Diabetes is a chronic disease that results in a high level of sugar in the blood. It is also known as Diabetes mellitus, a patient suffering from it has high blood glucose either because the body’s cells are ineffectively responding to insulin or insulin production is not sufficient in the body.
There are three types of diabetes Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes. Diabetes leads to many other diseases such as heart attack, eye diseases, kidney diseases, prolonged injury, etc. It’s such a common disease and one needs to know its symptoms and signs to detect it as early as possible. In order to know the right time of its diagnosis, one needs to know its alarming symptoms:
- Frequent Dryness of throat (Feeling of thirst)
- Frequent Urination
- Extreme exhaustion/fatigue
- Sudden loss of weight
- Numbness in feet
- Lightheadedness/Dizziness
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Diagnosis of Diabetes
Following are some of the tests that are done when a person complains to have any of the above-mentioned symptoms:
1). HbA1c Blood test: It’s reading cut point should be at 48mmol/mol (6.5%) to diagnose diabetes.
2). Plasma Glucose test: In this test glucose in the blood is identified. For this test, a person has to starve for at least eight hours. Drinking plain water is however permitted.
3). Glucose tolerance test: This step has two steps, in first one blood sugar is measured after a person has starved for 8 hours and in the second step after two hours, blood is withdrawn when a person drinks a glucose-containing fluid.
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4). Random Plasma glucose test: This test is conducted by a doctor without keeping a person starved. The test is usually cross-matched with person’s visible symptoms.
5). Glycated hemoglobin test: In this test, blood is taken for about three months and then the level of average blood sugar is taken into account to test diabetes. It is linked with the hemoglobin level of the blood. If HB level came out to be high in a person it is linked with high blood sugar present in a persons’ body.
6). Urine test: If the doctor suspects a low immune-system of a person. He/she might go for a urine test. A urine sample is often used to detect the availability ketones present in the urine.
7). Test for Gestational diabetes: During pregnancy, the doctor recommends to get a diabetes test done especially when an expectant mother is obese or have a family history of diabetes.
Diagnosis of Diabetes is crucial otherwise it can become a root cause of other life-threatening diseases. It doesn’t matter what type of diabetes a person is suffering from eating healthy, maintaining weight and adopting a regular fitness regime can help a person manage it.
For further guidance about the topic or if you might find any diabetic patient in your family /friends circle refer him to Marham, he can easily Book an Appointment with the Best Endocrinologist in Karachi, Lahore & other main cities of Pakistan & can get the best medical service and advice from our wise doctors!
