Diabetes: What You Need To Know
November is American Diabetes Month, dedicated to highlighting the significance and impact of diabetes on those affected by this disease and their families. The CDC reports that about 37 million Americans have diabetes, while one in five people don’t even know they have it. Any Lab Test Now® is committed to spreading awareness about health conditions like diabetes and doing all we can to be your partner in wellness.
What is Diabetes?
If you or someone you know and love has been diagnosed with diabetes, undoubtedly you are trying to learn all you can about it. Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting how your body turns food into energy. Food gets digested into glucose, and typically, insulin from the pancreas helps the body use this glucose. However, in diabetics, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels.
Types of Diabetes
There are different types of diabetes; that are diagnosed depending on symptoms:
- Type 1 is when the body can’t produce insulin and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It’s an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The exact cause of this immune reaction is still unknown, although genetic and environmental factors, such as viruses, may contribute. Without proper management, type 1 diabetes can lead to higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, which can result in serious health complications.
- Type 2, the more common type, is when your body can’t use insulin the right way or can’t produce enough. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes glucose, its primary energy source. The exact cause remains unclear, but it often relates to genetics, obesity, inactivity, or a combination of these factors. Over time, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes can lead to a host of health complications, including heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney issues.
- Prediabetes is a critical stage that often precedes diabetes. It’s when blood sugar levels are higher than they should be but not yet high enough to be officially diagnosed as diabetes. Think of it as a wake-up call. According to the CDC, more than 88 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, and a shocking 84% might not even be aware they have it. The silver lining is that prediabetes can often be reversed through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
Symptoms To Watch Out For
It’s a good idea to be aware of the symptoms you may experience that can be a telltale sign of diabetes:
- Urinate a lot, often at night.
- Are very thirsty.
- Lose weight without trying.
- Are very hungry.
- Have blurry vision.
- Have numb or tingling hands or feet.
- Feel very tired.
- Have very dry skin.
- Have sores that heal slowly.
- Have more infections than usual.
How To Handle Diabetes
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, although there are no cures for the condition, you can live a good quality of life with some lifestyle modifications and careful monitoring. That’s how Any Lab Test Now® can help. We provide a number of lab tests that help you manage diabetes, like our DIABETES MAINTENANCE PANEL. This panel consists of four tests that provide valuable information to help you and your healthcare provider monitor your diabetes treatment. Those tests include:
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) – Measures your average blood glucose levels over the past two to three months.
- Diabetic Urinalysis) – Looks for protein in your urine, which could indicate kidney problems.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) – Can detect anemia, infection, bleeding disorders, and more.
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) – Measures your blood glucose and provides valuable information about your kidney function, liver function, and electrolytes.
Keep in mind, along with careful monitoring, there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make that can help you manage your disease:
1. Check blood sugar: Regularly checking your blood sugar levels can ensure you’re on the right track. It’s like routinely checking your car’s fuel gauge to avoid running empty unexpectedly.
2. Healthy eating: Watch your carb intake and focus on eating more proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Understanding how different foods affect your blood sugar is a journey, one well worth taking.
3. Being active: Physical activity can help lower your blood sugar. It’s not just about hitting the gym — dancing, walking, or even gardening can count.
4. Medication: If prescribed, ensure you’re taking your medication as directed.
5. Coping mechanisms: Stress can affect your blood sugar levels. So, finding healthy ways to cope can be beneficial.
6. Regular check-ups: Routine visits to your healthcare provider can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure, cholesterol level, and other metrics.
Any Lab Test Now® is Your Partner in Health
We want to help you and your family stay healthy by providing answers about your wellness. At Any Lab Test Now®, we provide tests that give you tangible results. We provide the lab testing; you own the results and can use them as you choose. Call now to schedule an appointment at a location near you.
Getting Tested to Kickstart a Healthy Lifestyle
If you’re guilty of putting off healthful eating in favor of late-night ice cream binges or choosing the side of French fries instead of salad, you might have more to lose than a few extra pounds.
Making sure your pants still fit is a nice perk when choosing a healthful lifestyle path, but a bigger benefit of a good diet is preventing diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Over the last two decades, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled. To make matters worse, more than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and one in four of them are undiagnosed. The CDC attributes an overweight and aging American population to these alarming statistics.
Getting Tested for Diabetes at Any Lab Test Now®
Any Lab Test Now, a leader in retail medical testing, with more than 175 locations nationwide, is making it easy to take charge of your health and control your weight by providing easy access to the Hemoglobin A1c Test. This test measures overall blood glucose levels over a period of two to three months and can be used to help detect pre‐diabetes and diagnose diabetes. Diabetes affects how your body absorbs glucose, which is an important source of energy. Glucose is a key component to nourishing your muscles and brain, according to Mayo Clinic.
If you already know you suffer from diabetes, the Hemoglobin A1c Test can help give you confidence your diabetes is under control. Diabetes ups your chance of developing other serious health problems, the CDC reports. People can decrease their chances of developing heart disease and kidney disease by keeping their blood sugar levels in check.
