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Diabetes Screening
Diabetes affects over 18 million people
in the United States alone, and that number grows each year. It is a disease in which
the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not use insulin properly. The body needs insulin to convert sugars
(glucose), starches and other food into energy, and disrupting that process causes
many complications.
First, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to poor circulation. When
limbs do not receive proper blood flow, a simple scratch can result in a serious wound that is unable to heal and, in the
worst cases, warrants amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to kidney
disease, heart disease, nerve degeneration and pain, and cataracts. Scientists
are still unsure of the exact causes of diabetes; however, several risk factors have been identified. These include obesity, age over 45 years, lack of physical exercise, family history of diabetes, high blood
pressure, and diets with excessive carbohydrates and sugar.
The most important thing to know is that early detection of diabetes and maintaining
proper control of the disease can greatly reduce the risk of these complications and enable one to live a longer, healthier
life.
If
you have one or more of the risk factors mentioned for diabetes, or you are simply interested in getting screened for diabetes,
we can perform a simple finger stick blood test to obtain a reading within seconds.
This is called testing your blood glucose level, and it tells us how much glucose is free in your blood. If, after fasting, your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, this indicates that your body’s
insulin is not doing its job and you may be at risk for diabetes. We will explain
your reading, where it falls in relation to ideal levels, and guide you towards the proper steps to getting it where you want
it. If your screening indicates that you are at high risk for diabetes, we will
recommend that you make an appointment with your physician for a diagnostic test.
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