People hear about diabetic patients, whose numbers are increasing day by day, through newspapers or with the help of the Internet. Doctors suggest some tests for specific health problems. when a person has to check if they are suffering from diabetes or not they go for HbA1c, or hemoglobin A1C is a test that measures the average level of sugar.
HbA1c is a very important test, which helps people to know their sugar level condition, and help to manage it. In this article, we will talk about the HbA1c test, how to control it, and also about factors that can affect the test.
What is the HbA1c Test?
The real name of HbA1c is hemoglobin A1c, and it measures how much sugar your hemoglobin contains. Hemoglobin is an important thing for our body because it’s a part of red blood cells, which carry oxygen for the body. People go for this test for different purposes, like to know if they have diabetes or for knowing if their diabetes is under control or not.
Most diabetic patients go for this test in three to 6 months. On the other side, if a woman is planning a baby, or facing a problem in managing her sugar level, so they has to go more than normal time for this test. Pregnant women don’t need to go for this test many times.
What things can affect the HbA1c test?
The result of the test can decrease or increase because kidney failure, liver problems, and severe anemia type of health issues are present in the body. People from Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean mostly have a less common type of hemoglobin, which can affect the test. People with blood disorders also have uncommon hemoglobin in many cases.
The test can also be affected by certain types of medicine, including opioids. HIV medications are also a big reason for affected HbA1c results. A blood transfusion or blood loss affects the hemoglobin, which can affect the test. Late or early pregnancy is also one of the reasons for unusual test reports.
Ways of controlling HbA1c
These are some common and popular ways that most diabetic patients follow to lower their HbA1c level: –
Diet:
If you are a diabetic patient, you may know that diet can have a huge impact on our blood sugar levels. Food that contains carbohydrates is like poison for diabetic patients because it increases the sugar level in the blood. You can avoid carbs properly because it’s also necessary for the body, but you can choose the food that contains less amount of carbs:
Food to eat:
Try to add more foods that are non-starchy, full of protein, and low in sugar to your diet:
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Green vegetables
- Berries
- Fruits
Foods to Avoid:
Try to avoid ultra-processed foods:
- Cakes
- White Bread
- Rice
- Pasta
- Candies
Start checking how some specific food reacts in your body. Check your sugar level with the help of a sugar level-checking machine after a meal, which can also save you from a sugar spike.
Exercise:
Insulin helps glucose move in blood to cells so you can use that glucose in the form of energy. When someone has diabetes, so there pancreas stops making the required amount of insulin, which increases the HbA1c level. Exercise can help to balance all imbalanced imbalances that are happening because of high glucose. You can do activities like:-
- Cycling
- Housework
- Dancing
- Swimming
- Brisk Walking
Weight Loss:
According to the study, losing weight can help reduce the risk of having type 2 diabetes. If you are already suffering from a type 2 diabetic condition and you are also overweight, weight loss is very important for you. It can help lower the sugar level and also reduce the frequency of medications.
A doctor can design the perfect diet, that will not affect your sugar level and also help you reduce weight. Try to exercise as much as you can. Weight loss can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but it won’t work on type 1.
Medications:
Now medication is the most important way of reducing HbA1c than any other ways. Medications suggested by doctors affect the sugar level directly. Medication can give good results if you take them constantly with a proper diet schedule.
Take the medications according to the suggestion of your doctor, and if you see any side effects, immediately go to your healthcare provider. Don’t buy unknown medications after seeing some random ads, not all medicines are made for all body types of bodies.
Follow the doctor’s guide:
A healthcare provider is the only human who can help you with your critical diabetic condition. They know how your body is working, or what things your body needs to keep HbA1C levels low. Schedule an appointment with your doctor every two or three months. You can also go for monthly checkups. Choose the best healthcare provider so you can trust them for a long time.
Manage the stress:
ADA research tells us that stress directly affects the sugar in the human body. When humans are stressed, their body needs glucose in the form of energy to fight the stress. The cortisol hormone gets released, which raises the sugar to give energy, which makes HbA1c imbalanced.
You can try one of these activities to make your body feel relief when you are feeling stressed:
- Writing
- Reading
- Walking
- Singing
- Knitting
Find diabetic patient communities:
If you are suffering from pre-diabetes symptoms or you have diabetes, meeting with someone who has the same problem can help a lot mentally. Meeting people with the same stress and the same health issues makes the problem less big and reduces the test. The community members can also suggest some best ways they can fight their diabetes problem. You can ask your healthcare provider if they can help you connect with the community, or you can also take advantage of the internet.
Also check: Diabetes Checking Machine
Final thought:
Diabetes is not a unique problem; it’s increasing day by day, and that’s why the solution to this problem is also increasing. HbA1c is a small way of managing our diabetes, or it’s just a part of the healthy routine of a diabetic patient. Do not forget to go for an HbA1c test, and always take updates from your healthcare provider about your health.
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