Testing, Testing - 1, 2, 3!
Staying on top of your diabetes care with regular check-ups is an important way of keeping track of your health. You are encouraged to visit your healthcare provider and complete necessary diabetes tests. These tests will help you manage the risks of diabetes.
Important Tests
Each of the following tests play a different role in keeping you healthy. Continue reading to learn more about the eye exam, A1C screening and blood pressure reading.
The eye exam is important because it checks for eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy and blindness. There can be blocked vessels in the back of the eye that may lead to blindness and that is why it is important to get it checked. It is recommended that people who have diabetes get their eyes checked at least once a year. A normal result will be negative. This exam is different than a regular eye exam for glasses.
A1c screening is a blood test that shows how your blood sugar has been for the past 3 months. This will help doctors see how well you have been managing your diabetes or how well a certain treatment plan has been working. Based on these results, doctors will adjust treatment plans to keep you healthy and avoid complications of high blood sugar. It is important to get this test done every three to six months. The A1C test result is a percent, the lower the percent, the better. Our goal for a person with diabetes is to keep the result below 8.
Getting your blood pressure checked is important because high blood pressure can cause long-term problems to your organs such as your kidneys, eyes and heart. Diabetes can also increase your risk of developing high blood pressure so it needs to be monitored. It is important to get a blood pressure reading at each doctor’s visit. There are different guidelines on a normal blood pressure reading. Our main goal is that you keep your blood pressure at or below 130/80.