A blood glucose test has long become a mandatory regular procedure for many. This is required by some diseases, including diabetes. It is equally important to do a blood glucose test during pregnancy. In some cases, a simple home study using a compact device is enough, but sometimes you have to sign up for a serious laboratory. Under such conditions, a complex glucose test is done. If the doctor has recommended to find out the exact level of sugar in the blood, no need to delay it. Fortunately, the analysis itself requires very little time, it is practically painless and completely safe.
General information
Glucose is a simple organic compound, sugar, which is an indispensable source of energy for the human body. Carbohydrates entering the digestive tract are converted under the influence of enzymes and other compounds into glucose and a number of specific simple substances, after which digestion processes begin in the small intestine, saturating the circulatory system with the necessary components. Glucose through the blood enters different tissues, the cells of which use the compound for energy. Simultaneously substanceregulates cellular activity, since the functioning is real only if a strictly defined level of substance concentration is observed. A glucose test allows you to assess the quality of the blood and understand what dangers the state of the body is associated with.
The use of glucose in biochemical processes is due to the activity of the hormone insulin, normally produced by the pancreas. By means of the compound secreted by the body, the movement of glucose in the body is regulated, the supply of energy to cells that need consumables. If blood glucose is elevated (an analysis helps to reveal this fact), under the influence of insulin, an accumulation of energy reserves occurs. This is usually organized through triglycerides, glycogen. Accumulation is the area of responsibility of fat cells. True, this is true only in a situation where the processes in the body proceed normally. It must be understood that not only if blood glucose is elevated (the analysis will tell about this), but also if the indicator is significantly below the norm, this is associated with certain dangers for a person. Insulin, glucose are indispensable compounds for the normal functioning of the human body, the key to the viability of which is the balanced content of these elements.
Process dynamics
Normally, immediately after a meal, the amount of glucose in plasma blood components increases. The pancreas in response to the process produces insulin, and the values return to the average. The amount of insulin produced is determined by the composition, the volume received in the digestive systemproducts.
Sometimes the results of glucose tests show that the level after a meal drops abnormally quickly. In a he althy person, this is observed after intense physical exertion or fasting, stretching for several hours. In this situation, the body produces glucagon. The pancreas is also responsible for this hormone. Its effect on liver cells is as follows: glycogen is formatted into glucose, the concentration reaches a normal level. But this process takes place only in the body of a he althy person, when the liver and pancreas work in an adequate mode.
Why check?
Doctors recommend regularly taking a blood test for glucose (the norm in adults is on average 4-6 mmol / l), since the concentration of the component is important for human he alth. If a pair of hormone and simple sugar is functioning normally, then the concentration of the component in question is stable, but if the balance is disturbed, a sharp increase in the amount of sugar is possible. Body systems can respond to such processes in different ways:
- insulin generation is activated;
- Glucose is excreted through the kidneys with urine.
When is it dangerous?
A biochemical blood test for glucose is usually prescribed for suspected redundancy or lack of simple sugar. Both of these conditions are dangerous, they can provoke a fatal outcome, as the functionality of systems and organs is impaired. In some cases, an incorrect amount of glucose in the blood leads to severe cerebralinjury or cause coma. Chronically elevated levels (regular glucose testing will help to identify it) negatively affect work:
- heart system;
- blood vessels;
- visual organs;
- kidney;
- CNS and PNS.
Chronic form of glucose deficiency is dangerous for the NS, the human brain.
Some Features
The norm in the analysis of glucose in women is not always observed during the period of gestation. The phenomenon is called "gestational diabetes". In the absence of correct medical support for the body, this condition is associated with a risk of glucose deficiency in the blood plasma of a child at birth. As can be seen from medical statistics, after childbirth, diabetes goes away on its own for many.
Analysis: Highlights
The doctor will definitely tell you how to take a glucose test when writing out a referral for a laboratory examination. This event is carried out with suspicion of an increased or insufficient concentration of simple sugar in the circulatory system. If diabetes mellitus is suspected, in order to constantly monitor the condition of patients with such a diagnosis, it is also necessary to regularly do specific laboratory examinations, monitor changes in indicators at home.
Give blood:
- after a ten-hour fast;
- immediately after meals;
- spontaneously.
Sometimes the event is organized as part of a comprehensive oral GTT test.
When and how?
If diabetes is suspected, the study is carried out on an empty stomach, in the morning. Additionally, it is recommended to clarify the results using a glucose tolerance test. To obtain sufficient information for correct conclusions, it is necessary to conduct research twice - at different times.
During pregnancy, almost all expectant mothers are tested for a form of diabetes that is possible in such an "interesting" position. Detect temporary hyperglycemia at 24-28 weeks of gestation.
What to do?
