About 1/4 of all diabetes patients don’t realize they have the disease!

By the time you realize that something is wrong, the impact of the disease has already begun to damage the body!

As you go through this hub – You’re going to hear a lot about Insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the body to open the cell walls and allows glucose to enter the cells.

This process of allowing glucose into the cells actually energizes them and gives us the energy to live our daily lives. In other words, Insulin is used to break down sugars into energy that we use to fuel our bodies.

The four types of diabetes are:

Type 1 - Diabetes: This type is defined as the body’s failure to produce insulin. It’s estimated that 5-10% have this type of Diabetes.

Type 2 – Diabetes: This type is when the body does not use the insulin like it’s supposed to. Also, this type is combined with an insulin deficiency as well.

Gestational Diabetes: This type results immediately after a pregnancy, which means that after pregnancy a woman has a high level of blood sugar. 5 to 10% of women found with this type also have Type 2 – Diabetes

Pre-Diabetes: This type is present when the person’s blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough to qualify for Type 2 – Diabetes. This is basically the first sign that a person has Diabetes.

Here is a list of the tests to check for Diabetes.

Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test – The fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test is the standard test for diabetes. It is a simple blood test taken after 8 hours of fasting.

The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) – Is more complex than the FPG and may diagnose diabetes in people who do not have it. Usually this test is performed after the FPG test as a followup to confirm the patient has diabetes

Test for Hemoglobin – This test is usually not used as a initial diagoses test but is very useful for determining the severity of the disease. This is used to test the blood hemoglobin levels.

Conditions with Type 1 – Diabetes: Include hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis and celiac disease.

Complications of Type 1 Diabetes: heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).

Conditions in Type 2 – Diabetes: Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

Complications of Type 2 – Diabetes: Chronic kidney disease and about 20% have diabetic eye disease and foot problems.

Conditions in Pre-Diabetes: Indicate some long-term damage to the body, especially in the heart and circulatory system.

Complications of Pre-Diabetes: 50% increased risk for heart disease or stroke.

Risk Factors - Tobacco use, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol add to the risks of getting this disease.

You could find helpful information about insulin, or information about choosing blood glucose meters and various information about diagnostic tests, including the A1c test. Managing and checking your blood glucose or look into the kidney and islet transplantations.

Why put yourself through that with this disease when there are alternatives...

Take the steps now to improve your life.