Do you feel an enhanced thirst even though you drank a lot of water just a while ago?
Do you experience frequent urination?
Have you visited an eye specialist recently due to experiencing blurry vision?
Do you feel exhausted all the time?
All of these are enough signals to show that you are suffering from diabetes. Although they look natural and similar to the symptoms of many other common health issues, you should never ignore them. Generally, people over the age of 45 years get diabetes. Unfortunately, now a days, youngsters are also suffering from diabetes.
Diabetes is marked by a distinct change in the sugar levels in your blood. How do you know the current sugar level in your blood? Simple. Just Well, undergo an HbA1C blood test and you will find it soon. This can scientifically prove your health condition and help you in the treatment process.
Does this HbA1C test only measure the level of glucose in your blood? Or, is there more to it? Well, when it comes to decoding any medical test, there’s a lot to say about it. Want to know how an HbA1C blood test helps diagnose diabetes? Check out the blog till the end.
About the HbA1C blood test
One of the most integral parts of your blood is hemoglobin. When a portion of glucose gets attached to this hemoglobin, it leads to diabetes. The functions of this HbA1C blood test are
- To find out the amount of glucose-infused hemoglobin present in your blood
- To determine whether you have prediabetes or diabetes
Also known as the HbA blood test, it gives you a detailed diabetic reading of the past three months.
Generally, doctors ask you to undergo this test to see the stability of the glucose level in your blood. Further, this test also helps to determine type 2 diabetes at the initial stage. Some of the common scientific names for this HbA1C blood test are as follows:
- The glycohemoglobin test
- The hemoglobin A1C test
- The glycated hemoglobin test
Performing the HbA1C test
‘Do I need to fast for the test?’ – this is a very common question that most people ask, especially when doctors tell them to conduct any blood test. Generally, the purpose of fasting is to help you with an accurate test result.
To perform this test, the healthcare professional first ties an elastic band around your arm. The purpose of this is to make your vein more visible. Then, he injects the needle and draws out some blood for testing. The last step here is to transfer your blood sample from the syringe to the vial and send it to the laboratory for examination.
Read more: Unlocking Vitality: 6 Ways to Overcome Liver Qi Stagnation!
Results of HbA1C blood test
People without a medical degree can hardly make out what’s written in the blood test report. Here, you have to take the report to a doctor for better analysis. Generally, the readings in the report are presented in percentages. The normal range of glucose in hemoglobin should be less than 5.7%.
What happens when you have HbA1C levels more or less than this normal range? Well, when the glucose level is more than 6.5%, it indicates diabetes. On the other hand, prediabetes occurs when the blood glucose level ranges between 5.7% to 6.4%.
However, some of the factors affecting blood glucose levels include:
- Liver disease
- Kidney problem
- Severe anemia
- Late or early pregnancy
- Stress
- Ill health
- Low levels of iron in the body
- Consuming certain medications like steroids
- Blood transfusion
What does high HbA1C levels mean?
If the test results have anything different from the normal range, it is definitely not a good news. The situation turns even worse when the test results indicate high HbA1C levels. The HbA1C levels in your blood will strike up only if you have uncontrollable diabetes. let’s check out the health hazards that can occur due to high level of HbA1C:
- Kidney disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Nerve damage
- Eye damage
- Wounds and infections healing slowly
- Numbness and lack of sensation due to damaged nerve
Self-monitoring HbA1C
People with diabetes follow a customized plan of treatment. is it possible to run to the doctor’s chamber every day to check the blood glucose levels? No. A better option here would be to undergo self-monitoring. Use a blood glucose meter to get the reading of the blood glucose level. You can reach out to a diabetes care unit to know about the frequency and perfect time for taking this self-monitoring of diabetes.
The unit in which the self-monitoring device reports the blood sugar level is mg/dL. Some of the factors that affect the blood glucose level include:
- Stress
- Physical activity
- Food habit
It is highly essential to undergo self-monitoring as it allows you to keep track of your diabetes and check its fluctuations.
Importance of HbA1C
You must be wondering why we are stressing so much about conducting the HbA1C test. Not having blood sugar at the proper level can lead to a variety of diseases and health risks. What is even worse is not treating diabetes at the right time. When you keep diabetes or prediabetes untreated for a ling time, it is sure to turn into something deadly.
Instead, carry out the HbA1C test and identify the stage and type of diabetes you suffer from. Further, never rely on a plan of treatment for someone else. It may so happen that you and your friend suffer from diabetes. Does this mean you and your friend has a similar cause for diabetes? Well, this is a debatable topic and needs the assistance of a medical professional.
Conclusion
Therefore, the HbA1C blood test provides a vivid picture of the amount of glucose present in your hemoglobin. It gives a reading of the past three months. Make sure to undergo this test from a reputed clinic. After all, the results of the test will determine the plan of treatment. Of all clinics, we recommend you go to the Blood London as they have a team of expert clinicians to help you in this regard.
