Diabetes, in spite of being such a common disease, is still not understood properly. Most of us do not know the exact dimensions the disorder can take, if it goes out of control. Now we discuss certain FAQs on diabetes and its diagnosis.

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes is a disorder wherein the sugar levels shoot up to an abnormal high. People suffering from this disease have an inability to convert the food they consume into energy. Usually, the food we take in is automatically broken down into glucose, which is supplied to all the cells of the body. This is what gives us the stamina to carry on actively until the next meal. Some cells in the pancreas convert this glucose into a hormone called insulin.

People can develop diabetes either because the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or because the body cannot absorb it to its full extent. This, if not caught in time, can cause severe health problems later.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

This type of diabetes, also referred to as juvenile diabetes, shows up in children, teenagers or those below their thirties. This is an autoimmune disorder, where the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin.

How about Type 2 Diabetes?

This form of diabetes surfaces during adulthood, mostly during middle age. Here, the insulin produced is not completely absorbed and used by the body. This causes diabetes to emerge.

Why do some pregnant women get diabetic?

This type of diabetes is referred to as gestational diabetes and develops somewhere in the second and third trimesters. Most of the time, this disappears on its own after childbirth, but it may resurface at a later point in time.

What is pre-diabetes?

This is a kind of 'wake-up call' for diabetes, so to speak! Here, the sugar levels are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. However, such people have a good chance of developing the disease within the next decade or so, if they is not extremely careful with their diet, weight, exercise and lifestyle habits.

How is pre-diabetes and diabetes diagnosed?

There are many tests that are performed to ascertain that aspect. They are as follows:

1. A fasting plasma blood sugar test can be taken, after some 8 hours have gone by without meals. 100-125mg/dL indicated pre-diabetes, whereas 126 and above indicates diabetes.

2. An oral glucose tolerance test is performed at fasting and 2 hours after having a glucose-containing beverage. 140-199mg/dL indicate pre-diabetes and 200 and above show diabetes.

3. A random plasma glucose test can be performed at any time of the day, irrespective of whether or not you have had your meals. While all the other above-mentioned tests can diagnose both pre-diabetes and diabetes, this can be used only to diagnose diabetes, not pre-diabetes. Random blood sugar tests are done only on the basis of diabetes symptoms. If the blood sugar levels is 200mg/dL or more, diabetes is confirmed.

4. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed if the fasting sugar is 95 or higher and sugar registers a count of 180 or higher at 1 hour, 155 or higher at 2 hours and 140 or higher at 3 hours.

The above is the standard method of diabetes diagnosis. To make extra sure of the accuracy of the results, you can also repeat the first two tests on a different day.