If the norm is exceeded in the analysis for glucose or the parameters turned out to be significantly lower, this condition persists constantly, doctors make a decision regarding the diagnosis of the disease. When diabetes is detected, it will be necessary to constantly monitor how high the level of glucose in the circulatory system is in order to support the internal organs with medicines. Assign special tablets, the hormone insulin in the form of injections. As a rule, during the day several times they control how noticeable deviations from the norm are. Having formulated the diagnosis, the doctor will definitely write out a memo to the patient regarding the norms acceptable for him, and also indicate in which situations urgent medical care is required. Not everything is determined only by generally accepted indicators: a lot depends on the characteristics of the body of a particular person.
At home, the content of glucose in the circulatory system is usually checked with a special device designed for everyday use. Often it is equipped with test strips, althoughthe most modern products already work without them. A small drop of blood is needed to determine the level of sugar. However, you need to understand that such products do not give such accuracy as laboratory tests, and the readings will be only for one parameter - sugar, while a specific study in the hospital will give a complete picture of the state of the blood.
Is it time to panic?
If a person is assigned a sugar test, it seems to others that this is a serious reason for panic. This opinion is erroneous: the doctor recommends checking if you suspect a pathology. That is, there is a chance that, based on the results of the information received, the diagnosis will be the absence of diseases. Often, the analysis is carried out as part of preventive work with the general population: at present, our country has a national program for the timely detection of dangerous, common diseases. The first symptoms of diabetes are rather mild, many do not pay attention to them, which became the basis for the introduction of such a large-scale program. It is believed that all persons over the age of 45, as well as those who are overweight or have a genetic predisposition to pathology, should undergo regular examination.
Having received a transcript of the glucose test, you should not even try to determine on your own whether there is a disease or not. Only a doctor can understand specific data. In addition, it is too early to draw conclusions based on only one study: first, you need to collect the necessary amount of statistical data and only after thatdetermine whether a person is sick and with what exactly.
Symptomatics
You can suspect high blood sugar by the following symptoms:
- thirst;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- blurred vision;
- frequent infectious diseases.
Reduced rate is evidenced by:
- appetite activation;
- increased sweat generation;
- anxiety;
- blurred vision;
- sometimes cloudy mind.
As soon as such symptoms began to bother, you should immediately consult a doctor and do a blood test for glucose. When a condition characterized by an increased likelihood of developing diabetes is detected, a set of preventive measures is prescribed and the frequency of testing is determined. The greater the deviation of the indicator of the concentration of sugar in the circulatory system from the norm, the more often repeated checks are carried out. It is necessary to observe the regularity of diagnostics.
Some special occasions
If doctors have diagnosed diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to do not only a test for glucose concentration, but also an analysis for glycated hemoglobin. This will help to get a complete picture of the processes occurring in the body. The doctor will be able to assess how actively the pathology is developing, predict how the patient's condition will change in the future, what measures need to be taken to reduce the negative impact of the pathology on a person's life.
Sometimes a test for sugar, insulin,C-peptide. The study allows you to understand how correctly insulin is produced. During pregnancy, the test is organized closer to the end of the gestation period. If diabetes was detected during this period, each subsequent gestation is associated with a constant check of blood for sugar content, regardless of how many times a woman will give birth. In addition, it is necessary to control the level of glucose for some time after the birth of the baby.
Regulatory indicators
There is a dependence on age. On average, the parameters are as follows (glucose level is indicated in mmol / l):
| Under 14 years old | 3, 3-5, 6 |
| 14-60 years old | 4, 1-5, 9 |
| After 60 | 4, 6-6, 4 |
| When Pregnant | 4, 1-5, 1 |
Reasons for increased concentration
Often, an increase in blood glucose concentration is observed due to the following factors:
- stress situations;
- acromegaly;
- chronic kidney failure;
- Itsenko-Cushing syndrome;
- overabundance of carbohydrate-rich foods in food;
- hyperthyroidism;
- pancreatitis;
- malignant neoplasms of the pancreas.
Some long-term medications affect sugar levels:
- tricyclic antidepressants;
- corticosteroids;
- diuretics;
- estrogen;
- salicylates;
- epinephrines;
- preparations rich in lithium;
- difenin.
Reason for lowering the amount of sugar
This situation can lead to:
- alcohol addiction;
- liver pathology;
- too much insulin;
- prolonged abstinence from food;
- insulinoma;
- hypothyroidism;
- hypopituitarism.
Some specific medications have a certain effect - anabolics, steroids, acetaminophen.
How is this happening?
Biological material for laboratory research is obtained from a vein or from a finger. The specific option depends on the objectives of the study. When checking sugar levels at home, a sample from a finger is enough. In a laboratory test, results are usually available the same day or the next. In general, you can drink only non-carbonated water before passing the liquid for analysis.
