How To Tell If You Are Diabetic

Which Is Right For You

Finding the best glucose monitoring system that is right for you is about finding the choice that best suits your needs. By considering the benefits and limitations between the different systems that are available in Canada, you can find a system that meets your individual requirements while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your diabetes care routine.

Our glucose monitoring comparison chart provides a summary of CGM, Flash glucose monitoring devices and test strips and meters.

What Can An Urgent Care Physician Do To Diagnose Diabetes

Because diabetes has such a variety of risk factors, the physician will have to take a very detailed history, noting any symptoms, changes in weight and other chronic illnesses or conditions. If youve been diagnosed before and are taking medication, the physician will also ask about your current medications, so make sure to bring them along if your medication list is extensive.

An urgent care physician can easily diagnose diabetes if you have obvious symptoms as well as through a test called a random blood glucose test. They take a small drop of your blood and instantly measure the glucose in it. If its above a certain number, then you will be diagnosed with diabetes.

If your symptoms are not severe or very noticeable because youve been dealing with them for so long, your physician might still suspect diabetes and can use other tests to confirm his suspicions.

How Do I Pay For These Tests And Supplies

Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans pay for the A1C test and some of the cost of supplies for checking your blood sugar. Check your plan or ask your health care team for help finding low cost or free supplies. Ask your health care team what to do if you run out of test strips. For more information about Medicare and diabetes, go to .

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Signs Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Diabetes

The signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes usually develop quickly, especially in children, over a period of weeks. In babies and young children, the first indication of Type 1 diabetes may be a yeast infection that causes a severe diaper rash that’s far worse than the common red, puffy and tender skin rash. In young children and infants, lethargy, dehydration and abdominal pain also may indicate Type 1 diabetes.

Once the symptoms appear, a blood test generally will reveal very high blood glucose.

Type 2 diabetes can be detected easily during a routine screening exam and blood test. However, it frequently can go undiagnosed for years unless a physician draws a blood sample to check the blood glucose.

In the early stages of Type 2 diabetes, you experience few to no noticeable signs of the disease. As time goes by and the untreated blood glucose continues to rise, symptoms begin.

If you’re over 40 or have parents or siblings with diabetes, be sure to have your blood glucose checked routinely.

The most common symptoms of undiagnosed Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are:

How Is Type 1 Diabetes Treated

Treatment means good diabetes control to minimize symptoms prevent health problems and help kids have normal physical, mental, emotional, and social growth and development. To do this, parents and kids should aim to keep blood sugar levels within the goal range as much as possible.

In general, kids with type 1 diabetes need to:

• take insulin as prescribed

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What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetes

T1D is identified in children and adults as they show signs of the following symptoms:

Although the signs of diabetes can begin to show early, sometimes it takes a person a while to recognize the symptoms. This often makes it seem like signs and symptoms of diabetes appear suddenly. Thats why its important to pay attention to your body, rather than simply brushing them off. To that end, here are some type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptoms that you may want to watch out for:

If youre experiencing frequent urination your body might be telling you that your kidneys are trying to expel excess sugar in your blood. The resulting dehydration may then cause extreme thirst.

Along the same lines, the lack of available fluids may also give you dry mouth and itchy skin.

If you experience increased hunger or unexpected weight loss it could be because your body isnt able to get adequate energy from the food you eat.

High blood sugar levels can affect blood flow and cause nerve damage, which makes healing difficult. So having slow-healing cuts/sores is also a potential sign of diabetes.

Yeast infections may occur in men and women who have diabetes as a result of yeast feeding on glucose.

Your Hands And Feet Fall Asleep A Lot

Neuropathya condition characterized by numbness or weird sensations like pins and needles in your arms, legs, hands, and feetoccurs in more than half of people with type 2 diabetes, according to a 2017 Diabetes Care review.

Why so common? Diabetes reduces blood flow to your extremities and, over time, damages your blood vessels and nerves, Kellis says.

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What Are The Warning Signs Of Prediabetes

You could have prediabetes, but you may not know it. More than one in three adults in the United States have prediabetes.

Prediabetes typically occurs without showing any symptoms or warning signs. However, it helps to know if you do have prediabetes so you can stop it in its tracks. That means you can avoid developing Type 2 diabetes, a more dangerous disease that causes other serious health issues.

You Get Enough Sleep But You’re Still So Tired

Carbohydrates, which your body breaks down into glucose, are your bodys main source of energy. But your body cant effectively use that source of energy when you have diabetes, explains Goundan.

Of course, there are tons of other reasons you could be feeling exhausted, including your diet, stress levels, and how much youve been sleeping.

Still, if you can’t think of any other good reason for your extreme fatigue, and your low energy levels are accompanied by some of these other diabetes symptoms, its worth getting checked out.

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You’re Losing Weightbut Aren’t Trying To

Unexplained weight loss can happen for lots of reasons, and diabetes is one of them. Goundan explains that insulin helps your body move sugar from your blood to your cells, so when you have an insulin resistance, you dont get enough energy into your cells despite all that sugar flowing through your body. Because youre unable to get enough energy from sugar, your body burns your own fat and muscle for energy,” Kellis says. “Weight loss can be pretty significant, sometimes 10 to 20 pounds.”

Generally, doctors recommend visiting the doc if you unintentionally lose between 5 to 10 percent of your body weight over the course of six months.

What Test Numbers Tell Me If I Have Diabetes Or Prediabetes

Each test to detect diabetes and prediabetes uses a different measurement. Usually, the same test method needs to be repeated on a second day to diagnose diabetes. Your doctor may also use a second test method to confirm that you have diabetes.

The following table helps you understand what your test numbers mean if you are not pregnant.

aGlucose values are in milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL.

bAt 2 hours after drinking 75 grams of glucose. To diagnose gestational diabetes, health care professionals give more glucose to drink and use different numbers as cutoffs.

Source: Adapted from American Diabetes Association. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2016 39:S14S20, tables 2.1, 2.3.

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Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

You may be at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes if you:

• Are overweight or obese
• Were previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes, depression, or polycystic ovary syndrome
• You gave birth to a baby that weighed nine or more pounds.

If you are Black, Hispanic, Native American, Latino, or Asian, you are at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. The risk factors for prediabetes are the same as the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

Recognizing Signs And Symptoms Of Diabetes

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Risk Factors For Diabetes

There is no way to predict whether you will get type 1 diabetes. Since type 2 diabetes often occurs before any symptoms are displayed, it is important to understand whether you are at high risk for the condition. If you know diabetes is a risk, you can discuss a plan of action with your healthcare professional to stay alert for warning signs.

People at high risk for type 2 diabetes include:

• Individuals with close family members with the condition.
• Members of certain ethnic groups, including Aboriginal, Asian, South Asian, Hispanic and African groups.
• Those who are overweight.
• Individuals with diabetes-related health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
• Women who had gestational diabetes or who delivered a baby over nine pounds.

You can check your risk for diabetes by getting screened by a healthcare provider, or by doing the Canadian Diabetes Risk questionnaire. Just remember that having risk factors doesnt mean you will get diabetes. It just indicates that your risk of getting the disease is greater than that of the general public. Find more on diabetes risk factors and ways to reduce them here.

How Do You Know If You Have Diabetes

Are you worried that you might have diabetes? How can one tell? It is important to pay attention to symptoms and then consult with your personal doctor.

Most common signs and symptoms that may or may not indicate diabetes are listed below:

Please note that if above symptoms appear there is no need for panic. Above mentioned symptoms might indicate other medical conditions which are not directly related to diabetes. Consult with your personal doctor!

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At Home Diabetic Test: A1c Kits

Another method to test for diabetes at home is the At Home A1C kit. These kits test the hemoglobin A1C and give a three-month average of your blood sugar. A normal A1C should be under 5.7%. When purchasing an at-home A1C kit, make sure that it offers results within five minutes. Some of the at-home kits require sending a blood sample to a lab and waiting for three to six weeks for the results.

If any of the tests above show presence of glucose or a high sugar level that falls in the diabetic range, it is time to consult a doctor. But if your test results show you are negative for diabetes or if you have pre-diabetes, you can take steps to reduce your risk of the disease by:

• Losing weight. Research shows that reducing your body weight by five to 10 percent 10 to 20 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds can cut your risk of type 2 diabetes in half.
• Eating right. Your diet should be rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein sources. Limit foods high in saturated and trans-fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars.
• Exercising regularly. Work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Always check with your doctor before you increase your activity.

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When To See A Doctor

Visit your GP as soon as possible if you experience the main symptoms of diabetes, which include:

• weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
• itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
• cuts or wounds that heal slowly
• blurred vision

Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days.

Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general.

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Earlier Signs And Symptoms Of Diabetes

• Frequent urination, especially waking up frequently in the night to go having to go to the washroom a lot is a common sign
• Increased thirst you may find you are drinking more than usual
• Increased hunger you may need to snack between meals more than in the past
• Feeling tired, even after a good nights sleep you may find you need to take a nap or feel like you have no energy
• Blurred vision that changes from day to day increased blood sugar levels can cause your vision to change
• Having cuts and wounds that are slow to heal this may be a result of poor circulation or nerve damage caused by high blood sugar
• Tingling, numbness or pain in your hands and feet increased blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage
• Skin changes, such as sudden dark spots around the nape of your neck or under your armpits
• Getting frequent urinary tract, yeast or vaginal infections people with diabetes are more susceptible to these infections
• Losing or gaining weight without trying to weight loss is usually seen more with type 1 diabetes
• Feeling itchy all the time, due to yeast infections, dry skin or poor circulation.

You can find more information about type 2 diabetes symptoms here.

Why Do I Need To Know My Blood Sugar Numbers

Your blood sugar numbers show how well your diabetes is managed. And managing your diabetes means that you have less chance of having serious health problems, such as kidney disease and vision loss.

As you check your blood sugar, you can see what makes your numbers go up and down. For example, you may see that when you are stressed or eat certain foods, your numbers go up. And, you may see that when you take your medicine and are active, your numbers go down. This information lets you know what is working for you and what needs to change.

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You Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Sweet treats may taste good, but overdoing them puts you at risk for prediabetes. While limiting candy is a start, refined carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes can mess with your weight and sugar levels, too, says Halprin. Limit simple carbs and sweets and make complex carbs , proteins, and veggies your staples.

This is your body on sugar:

What Does Undiagnosed Diabetes Feel Like

I remember feeling really tired and sleepy, but I didnt think anything of it as I was trying to juggle work and caring for my three children. When i got diagnosed, it made me think about my mum and her health. I thought she might have had diabetes too. She always used to feel tired and she had a boil on her leg that never seemed to heal. Read Saritas story in full.

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Is There A Test To Diagnose Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes

Your doctor or other healthcare provider will order urine and blood tests find out if you have diabetes. There are several different types of blood tests used to diagnose diabetes.

• Fasting blood sugar test: After fasting for 12-hours a glucose level is checked in your blood. If it is high, it is indicative of diabetes.
• Hemoglobin A1C test: This test tells your doctor how your average blood glucose level has been over the past 2-3 months.
• Normal ranges for HbA1c are between 4% and 5.6%.
• HbA1c levels that range from 5.7% to 6.4% indicates increased risk of diabetes.
• HbA1c levels higher than 6.5% indicate diabetes, while higher percentages indicate either worsening diabetic disease or poor response to diabetic treatments.
• Random blood sugar test: This is a test of your blood sugar at the moment your blood is drawn, but this number can vary greatly based on when you last ate.
• Oral glucose tolerance test: This test is rarely used in men, but it measures your bodys response to a large amount of glucose.

Open Sores And Wounds

Having high blood sugar for a long time can lead to poor circulation and nerve damage. You may have developed these if youve had uncontrolled diabetes for a long time.

Poor circulation and nerve damage can make it hard for your body to heal wounds. This is especially true on the feet. These open wounds are called diabetic ulcers.

Diabetes and feet

• Get immediate medical care for an open sore or wound.
• Work with your doctor to better control your diabetes.

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