If you have diabetes, it is necessary to go for medical check-up from time to time. Your doctor will help you identify the tests you will undergo.
These diabetic tests are necessary to keep your health on check. You have to make sure you keep up with the tests.
Here are some diabetic tests you need to know:
1. Check your blood sugar every day
Because the potentially harmful effects of diabetes are triggered by elevated blood sugar levels, it’s important for people with diabetes to check their blood sugar levels fairly regularly.
This can be done with a small, portable machine that measures your blood sugar from a tiny drop of your blood.
2. Take an A1C test several times per year
Just as it is important for people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar from day to day, it’s also important to have a “bird’s eye” perspective of long-term trends in blood sugar levels.
People with diabetes should generally have special test called A1C (also known as Hemoglobin A1C or HbA1C) tests at regular intervals – your doctor may direct you to have such tests every month or every two to three months.
These tests monitor the average blood sugar level over the last few months rather than giving an instantaneous “snapshot” and thus can provide valuable information about whether or not a treatment plan is working well.
Read also: How To Control Type 2 Diabetes And Live A Happy, Healthy Life
3. Test for ketones in your urine if you have ketoacidosis symptoms
If your body lacks insulin and can’t break down the glucose in the blood, its organs and tissues will quickly become starved for energy.
This can lead to a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis in which the body begins to break down its fat stores to fuel its important processes. Though this will keep your body functioning, this process produces toxic compounds called ketones which, if allowed to build up, can be potentially life-threatening.
4. Receive foot and eye tests regularly
Because Type 2 diabetes can progress so gradually that it’s difficult to detect, it’s important to be on the lookout for possible complications from the disease so that they can be addressed before becoming serious.
Diabetes can cause nerve damage and change circulation to certain parts of the body, especially the feet and eyes. Over time, this can result in loss of the feet or blindness. People with Type 1 and people with Type 2 diabetes are both at risk for these complications.
However, because Type 2 diabetes can progress gradually without being noticed, it’s extra-important to schedule regular foot and eye exams to prevent either condition from developing.
Trending video of the day;
Photo credit: Getty
