Want to protect yourself against diabetes? A diabetic screening may be right for you.

The number of people living with diabetes has drastically increased over the last several decades. Our Woodridge, IL, team of physicians and specialists want to make sure that every patient is leading a healthy life and getting the proper medical care they need to prevent problems or to at least detect them early on. This is why we offer health screenings for various illnesses including diabetes.

Risk Factors for Diabetes

The chances of developing diabetes will depend on a variety of factors including genetics and lifestyle. While there are some factors you can’t change there are some that you can. Risk factors for diabetes include,

  • Being obese or overweight
  • Having a family history of diabetes
  • Being over 45 years old
  • Having high blood pressure
  • Leading a sedentary lifestyle
  • Having a history of heart disease or stroke
  • Have a history of gestational diabetes
  • Having a high level of triglycerides

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases also has an online diabetes risk test to find out whether you should visit your Woodridge, IL, doctor for testing, and thorough medical evaluation.

Diabetes Screening

In order to diagnose diabetes, a physician will need to perform a blood test that will measure blood sugar levels. This blood test is often performed twice during two separate appointments before confirming that someone has diabetes. The screening tests include,

A1C: The hemoglobin A1C test checks the average blood glucose levels over the last two to three months. You won’t need to fast for this test.

Fasting plasma glucose: This will measure your blood glucose levels at baseline. This is usually performed first thing in the morning after the patient has fasted for at least eight hours.

Oral glucose tolerance: After taking the fasting plasma glucose test, you will need to consume a sugary drink before drawing more blood. This will test how well your body is able to process sugar.

Random plasma glucose: This diabetic screening is only performed on patients who are already showing signs of diabetes.

You don’t necessarily have to be experiencing symptoms of diabetes in order to undergo this screening. Sometimes these tests can provide peace of mind or even detect elevated blood glucose levels early on, which can easily be reversed with simple lifestyle modifications to prevent full-blown diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes may include,

  • Blurry vision
  • Delayed wound healing
  • Weight loss
  • Frequent urination
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Increased thirst
  • Excessive hunger
  • Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet

Whether you are dealing with warning signs of diabetes in Woodridge, IL, or you have a family history of diabetes and you want to prevent it from happening to you, it’s never too soon to visit Woodridge Clinic in Woodridge, Lemont, or Lombard, IL for a thorough medical evaluation. Call us today.