The Diabetes Manager

Posts Tagged ‘free diabetic testing supplies’

Diabetes is one of the most devastating diseases one can have. But although a growing number of people are diagnosed with it every year. not many people really know what it is. The phrase diabetes mellitus has an intriguing origin. The word “mellitus” comes from a Greek word that means sweet. “Diabetes” is the Greek word for siphon. Somewhere in their history the Ancient Greeks found out that when some people drank a lot, the liquids nearly immediately left their body in the form of urine – just as though it were being siphoned from their bodies.

In addition to the frequent urination, the Greeks noted that the urine from these people had a slightly sweet taste. Hence the phrase “diabetes mellitus” or sweet flavored siphoned  liquid. So what were the ancient Greeks doing tasting urine? They used it as a mouthwash, to prevent the formation of cavities. Remember, this was before the name brand mouthwashes that are so popular today.

Diabetes is a slow developing disease. By the time it’s diagnosed, the body has already been going through changes for many years. Together these signs are often known as pre-diabetes. To test for pre-diabetes, you first have to find the blood glucose levels in your bloodstream.  You can locate low cost diabetic testing supplies in medical supply houses and drug stores.

Researchers have defined a blood glucose level threshold that defines diabetes. They’ve also defined a glucose level below which a person is considered normal. If your blood glucose levels fall in the middle of these ranges, you will most likely be diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

But just because you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doomed to get diabetes. But it does mean that you should begin to watch your lifestyle. Many people after being diagnosed with pre-diabetes make lifestyle changes and never experience diabetes.

Diagnosis of diabetes can be tricky and has changed through the years as science has advanced. A diagnosis of diabetes means that you have a high percentage of glucose in the bloodstream. The percentage of sugar that experts recognize as diabetes has been continually lowered throughout the years. Today, the American Diabetes Association has set the threshold to be a blood glucose level of 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) when the patient is given the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.

But one test is not conclusive. In order to be 100% that a person has diabetes, that person will need to have multiple tests. That’s because a diabetes test can give you a false positive.

A lot of of the problems caused by diabetes is the result of the body being unable to process the glucose that’s in the bloodstream. If the body is unable to process glucose, the cells can’t get nutrients. As a result, the person will usually feel tired or listless. The reason for the body being unable to process glucose is often a deficit of insulin in the body.

Insulin is the magic hormone that breaks down glucose into glycogen, a form of fuel that can be stored in the body as fat and used when needed. Insulin also is the magical chemical that changes the structure of the body’s cells so that they can accept nutrients.