Diabetes is one of the main lifestyle diseases in the world, especially so in India. You can prevent your blood sugar level from going up by monitoring regularly and following healthy habits. Glucometer is an effective self -test sugar check device which can help you in this ! Read more to find out.
How does diabetes affect world in general?
You may be aware that Diabetes is one of the most talked about lifestyle diseases in the world. As per World Health Organisation (WHO), around 80% diabetes related deaths occur in low to middle-income developing countries such as India. As per WHO, this number is set to double in 2030 as compared to 2016. Globally, it is estimated that Type-2 Diabetes will increase to 438 million by 2030 from 285 million people (recorded in 2010).
What is the prevalence of diabetes or high blood sugar in India?
India is having the highest number of diabetic patients in the world. This is causing enormous health problems. What is worrying is that we are seeing an alarming increase in diabetes as per International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries.
Sadly, India is now known as the diabetes capital of the world. As per some studies, Type 2 diabetes will increase by a whopping 58%, from 51 million people in 2010 to 87 million in 2030.
How does diabetes occur?
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that results due to insufficient production and secretion of insulin. In a normal person, blood glucose level is controlled by insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It helps in lowering and controlling the blood glucose level.
When blood glucose increases (for example, after eating food), insulin is released to reduce and normalise glucose level.
However in case of diabetes, insulin production is either insufficient or body does not respond properly to insulin. This leads to elevated sugar (glucose) level in the body.
What are various types of diabetes?
Diabetes (or medically known as Diabetes Mellitus) occurs in 3 main types:
- Type 1 Diabetes : In this condition, pancreas in person’s body does not produce enough insulin, leading to high sugar level. This is also known as juvenile diabetes. The causes are not known.
- Type 2 Diabetes : In persons with this type, body resists insulin. This is a condition in which cells of the body do not respond to insulin properly, leading to high glucose level. As the disease advances, insulin secretion may come down. Most common causes are excessive body weight and insufficient exercise.
- Gestational diabetes: This is the third form occurring in pregnant women without any previous history of diabetes.
What are the known symptoms of high blood sugar ?
The most known and common symptoms are :-
- Dry Mouth, Increased thirst
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Frequent urination or urine infections
- General Fatigue (feeling of tiredness and weakness)
- Weight loss – which is difficult to understand (especially when you are eating well)
- Blood sugar level of more than 180 mg/dL. (mg/dL means milligrams/decilitre )
What is the normal blood sugar level ?
For the majority of healthy individuals, normal blood sugar levels are as follows: Between 72 to 108 mg when fasting, also the known as Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) level in India and 2 Hours after eating (also known as Postprandial (PP) Sugar), it should be 140 mg/dL.
What level of blood sugar is too high?
What level is high for blood sugar? Blood glucose is considered to be high if it is more than 130 mg/dl before a meal or more than 180 mg/dL 2 hours after a meal.
However, you should note that most of symptoms of high blood sugar don’t occur until the blood glucose level crosses 250 mg/dL. Hence it is important to regularly measure your sugar levels.
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Is there a cure for diabetes?
Well, since Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, it lasts lifetime and cannot be cured completely. Hence it is all the more important for you to take all precautions, preventive health care and self-care, so that you do not at all get into sugar problems.
If however it is at very initial stage, it can be curbed by having changes in lifestyle such as regular exercise and controlled eating habits. To be able to do this, you should be able to test your sugar level regularly.
Early stages of diabetes can also be controlled through prescribed medicines. In advanced stages, however, insulin is administered on a regular basis for life.
What can you do fight diabetes or lower my blood sugar levels?
Experts suggest that to reduce and control sugar levels, you need to do the following: –
- Hydrate …drink lots of water. The more water you drink, the better.
- Exercise regularly… Exercise is a good way to keep the sugar levels in normal healthy range
- Eat protein-rich, fibre rich snacks and meals. Avoid too much of carbohydrate rich diet or sweets/starch laden food.
- Eat as much as you require, and not more. Control your body weight.
- Regularly monitor your sugar levels (many fail to do so and suddenly they find that they have crossed the limit. Then it is too late and becomes a struggle to reduce).
Prevention is better than cure. When there is no real and complete cure as in the case of Diabetes, it is best take all preventive steps.
Is it important to measure blood sugar level on regular basis?
Very important. You have to understand that once you get diabetes, it is not possible to cure this completely. It is a chronic health anomaly. Hence, you should never let your body sugar level go up.
To do this, you must measure your sugar levels regularly. Given our modern lifestyle, sedentary work routines, eating habits and cultures that we live in, most of us are prone to getting diabetes. It is only by measuring sugar level, we can prevent its increase.
Where can I measure my blood sugar levels?
But since most of the symptoms of high sugar do not appear unless too high, you need to take test earlier than that. You would need to regularly monitor to check if you are on a dangerous path to get high blood sugar levels. For this you should be able to measure sugar level at home itself, without having to take clinic appointments.
If you feel any of the symptoms of high sugar affecting you, then you can consult a doctor and get your sugar test done at a reputed clinic. Or, even without consulting a doctor, you can yourself ask a clinic to test your sugar levels and if it is outside the range, then you can consult a medicine doctor.
How can I measure my blood sugar levels at home?
Nowadays there are many portable digital sugar testing devices, called Glucometers These devices are simple enough to use and available at affordable costs. You can self-test your sugar levels inside the comforts of your home.
So whether you are a normal person or a person having mild form of diabetes, you should check your sugar level at home at regular intervals. This way, you can ward off this lifestyle disease of our century.
You can even think of gifting a Glucometer which is a self test home health device to your old parents or relatives. Read our article here on top wellness gift ideas for Seniors.
Buy Self-test Glucometers on Amazon India here !
What is a digital glucometer and how does it work?
A glucose meter or Glucometer is a medical device for determining approximate level of glucose in the blood. A glucometer includes a finger stick device (a lancet used for drawing out a drop of blood) and reading panel, which tells you the level of glucose in blood.
A small drop of blood is obtained by finely piercing the fingertip. Then it is placed on a disposable test strip. This is read by the meter, which calculates the blood glucose level.
The strip used to collect the droplet of blood is disposable. Most of the glucometer initially come with pack of 10 or 20 such strips or even more; once exhausted, you need to buy them separately later.
Buy from our top selections for Glucometers available online in India
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Conclusion
India has the highest number of diabetic patients in the world. This is being caused by our modern lifestyle with wrong eating habits and lack of physical exercises.
Diabetes is incurable and can lead to many health complications as we have outlined in our article above. You can help yourself live better by guarding yourself against this, only if you can monitor your blood sugar level regularly at home.
Take care of your blood sugar level early. Get yourself a glucometer today!
Hope you have a fit and healthy life ahead !