What is diabetes? Diabetes is a common health condition that occurs when there is too much sugar (glucose) in the blood. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose. A hormone called insulin regulates the level of glucose in the blood. The pancreas gland produces insulin. People who have diabetes either do not produce insulin, produce insufficient insulin or the insulin they do produce does not work properly. Insulin allows glucose to move from the blood into the body's millions of cells and be converted into energy needed for daily life. Can I test at home for diabetes? It is possible to test at home for diabetes using a Diabetes Test Kit, which can be purchased on the Internet. Why is a Diabetes Test Kit needed? A Diabetes Test Kit is needed because approximately 50% of people with diabetes don’t know they have it. Unhealthy diets, obesity and lack of exercise are the main causes of diabetes. If you have diabetes and are diagnosed early, you can be treated before illness develops. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and blindness in adults. Most cases of diabetes can be treated with just dietary measures and oral medication. Early diagnosis is critical if complications in the future are to be avoided. What does the Diabetes Test Kit consist of? There are two types of Diabetes Test Kits available. If there is too much glucose in the blood it is likely that you will have glucose in your urine. Both can be indicators of diabetes. The Diabetes Screening Test consists of two test strips that should be dipped into freshly voided urine. The tip of the test strip will change colour in the presence of glucose. The Blood Glucose Test consists of two foil packs each of which contain a lancet that is used to produce the drop of blood that is required for the test, a test disc and plaster. Both Diabetes Test Kits will produce a result in less than one minute. Who should use a Diabetes Test Kit? A Diabetes Test Kit should be used by anyone who is obese, has a close relative that has diabetes, has high blood pressure, has had gestational diabetes or delivered a baby weighing more than 4.1kg, has low HDL Cholesterol levels and raised Triglyceride levels, is a member of a high risk ethnic group e.g. Indian, African, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Aboriginal or Pacific Islander. All adults over the age of 45 should test for diabetes every three years. |
