How To Test For Type 1 Diabetes At Home

What Is The Hba1c Level

A home test for A1C is a simple method of finding out how high your blood sugar has been for the past 60 to 90 days. Glycated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that is chemically linked to blood sugar levels. What this means is that when glucose in the blood binds with hemoglobin, A1C is formed and it is detectable in the blood for 60 to 90 days. The higher your blood glucose level, the higher your A1C level. In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association, an HgA1C of under 5.7% is normal, test results of 5.7% to 6.4% indicated prediabetes and if your HgA1C level is 6.5%, or higher, this indicates a person has diabetes.

What Should I Know About Ketones

Ketones appear in your urine when your body uses its own fat for energy instead of sugar. Ketones usually appear when your blood sugar level is more than 300 mg/dl. If ketones build up in your blood, you can develop a very dangerous health condition known as ketoacidosis. Ketones are most likely to occur in people with Type 1 diabetes.

Tests For Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed using blood tests. Youll probably be tested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. If your risk is higher for getting gestational diabetes , your doctor may test you earlier. Blood sugar thats higher than normal early in your pregnancy may indicate you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes rather than gestational diabetes.

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How To Check For Diabetes

Doctors recommend getting the tests done periodically. If you are wondering how to test for diabetes multiple times, you can test your sugar at home with a portable device as well. If you are using this device, there are a few things you should keep in mind to avoid false results. Check your sugar multiple times a day to ascertain the average as the levels change frequently owing to your meal timings and medications.

Ensure that your device is of good quality and is properly calibrated. The needle should be firmly fixed and the machine should not glitch while using it. Ensure your machine, as well as your hands, are clean and completely dry. There is a list of approved diabetes tests that can help you understand the implications of blood sugar fluctuations and the levels.

Tests for Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Prediabetes & Gestational Diabetes

There are particular tests meant to identify where you stand on the diabetic spectrum. Let us take a look at these tests and what they are. Let us first take a look at tests for Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Prediabetes.

Home Testing Vs Medical Testing

Self-monitoring your blood sugar is crucial for determining how your diabetes is doing on a daily basis.

A few tests a year at the doctors office cannot give an accurate portrayal of your condition since glucose levels fluctuate throughout the day. However, this doesnt mean that home tests should replace your regular preventive testing either.

In addition to self-monitoring at home, your doctor will likely recommend an A1C test. It measures how your blood glucose has been averaging over the last 2 to 3 months.

Getting regular lab tests can also help you determine how well youre controlling your diabetes. Theyll also help you and your healthcare team decide how often to use your home test, as well as what your target reading should be.

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Fasting Blood Sugar Test

A lot of times, you may have observed that diabetic patients are asked to fast a night before they are to give blood samples. Generally, the patients are required to fast overnight so that the timings for their meals are not disturbed. A blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL or lower is normal. 100 to 125 mg/dL is a sign of prediabetes and 126 mg/dL or higher shows that you have diabetes.

Fasting blood sugar test is prescribed by doctors to check for diabetes as well as to monitor sugar levels. They give your medical team a clear idea of what needs to be the further plan of action and give you an idea of what you can do to control your blood sugar levels.

Apart from these types of diabetes which can occur at any time during the span of life, there is another type called gestational diabetes. This occurs only when one is pregnant. The body goes through a lot of hormonal and physical changes. Since there is significant weight gain, the amount of insulin required increases however your pancreas can create only a certain level.

Many women suffer from gestational diabetes during the course of their pregnancy. Unfortunately, this type of diabetes does not have any symptoms. Gestational diabetes can lead to high blood pressure and a bigger baby that might lead to a C-section. The only way to know is to get yourself tested. Here are the tests that can help determine whether you have gestational diabetes or not.

How To Monitor Blood Sugar

Most at-home diabetes monitors include:

• a small needle, known as a lancet
• a lancet holding device
• blood testing strips
• a glucose-reading meter

A person using a home diabetes test pricks their fingers with the small lancet and lets their blood form into a droplet. They then place the droplet onto a test strip that they insert into an electronic meter that reads the blood glucose levels.

The result appears on the meters display usually within 15 seconds. Some meters can also store readings and provide average measurements within a specified time.

Individuals who are interested in purchasing a blood sugar monitor may find the following products helpful.

This blood glucose monitoring kit features a blood glucose meter that the company claims uses the latest technology to generate reliable results. The monitor provides readings within 7 seconds and can store recent readings on its memory.

