DIET

Why Early Diabetes Screening in Women is Important

Last Updated: March 2, 2023

Early detection and treatment of diabetes is a very important step towards keeping women suffering from this disease healthy. This can reduce their risk of premature heart disease and stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Early detection of diabetes in women is also important because the severity of diabetes can be reduced through lifestyle changes and medications (Why Early Diabetes Screening in Women). In addition, early treatment of diabetes can prevent microvascular and organ complications and reduce the risk of subsequent pregnancy.

Why Early Diabetes Screening in Women is Important

Despite awareness and developments in the treatment and prevention of diabetes, women with this disease remain undiagnosed. The increase in cases of weight gain is one of the main factors for the increase in the number of diabetics. Similarly, the past decade has seen an uptick in cases of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Early diagnosis of diabetes is very important as it allows women to cure the disease early and prevent its serious complications before they start.

Women should try to keep their glucose levels under control for a few weeks before becoming pregnant. Your health practitioner can suggest lifestyle changes that will help bring your glucose level back to a normal range. Women with GDM category diabetes should be tested 6-12 weeks after delivery. If the test result is normal, a re-test for diabetes should be done every 3 years. Diabetes with severe hyperglycemia can lead to long-term weakness, damage and other failures in the body. Women with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of heart attack, coronary heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease than other non-diabetic women. They are more prone to dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity. Early detection and prompt treatment of the disease can reduce diabetes and its complications. That’s why early diagnosis of diabetes is extremely important.

If These Symptoms Start Appearing

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include increased thirst or urination, constant hunger, weight loss without trying, loss of vision, feeling extremely tired, and symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including symptoms of type 1 slow healing. Fast filling, dry skin, burning or prickling feeling in feet, infection etc.

These Tests Should be Done to Check for Diabetes

For women at increased risk or experiencing these symptoms, several tests are needed to detect diabetes:

– Fasting plasma glucose test measures the level of glucose in the blood and does not eat anything for at least 8 hours before it is done.

– HbA1c test, also known as hemoglobin A1c or glycated hemoglobin test, is an important blood test that gives an indication of how soon your diabetes is being controlled. It measures the average of three months’ glucose levels.

– The oral glucose tolerance test measures blood glucose and eats nothing for at least 8 hours before the test and for two hours after drinking a glucose-based beverage.

– In the random plasma glucose test, blood glucose is measured and it is not taken into account whether or not something has been eaten before this test. A value of 200 mg/dL or more indicates diagnosis of diabetes in the presence of specific symptoms. These symptoms mainly include excessive urination or thirst and weight loss on its own.

Keep Control of Sugar level like this

There are some common ways through which women can control diabetes. These include maintaining a limited weight, eating a balanced diet and controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, and exercising at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.