Many people with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood glucose levels with diet and exercise alone. Your doctor may want you to be tested for diabetes twice before making a diagnosis. Oral glucose tolerance test - taken after fasting overnight and then again two hours after having a sugary drink (This is not regularly given for type 2 diabetes).Fasting plasma glucose test - taken after you have gone without food for at least eight hours.A1C test - given at any time during the day shows your average glucose level for the past three months.Random plasma glucose test - given at any time during the day.Tests for diabetesĭoctors use several blood tests to help diagnose diabetes: Talk with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. Sometimes older adults dismiss these symptoms as “getting old,” but they can be signs of a serious problem. Some people with type 2 diabetes may not realize they have it because symptoms often develop slowly and go unnoticed. You may also get skin infections or heal slowly from cuts and bruises. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include feeling tired, increased hunger or thirst, losing weight without trying, urinating often, or having trouble with blurred vision. Your doctor may also talk with you about taking medication to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Make sure to ask how often you should have your glucose levels checked. Get help with quitting smoking (if you smoke), because smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop type 2 diabetes. Work with your doctor to set up a plan to help you make healthier food choices and get regular exercise. Healthy eating and being physically active can make a big difference. If you have prediabetes, there are things you can do to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes and having a heart attack or stroke. Millions of older Americans have “prediabetes.” This means their glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Also, people with type 2 diabetes may be at greater risk for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important to manage diabetes because, over time, it can cause serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, and nerve damage that may lead to amputation. Women with a history of gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy) also have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.ĭiabetes can affect many parts of your body. Your chance of getting type 2 diabetes is higher if you are overweight, inactive, or have a family history of diabetes. It occurs most often in middle-aged and older adults, but it can also affect children. In Type 2 diabetes, the body does not make or use insulin well.Although older adults can develop this type of diabetes, it begins most often in children and young adults, who then have diabetes for life. In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not make insulin.Often, your family doctor will work directly with you to manage your diabetes. Your family doctor may refer you to a doctor who specializes in taking care of people with diabetes, called an endocrinologist. That can cause too much glucose to stay in the blood, which can cause health problems over time. If you have diabetes, your body may not make enough insulin, may not use insulin in the right way, or both. To use glucose as energy, our body needs insulin, a hormone that helps glucose get into our cells. Our bodies turn a lot of the food we eat into sugar, called glucose, which gives us energy. If you already have diabetes, there are steps you can take to manage the condition and prevent diabetes-related health problems. The good news is that you can take steps to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the disease to develop in older adults. People get diabetes when their blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Diabetes is a serious disease, and it affects many older adults.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |