Glucose screening could save your life, but that’s not all! Here we count down the 7 biggest benefits to having your blood glucose level screened.
Glucose is a type of sugar found in your blood. A blood glucose test measures the amount of this sugar present in your blood supply. Glucose is necessary because it provides energy to most cells throughout the body, including your brain cells. When you eat carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, fruit, cereal) your body quickly transforms them into glucose, raising your blood glucose levels.
You don’t want to have too high or too low of levels. A glucose screening will tell you if your glucose levels are healthy. You should have glucose screenings conducted multiple times throughout your life.
Here are 7 reasons you want to have a glucose screening:
Check For Diabetes
In the United States, 9.3% of the population has diabetes, that’s around 29.1 million people. Yet, a shocking 27.8% of all cases are undiagnosed. If diabetes is not controlled or treated nerves, blood vessels and organs may experience damage.
Get An Answer To Mysterious Happenings
If your glucose numbers are off, a host of odd side effects may be bothering you without any explanation. A blood glucose test could provide the answers you are looking for if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Increase in urination
- Change in your normal behavior or mood.
- Fainting spells
- Seizures
Diabetes May Not Have Any Signs
Even if you are showing no signs related to diabetes you may still have it, and the best thing you can do for your health is to catch it early. The only way to do so is to have a glucose blood test conducted. Even if you do not have any noticeable signs of diabetes your body will be negatively impacted if left untreated.
Blood Glucose Test Is Very Simple
Getting a blood glucose test is an incredibly simple process that includes drawing for blood and that’s it! The test may be performed at any time of the day as long as you have not eaten for 8-hours prior. You may feel a slight prick or pressure when the needle is inserted under the skin but there shouldn’t be any lasting pain. At worst you may have a slight throbbing or bruising that remains shortly afterwards.
If your test results are normal, between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter, you do not have diabetes. Just because you test negatively at one point in life doesn’t mean you will always test negatively.
There’s A Chance You’re In A Higher Risk Group
Certain people are at a higher risk for developing diabetes and therefore require more frequent blood glucose tests. Some of these known risk factors include:
- You are overweight with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or higher.
- Your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher.
- You have unhealthy cholesterol levels.
- You belong to an ethnic group identified as high-risk, including African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander.
- If you have given birth to a baby that weighed over 9 pounds or if you had gestational diabetes.
- If you have polycystic ovary disease.
- If you have one or more close relatives with diabetes (parent, sibling, etc.).
Children 10-years and older that are overweight and/or have 2 or more of the risk factors listed above should be tested for diabetes once every 3 years. (Reference)
For The Sake Of Your Baby
Pregnant women are typically given a blood glucose test around 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. If glucose levels are elevated a glucose tolerance test will be administered to confirm gestational diabetes diagnoses. This test is especially important if you are pregnant and over 30-years-old, have a family history of diabetes, or if you are overweight.
Around 15-20% of all women will have abnormal levels and will require further testing for confirmation of diabetes. Of this group, about 15% will actually be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
If your levels are high your baby is at risk for being macrosomic, or very large and weighing over 9 pounds, 14 ounces. A baby this big can have great difficulty making it through the birth canal, and is at a higher risk for jaundice, low blood calcium levels or hypoglycemia. (Reference)
Live The Best & Healthiest Life You Possibly Can
Knowing you have diabetes is the first step to reversing damage and regaining control of your health. If you do test positive for gestational diabetes you can reverse the numbers with exercise, diet and/or insulin treatments.
Do You Need Blood Glucose Test?
If you are over 45-years-old you should get a blood glucose test once every 3 years. All pregnant women should be tested as well. If you are at an increased risk for diabetes you may want to have the test performed more often and from a younger age.
If you need a blood glucose test visit Urgent Medical Center today!
