How To Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Normal Costing

Common symptoms of diabetes:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry – even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss – even though you are eating more (type 1)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

Often times with type 2 diabetes, the symptoms are subtle and often go unnoticed. With gestational diabetes there are usually no symptoms at all, regular blood sugar testing should be done during pregnancy.

Diabetes is usually diagnosed using one of more of the following tests:

A1C. The A1C test measures your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months. The advantages of being diagnosed this way are that you don’t have to fast or drink anything.

• Diabetes is diagnosed at an A1C of greater than or equal to 6.5%

Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG). This test checks your fasting blood glucose levels. Fasting means after not having anything to eat or drink (except water) for at least 8 hours before the test. This test is usually done first thing in the morning, before breakfast.

• Diabetes is diagnosed at fasting blood glucose of greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (also called the OGTT). The OGTT is a two-hour test that checks your blood glucose levels before and 2 hours after you drink a special sweet drink. It tells the doctor how your body processes glucose.

• Diabetes is diagnosed at 2 hour blood glucose of greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl

Random (also called Casual) Plasma Glucose Test. This test is a blood check at any time of the day when you have severe diabetes symptoms.

• Diabetes is diagnosed at blood glucose of greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl

Non compliance with diabetes treatment can have devastating complications. Some of which I have listed here:

• / Stroke
• Blindness
• Neuropathy/ Amputations
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Here is a youtube video that better explains some of the common side effects of diabetes: 

Here is a youtube video that better explains how neuropathy can progress into an amputation: 

Here is a youtube video that explains DKA from the perspective of someone who has experienced it: