Read 35 times since Friday, October 21, 2011
Diabetes is a metabolic condition where the individual's pancreas is unable to produce insufficient insulin to maintain normal levels of blood glucose. When the body has above normal blood sugar levels, then there would be complications that arise that can lead to greater health problems for the individual.
The first step in self-diagnosing diabetes is knowledge about your body. These can be done through the following steps:
1. Learn about the risks. If you have a family history of diabetes, then most probably you are genetically predisposed to contract the condition. If you are overweight or obese with poor dietary habits, then the risk of developing the condition increases tremendously;
2. Know the symptoms. One of the symptoms of diabetes is frequent urination, because the body rids itself of excess blood glucose. This is also accompanied by excessive thirst to compensate for the lost fluids. Furthermore, the individual would have an increased appetite yet still start to lose weight dramatically. These symptoms put together can lead to a conclusion that diabetes may be starting within you;
3. Know the complications. Complications from diabetes arise because of the lack of glucose metabolism. Since diabetes is a silent condition, it can only manifest itself through the complications. These complications include blurred vision, pain or numbness in muscle areas, ulceration of the feet, and increased susceptibility to infections such as pneumonia, abscesses and others.
Self-diagnosis though is not enough to determine if the individual is suffering from diabetes. The best way to find out if this condition has already developed in the individual is through any of the following:
a. Random Blood Glucose Test. This involves examining the blood for glucose levels retained.
b. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. This involves fasting overnight and the ingestion of a sugary sweet liquid to drink. Then a blood sample is extracted to determine how fast the body metabolizes the sugar ingested;
c. Glycated Hemoglobin Test. Also called the A1C test. After extracting blood, this test determines the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells and how much sugar is retained in these cells, called glycated hemoglobin. Determining these levels would give an accurate diagnosis of diabetes in the individual;
Being proactive regarding your health starts with determining if one is predisposed for diabetes. Then, observing the body as well as current illnesses if they amount to a conclusion of having diabetes. The best way still to determine if one suffers from this debilitating condition is not through self-diagnosis but through tests administered by your doctor. Bobby Castro is the online editor at the Diabetes Forum, where he has published a number of articles about diabetes symptoms and many other topics.
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