This testing kit does not require code matching for testing strips.

The lancet injection device comes with five depth settings.

The kit has the following advantages:

• quick-read technology

Below are some common questions relating to at-home diabetes testing.

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Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which means that the body attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It has not yet been determined what triggers this autoimmunity it is just known that, unlike type 2 diabetes, lifestyle factors do not contribute to its development. However, what is certain is that there are risk factors:

• It can be hereditary. If one of your close relatives has type 1 diabetes, this includes a mother, father, sister or brother, then your chance of developing it increases by 6%
• Damage to the pancreas, such as through injury, can inhibit its ability to produce insulin
• Some researchers suggest that a viral infection or illness, affecting the pancreas, could also be one of the causes of type 1 diabetes

How To Test For Type 1 Diabetes At Home

It is not possible to diagnose the type of diabetes at home. However, if you track unusual readings using a device that measures blood sugar levels then you must get yourself tested by a professional. By taking your blood sample and running some screening tests the type of diabetes is diagnosed. You might have to undergo a few other tests to get accurate results.

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Other Tips For Checking:

• With some meters, you can also use your forearm, thigh, or fleshy part of your hand.
• There are spring-loaded lancing devices that make sticking yourself less painful.
• If you use your fingertip, stick the side of your fingertip by your fingernail to avoid having sore spots on the frequently used part of your finger.

Why You Should Check Your Blood Sugar

Testing blood glucose can help you manage diabetes by showing you:

• How well your diabetes treatment plan is working
• How exercise and food affect your blood sugar levels
• How things like stress and illness affect your levels
• How well your diabetes medication is working
• When your blood sugar levels are too high or too low

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Performing Test For Diabetes At Home

Blood sugar tests are available in varying forms, but they all serve the same purpose: to give information about what the glucose level is at that time. A lot of home tests require:

• a glucose meter

Some general steps following a home test:

• Hands must be properly washed.
• A lancet is then placed into the lancet device.
• A new test strip is placed into the glucose meter.
• A finger is then pricked using a lancet.
• A drop of blood is then put onto the test strip and the results come in the glucose meter.

Results usually come within seconds. In some glucose meters, a person requires to be sure about the code on the strip to get matched with the code on the meter. Also, one must be sure of checking the date mentioned on the strips occasionally to ensure they arent outdated.

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Random Blood Sugar Test

This measures your blood sugar at the time youre tested. You can take this test at any time and dont need to fast first. A blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates you have diabetes.

*Results for gestational diabetes can differ. Ask your health care provider what your results mean if youre being tested for gestational diabetes.Source: American Diabetes Association

If your doctor thinks you have type 1 diabetes, your blood may also tested for autoantibodies that are often present in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2 diabetes. You may have your urine tested for ketones , which also indicate type 1 diabetes instead of type 2 diabetes.

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Best Medical Support: Letsgetchecked

• All support issues are handled via email

• Nurse consultation involves an outgoing call to you

LetsGetChecked was selected because of its unique nursing consultation services, its physician reviews of lab results, and because it is one of the only at-home testing companies that gathers a medical health history as part of the ordering process.

The company encourages the use of technology to track lab results and keep a personal health record. The mission statement is all about empowering people to take control of their own health.

A health history is taken as part of the initial ordering process, and your health record will be reviewed by a medical team member at LetsGetChecked. The company provides support via its 24/7 team of nurses to stand by throughout your testing process and explain your test results. The company Physicians review lab reports and provide support when needed. And, when it comes to privacy, the LetsGetChecked website is HIPAA-compliant. Plus, the company claims that they wont share your information with any third party.

After you order your test, here are the steps to your final results: After you receive your test in the mail, you’ll activate it and be connected to the alphanumeric barcode within the kit. After collecting your blood sample via the enclosed instructions, you’ll return it with the prepaid shipping label that’s provided. Results will be accessible online within two to five days from the time your sample arrives at the lab.

How Does This Relate To Trialnet

Many may be familiar with TrialNet, the global T1D screening research collaboration JDRF has supported since the early 2000s. That program is aimed at families in which one or more members have been diagnosed with T1D and explores the possible hereditary connections.

This new initiative, on the other hand, widens the reach of early screening to those who have no family history of T1D.

The biggest difference between the programs is that the JDRF T1Detect program does not have any eligibility requirements or age restrictions, a JDRF spokesperson tells DiabetesMine.

