood glucose levels.
What Treatments are there for Diabetes?
Treatment of diabetes includes changes in diet, regular exercise at least 3-4 times per week, daily monitoring of glucose levels, and insulin injections by syringe, insulin pump, or prefilled pens.
Treatment for diabetes is designed to regulate glucose levels while at the same time stop or slow down the diseases progression to ensure no further complications.