diseases-and-conditions-1 Directory
Lifestyle of Diabetes - Diabetic Facts and My Diabetes Experiences Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Helpful tips and the daily struggles of a type 1 diabetic! Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), is a blood test that requires no fasting and gives you a snapshot of your blood sugar levels from the previous three months. In diabetes, it tells you how well your diabetes is being controlled. It?s also recommended for people who haven?t been diagnosed with diabetes. Why? Because it?s very reliable! Hemoglobin is in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. When a diabetic?s blood sugar level is too high, sugar builds up in the blood and combines with the hemoglobin. The average amount of sugar in your blood can be determined by measuring a hemoglobin A1c level. Today, the number of Americans with diabetes has sky rocked to literally millions of people. Ask your General Practitioner to be tested for pre-diabetes and mention that you want to be A1C screened. If you have diabetes (type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes) make sure to get your A1C test checked every three or four months by your Endocrinologist. Diabetics should have a A1C less then 7%. (Non-diabetics should have 4% ? 6%.) Be wise and win with your A1c test!