{"id":529,"date":"2017-08-24T09:04:42","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T03:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beatoapp.com\/blog\/?p=529"},"modified":"2024-01-30T12:13:42","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T06:43:42","slug":"3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Important Diabetes Tests: Your Guide to Diabetes Essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/#The_Three_Most_Important_Diabetes_Tests_are\" title=\"The Three Most Important Diabetes Tests are:\">The Three Most Important Diabetes Tests are:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/#HbA1c\" title=\"HbA1c\">HbA1c<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/#How_often_do_you_get_this_test\" title=\"How often do you get this test?\">How often do you get this test?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/#Foot_exam\" title=\"Foot exam\">Foot exam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/3-important-diabetes-tests-your-guide-to-diabetes-essentials\/#Retinopathy_Exam_or_Eye_Exam\" title=\"Retinopathy Exam or Eye Exam\">Retinopathy Exam or Eye Exam<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreas does not produce enough or produces no insulin, thereby causing high blood sugar. People with diabetes are at high risk for complications that affect several parts of the body. Uncontrolled sugar is likely to affect eyes, feet, nerves, kidneys, heart and liver. To avoid the risk of health complications, one must get diabetes tests and a full body diabetes checkup annually if you are diabetic or have prediabetes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/beatoapp.com\/\/lps\/inapp-beato-paid-coach-consult-web?id=2400330&#038;campaignid=2400330&#038;source=2400330&#038;utm_content=%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F529\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1.png\" class=\" wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1-300x88.png 300w, https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1-768x225.png 768w, https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1-420x123.png 420w, https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1-840x246.png 840w, https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Blog-banner-1-150x44.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Three_Most_Important_Diabetes_Tests_are\"><\/span><span class=\"c1 c2\">The Three Most Important Diabetes Tests are:<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/SFwHPr4XRD6vqm3fgBmF2wVfjVDRZHZBl0TJZRgGlBHirt_ajM7JMWeplCIP-M7VOO98A1qtWr5SvSNxn_-nLfrYl6SP-G91xOZErX0W7QmDN0wzMyksE8hnK5tmaE_cDKrDve6k\" alt=\"diabetes tests\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.labvdwpbk6dl\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HbA1c\"><\/span><span class=\"c2 c3\">HbA1c<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h.u3r7ddy16vxj\"><span class=\"c2 c1\">This is an important blood test to indicate if your sugar levels are in control. It is also called the haemoglobin A1c or glycated haemoglobin test.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_often_do_you_get_this_test\"><\/span><span class=\"c2 c1\">How often do you get this test?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">A diabetic should get their HbA1c tested every three months.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Blood glucose gets bound to hemoglobin; that part is glycosylated hemoglobin. The life span of Red Blood Cells is 90 days, so the glycosylated haemoglobin survives for 90 days. When we check HbA1c, we check this glycosylated component and arrive at a value that gives us average blood glucose in the past three months.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">WHO recommends the following diagnostic guidelines:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span class=\"c2 c1\">HbA1c below 6.0%: Non-diabetic<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"c2 c1\">HbA1c between 6.0\u20136.4%: Prediabetes<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"c2 c1\">HbA1c of 6.5%: Type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Random blood glucose plus occasionally an HbA1c test to support the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c1\">One must check their sugar levels daily using a home glucometer. Using a&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"c1\">Smartphone-connected glucometer<\/span><span class=\"c1 c6\">&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"c2 c1\">is ideal as it lets you record all your sugar readings on a mobile app and analyse the data as well.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/hba1c-7-effective-ways-to-handle-your-a1c-levels\/\"><em>HbA1c: 7 Effective Ways To Handle Your A1c Levels<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.3ms179d9l9po\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Foot_exam\"><\/span><span class=\"c2 c3\">Foot exam<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Diabetes can cause nerve damage (neuropathy in feet), delayed healing of wounds and infections in feet. These can lead to severe damage to feet and in the worst-case scenario, even amputation. Proper foot care through wearing proper fitted shoes, keeping one\u2019s feet clean, dry and well moisturized is important. Never use razors or let sharp objects injure your feet. Get such injuries treated right away.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">How often do you get a foot exam?<br>A diabetic foot exam that checks your feet for nerve damage or loss of sensation and any wounds should be done annually.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.9cfkktftygza\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Retinopathy_Exam_or_Eye_Exam\"><\/span><span class=\"c2 c3\">Retinopathy Exam or Eye Exam<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">People with diabetes can have diabetic retinopathy. High blood sugar causes damage to blood vessels in the retina. Sometimes a person may have retinopathy but experience no symptoms other than mild vision problems and therefore retinopathy in eyes may go ignored. However, if sugar remains uncontrolled this can become severe and blood vessels can swell, leak, stop blood from passing, and overtime can even cause blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">How often do you get an eye exam?<br>It is extremely important for diabetics to get an annual eye exam for diabetic retinopathy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">Besides the aforementioned tests; a diabetic should also check the following:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span class=\"c2 c1\">Blood pressure \u2013 if you have hypertension then check it once or twice a week at home. If you have high BP or been on medication for BP, then check more frequently till it stabilizes.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"c2 c1\">Cholesterol \/ Lipid profile \u2013 Lipid profile annually or bi- annually based on your other health parameters and heart risk.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">In general, a full body health checkup annually is recommended to be sure of all your parameters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"c2 c1\">It is important that all diabetics consume a healthy diet, exercise on a regular basis and frequently monitor their sugar levels. All these things are imperative if they want to manage their diabetic condition in the best possible manner.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":8533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[9,6,7,8],"class_list":["post-529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diabetes-basics","tag-blood-sugar-level","tag-diabetes","tag-diabetes-care","tag-diabetes-management"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19182,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529\/revisions\/19182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beatoapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}