TrialNets eligibility requirements limit participation to those with a relative with T1D: ages 2.5 to 45 for those with a parent, child, or sibling already diagnosed, and ages 2.5 to 20 for an expanded list of family members including grandparents, aunts/uncles, and more.

We need to address that gap, JDRF says. There is a great need to increase screening for T1D risk and this program provides a different model for doing that, in a community setting, that adds to and complements existing screening programs, like TrialNet.

If someone tests positive for T1D using T1Detect, they will be immediately directed to follow up with TrialNet and similar programs to explore clinical trials and other support efforts.

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How To Use A Blood Glucose Meter:

• After washing your hands, insert a test strip into your meter.
• Use your lancing device on the side of your fingertip to get a drop of blood.
• Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood and wait for the result.
• Your blood glucose level will appear on the meter’s display.

Note: All meters are slightly different, so always refer to your user’s manual for specific instructions.

Signs Of Type 1 Diabetes

• Excessive thirst

For many families, the symptoms of type 1 diabetes come out of the blue and can be missed or attributed to other illnesses. This lack of awareness can delay life-saving treatment for type 1 diabetes.

The Juvenile Diabetes Resource Foundation in collaboration with Enable Bioscience has developed an at-home test so families can detect if there are antibodies for type 1. This test includes measurement of GAD, ICA and IAA2. The test is easy, simple, and can help save lives.

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What Is Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Continuous glucose monitoring is another way to check your glucose levels. Most CGM systems use a tiny sensor that you insert under your skin. The sensor measures glucose levels in the fluids between your bodys cells every few minutes and can show changes in your glucose level throughout the day and night. If the CGM system shows that your glucose is too high or too low, you should check your glucose with a blood glucose meter before making any changes to your eating plan, physical activity, or medicines. A CGM system is especially useful for people who use insulin and have problems with low blood glucose.

Blood Tests For Diagnosing Diabetes

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed using blood tests. These include:

• A random plasma glucose test, which measures blood sugar at a single point in time
• A fasting blood glucose test, which is done after the person fasts for at least eight hours
• An oral glucose tolerance test , which involves fasting overnight, having a blood test, then drinking a sugary drink and having the blood sugar checked over the course of two hours
• An A1C test, which is a blood test that shows the average blood sugar over the past three months

Here are blood test results that indicate diabetes:

• Random plasma glucose: 200 mg/dl or above
• Fasting blood glucose: 126 mg/dl or above
• OGTT: 200 mg/dl or above
• A1C: 6.5% or above

Diagnosis of diabetes requires two abnormal screening test results, either from the same sample or in two separate test samples, according to the American Diabetes Association, unless there is a clear clinical diagnosis with classic symptoms of hyperglycemia .

Its important to note that these blood test results dont distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Another potential indicator of type 1 diabetes is the presence of ketones in the urine. A lack of insulin causes fat to be used for energy, and this process forms substances called ketones. However, people with type 2 diabetes may also have ketones, although its not as common as it is with type 1 diabetes.

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How Is Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosed

To confirm a diagnosis, your childs doctor may order some or all of the following blood and urine tests:

• hemoglobin A1C test: a blood test that indicates your childs average blood sugar level for the past two to three months
• random blood sugar test: a blood sample taken at a random time
• fasting blood sugar test:a blood sample taken after an overnight fast
• To help distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, your childs doctor may also check for autoantibodies in the bloodthat are common in type 1 diabetes.
• ketones test: a test that measures ketones, byproducts from the breakdown of fat in children without enough insulin in the urine or blood

Your child may need to have blood drawn more than once so the test results can be confirmed with a second test on a different day. Distinguishing between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children can sometimes be difficult, and your child’s doctor may need to do additional testing or monitor your child for some time before the type of diabetes can be confirmed.

Test Know What It Stands For Recognise The Symptoms And Treat Early As Time Is Critical In A Diagnosis Of Type 1 Diabetes

A delay in the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes can quickly lead to a life-threatening complication called Diabetic Ketoacidosis or in short DKA. Early recognition of the symptoms and early treatment can prevent the development of DKA.

4 in every 10 Irish children with new onset Type 1 diabetes have DKA at the time of their diagnosis. This number has been increasing since 2016. Up to 2015 about 3 in 10 of our children had DKA at diagnosis.

Delays in diagnosis can happen because the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are subtle.

We all need to know the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes so we can recognise them early and take action. The symptoms are the key indicators that you or your child might have Type 1 diabetes.

TEST which is easy to remember as an acronym represents the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

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