Live Life Team
If you have symptoms of diabetes, your doctor will normally recommend a blood test. You will be asked to fast beforehand (this usually means not eating or drinking anything from midnight on the night before, though you may be advised to take medication as normal). If you think fasting might make you feel dizzy or unwell, you can ask for an early morning test and take along a snack to eat straight after it’s done. You will have to wait a few days for the results of your test to be ready.
There are four factors which could lead your doctor to diagnose diabetes:-
• High blood glucose (under 126mg/dl) after your fast
• High plasma glucose (under 200mg/dl) two hours after your doctor has given you a glucose drink
• High levels of glycated haemoglobin (an abnormality of the red blood cells)
• Ongoing symptoms of high blood glucose or plasma glucose, even if your test results are normal.
If you receive a positive diagnosis, further tests will be needed to determine which variant of the disease you have before diabetes treatment can begin. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common, followed by Type 1 diabetes. Some people have rarer forms of the illness, and some women experience symptoms of diabetes during pregnancy that go away after they give birth.
Diabetes treatment involves insulin injections for all people with Type 1 and some people with Type 2. Most people with Type 2 will eventually need to use insulin, but may be able to control the disease for many years through diet. You will need ongoing tests so that your doctor can monitor how well your illness is being controlled, but you will also learn to recognise the symptoms yourself, so you can tell when you might need extra help. You may be advised to use blood monitoring strips or a blood glucose meter to assist you with this.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which regulates the way your body manages sugar. In people with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin. In people with Type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t respond to insulin properly. Injecting insulin restores a healthy balance. It’s done using an insulin pen, which is easy to use and feels like a pinprick – you’ll hardly notice any discomfort once you’re used to it.
People with Type 2 diabetes are often prescribed a drug called metformin, which makes the body more sensitive to insulin. It’s available as a tablet you can take when eating a meal.
In some cases, losing weight can help a lot with reducing the symptoms of diabetes and making it easier to manage. Weight loss surgery may be recommended if you struggle to get down to a healthy weight. Like any surgery, it carries some risk, but it has been shown to get very good results.
Because blood sugar levels are unstable in people with diabetes, sometimes they can drop too low, causing dizziness, fainting or even seizures. These symptoms can usually be managed by eating something sweet. Where this isn’t possible or doesn’t work, emergency diabetes treatment should be sought.
