Remembering Exams
Tests & Checkups
You can live an active lifestyle when you take control of your diabetes care. Regular health checkups and tests can help find problems early so they can be treated.
Early kidney disease has no symptoms. Late stages of kidney disease can have swelling, weight gain due to fluid retention, poor appetite, fatigue, headache, and very little urine output.
Early kidney disease has no symptoms. Late stages of kidney disease can have swelling, weight gain due to fluid retention, poor appetite, fatigue, headache, and very little urine output.
Symptoms do not always occur in a disease. Checkups and regular tests done by your doctor are important to catch the problems early so they can prevent complications in diabetes.
Some important tests and exams in diabetes
- A1c Test
The gold standard for checking overall diabetes management is a blood test called the A1c test or hemoglobin A1c. It is a blood test that measures your average blood glucose levels over a 3-month period and is represented by a percentage. The target for most people with diabetes is A1c lower than 7%. Your doctor may ask you to get an A1c test every 3-6months.
- Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure is the measurement of the force of blood as it passes against the walls of blood vessels. The target blood pressure for people with diabetes is less than 140/80 mmHg. Your doctor will check your blood pressure in every visit and may also ask you to check at home.
- Cholesterol
Increased levels of cholesterol can harm your heart. Usually high cholesterol does not have symptoms, so it if good to have blood tests to check your cholesterol levels. This test is recommended at least once a year.
- Foot Exam
Diabetes puts you at risk for foot problems. When blood glucose levels are high for long, the nerves going to your feet can lose their ability to detect pain, heat, cold and pressure. It is important to check your feet regularly and get your feet examined by your doctor at each visit to prevent complications.
- Eye exam
Your doctor will check your eyes to find problems (like retinopathy, glaucoma) from diabetes early and treat them. A dilated eye exam is recommended soon after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and then you should have at least one eye exam every year. Your doctor may advise more frequent eye exams if you have a condition that needs to be monitored.
- UrineTest
A simple urine test checks your kidney health by measuring the amount of protein and creatinine to determine your risk for kidney problems. It is recommended that people have this test done once a year because it is the strongest method of knowing any kidney or heart disease.
This information is a summary from ?Your First Year with Diabetes? and has been provided with the permission of the American Diabetes Association.
It is a book that is recommended by the American Diabetes Association for people that have been recently diagnosed with diabetes.
Click on the image to go to the American Diabetes Association bookstore.
Note: Care4life has no commercial interest in any of the books or resources it recommends.