One of the conditions that affect millions of people around the world is diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation states that 537 million adults in the world have diabetes; they predict that by 2030, it could reach as high as 643 million adults.
Hence, World Diabetes Day is an annual celebration worldwide on November 14 to raise diabetes awareness. Educating people about this disease is pivotal because it empowers them to maintain health by seeking early diagnosis and following good management.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a medical condition due to a period of increasing blood glucose that is sufficiently long to cause structural damage to the body. There are two main kinds of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes
This type is autoimmune, where the immune system attacks beta cells or cells making insulin inside the pancreas as it considers them invaders, even though they may be triggered by known genetic causes or some factors resulting from the environment surrounding people.
Symptoms: Usually relating to excessive thirst and urination, heavy-duty fatigue, and blurriness of the eye’s ability to see distant visions.
Type 2 Diabetes
It is the most common cause of disease resulting from insulin resistance; cells do not respond appropriately to insulin in its correct action. Risk factors include a history of obesity and physical inactivity, as well as a history of diabetes among close relatives.
Symptoms: Symptoms are the same as Type 1 but are often less obvious.
Understand Blood Sugar Level
Blood sugar is an essential health component.
- Typical range: Less than 100 mg/dL;
- Prediabetes: Between 100 and 125 mg/dL;
- A Diabetes Range Above 126 mg/dL forms a diabetes range.
Monitoring: Blood sugar is constantly monitored to control the disease.
Hypoglycemia: Low blood glucose resulting from insulin or medication that forces low blood glucose levels to dangerous levels. In any emergency, the patient appears shaken.
Insulin in Diabetes
It is a hormone that breaks down food to energy. To a patient with Type 1 diabetes, insulin would be the savior of life. For Type 2 diabetes, at some point when first-line drugs fail, one would be required to take either insulin or other medication to manage their condition.
Diabetes Tests
Fasting Blood Sugar Test
A fasting blood sugar test measures your glucose after an overnight fast to determine if you have diabetes or prediabetes.
Procedure:
- You have to prepare for the test
- At least 8 hours must pass before the patient receives the test.
- Blood will be drawn from your vein, usually within the arm.
- If results given in mg/dL are average below 100, prediabetes will be indicated at 100-125mg/dL, and diagnosis of diabetes is at the level of 126mg/dL or higher.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)
It is applicable to check how well the body can metabolize glucose; most of the time, it is utilized to diagnose gestational diabetes or confirm the diagnosis of diabetes.
Procedure:
- You will have to abstain from food overnight.
- A blood sample will be drawn before giving the glucose solution to measure the fasting blood sugar.
- You have to drink a glucose solution containing 75 grams of glucose.
- Other blood samples will be drawn at intervals, usually 1 and 2 hours after drinking the glucose solution, to measure blood glucose levels,
- A value of 200 mg/dL or more at 2 hours will be diagnostic of diabetes.
Hemoglobin A1c Test (HbA1c)
This test will give you an average blood glucose level over two or three months. This can be helpful both for diagnosing diabetes and for monitoring how glucose control has been changing over time. Over 6.5% are diagnosed with diabetes, and between 5.7 and 6.4 would be classified as prediabetes.
Procedure:
- A specimen is drawn from a vein by venipuncture or a capillary by fingerstick or forearm stick.
- The amount percent of hemoglobin that has been glycated is assessed.
Urinalysis
Urinalysis would identify glucose or ketones in the urine, such as uncontrolled diabetes with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Procedure:
- You will provide a urine sample.
- The specimen would either be tested in the lab or on a dipstick test, which uses chemical reagents that change the color based on the glucose or ketone level.
- The presence of glucose in the urine will usually indicate high-sugar blood.
Ways to Prevent Diabetes
The five ways to prevent diabetes are:
- Healthy Weight: You follow the ideal diet and exercise regularly. Check whether you are at the perfect weight.
- Balanced Diet: Eat more whole foods. Include most fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, which will help regulate blood sugar levels by providing a steady energy source and minimizing spikes in glucose levels.
- Physical Activities: Obtain moderate aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes per week, such as brisk walking, cycling, and more.
- Monitor Blood Sugar: This can detect diabetes and prediabetes years before symptoms appear.
- Don’t Smoke and Limit Alcohol: Avoid smoking as it is one of the risk factors for diabetes, and alcohol excess causes obesity and hyperglycemia.
FAQs
How does diabetes affect my life?
Life complications due to diabetes are:
- Health Complications: Heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, and vision problems.
- Lifestyle Modifications: It requires diet monitoring, blood sugar level checking, and drug management.
- Emotional Impact: Chronic health disorder management may cause depression because of stress or anxiety.
- Financial Burden: drugs, medical commodities, and frequent visits to doctors.
Can diabetes be cured?
Diabetes is not curable but can be managed effectively. Some possible future therapies, like gene or stem cell therapy and a few new medicines, remain under experimentation. Some cases of Type 2 diabetes, involving severe weight reduction, allow patients to experience remission with surgery as bariatric operations eventually.
Join the Fight Against Diabetes
Diabetes awareness starts with an understanding of the disease. We insist that the reader take control of their health through knowledge about diabetes.
Do you want affordable and quality health services? Medi Linx Reference Laboratory Metro Manila will be your partner in the journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Get your Diabetes LabCheQ for only PHP 1,055! Participate in World Diabetes Day events and initiatives to educate people, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and support those with diabetes!