Walk in to any one of our locations and get your results in record time at an affordable price, without the hassle of a doctor visit.
Red Flags of Diabetes
Obesity is not the only red flag you might be at risk. Here are five additional factors that increase your chances of developing pre-diabetes, or type 2 diabetes:
- Over age 45
- A family history of diabetes
- Exercise less than three times per week
- Given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, or had gestational diabetes
- African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and some Asian Americans all have a higher chance of developing diabetes
Will My Body Show Any Symptoms?
It’s important to understand the red flags of type 2 diabetes because the symptoms of the disease may not be easy to recognize. To make matters worse, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes can develop slowly over a number of years, and many people have no symptoms at all. People with type 2 diabetes occasionally report an increase in thirst and urination, unexplained weight loss, hunger, fatigue and blurry vision. Areas of darkened skin, frequent infections and sores that heal slowly are also important to keep an eye out for if you think you are at risk for diabetes.
If concerns over your health are not reason enough to get tested for diabetes, the hit on your finances is no joke. Health care costs over your lifetime will be double if you have diabetes, the CDC reports. For more specific numbers, diabetics spend about $13,700 per year, and nearly $8,000 of those costs are to treat the disease.
Take Charge of Your Health
Don’t despair, the news isn’t all gloomy. It’s not too late to prevent, or delay, the onset of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Simple steps including diet, increasing physical activity and managing stress will all reduce your chances of getting the disease. People can also benefit from working with a trained wellness coach and getting support from folks who are also following a path to healthy living.
If your test results do come back positive for type 2 diabetes, a doctor can help you get it under control. Treating type 2 diabetes will still require adopting healthy eating habits and exercise. But patients may need to test their blood sugar and administer insulin injections, or take diabetes medication, according to Mayo Clinic.
While November begins the holiday season of indulgence and overeating, it’s also National Diabetes Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to challenge yourself to put down the slice of pumpkin pie and visit Any Lab Test Now to take the Hemoglobin A1c Test.
Are You Pre-Diabetic? You Need To Read This: November Is Diabetes Awareness Month
With nearly 30 million people in the U.S. suffering from diabetes, it’s a problem that affects about 10 percent of the population. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 86 million people are at risk of developing the disease, and 3 million are already suffering from pre-diabetes.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects the body’s ability to produce insulin. Without the proper amount of insulin, the body’s blood sugar levels remain abnormally high, and you don’t get the energy you need. Pre-diabetes is the precursor to Type 2 diabetes. At this stage, blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes.
While diabetes often presents with symptoms like excessive thirst and hunger, extreme fatigue, frequent urination, blurry vision, cuts and bruises that heal slowly, and tingling in the feet and hands, pre-diabetes often doesn’t come with any outward symptoms. The only way to truly diagnose pre-diabetes is to get tested. Tests like Hemoglobin A1c detect pre-diabetes and can also diagnose diabetes or monitor diabetes to make sure it’s managed properly.
Any Lab Test Now can help you take charge of your health by determining whether you are in a pre-diabetic state. A Diabetes Maintenance Panel can be done to monitor any existing diabetic conditions over time, as well as keep an eye on possible complications.
Without proper management, pre-diabetes may turn into Type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Diabetes increases your risk for many other health problems, including nerve damage, blindness, stroke, skin infections, kidney disease, high blood pressure and heart disease.
But it’s not all bad news. With the correct treatment and proper management of diabetes, these complications can be prevented or delayed. While diabetes is often a lifelong disease, it can be managed with medication, diet and exercise for a full, healthy life. So if you or a loved one is showing some of the signs of diabetes, these tests can help you and your doctor determine if the disease has developed or if you are at risk of developing full-blown diabetes.
This November, don’t let Diabetes Awareness Month pass without a fight. Get tested. Know your numbers. Take Control of Your Health®.
Who Else Wants to Know About Diabetes?
It’s November, so it’s Diabetes Awareness Month!
Diabetes has a real effect on daily life for those who have it and most people don’t understand how much of an impact it really has. According to the American Diabetes Association diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. That’s mind-blowing and heart breaking. Becoming aware of what this disease entails is the first step in understanding what you can do to help. Check out some other myths & facts like this one that the ADA has compiled to educate you and your family about how diabetes seems, and how it really is here.
As of 2013, $245 billion is spent on diagnosed diabetes in the United States. $176 billion is spent for direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity. That’s A LOT of money! ANY LAB TEST NOW® can help trim those costs down by offering an alternative to expensive doctor’s visits for monitoring diabetes. Our Diabetes Maintenance Panel will help you and your physician monitor your glucose levels and/or adjust your diabetic medications accordingly. Glucose (Serum), Hemoglobin A1c, Microalbumin, and Lipid Panel tests are some of the ways we can help you. Take Control of Your Health® and visit an ANY LAB TEST NOW® near you!
November 14th is National Diabetes Awareness Day.
Challenge: Take some time to sit with your family on that day (over a healthy meal, perhaps) and talk diabetes.