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Please forgive my ignorance, I have a few questions

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D

Dan80

New Member
I asked on here a few days ago what my Dr would be looking for when I go for my second fasting blood test next week, I was told they will be looking for HIGH blood sugar by a poster on here.
If that is the case why do people always refer to LOW blood sugar levels? when I feel unwell I thought that was because it was LOW am I wrong?

My second question is what is the difference between type 1&2 diabetes? and how is the difference discovered? sorry for being a pain but im hoping to be well prepped it the news next week is not good.

Thanks for your help guys,

Dan
 
hi dan,

high levels is what they use to detect diabetes, low levels cause us to feel unwell due to having a hypo (hypogliceamia) which trust me aint to nice.

difference between type 1 and 2 is that type 2's still produce insulin but their bodies dont use it in the correct way anymore. type 1's after the honeymoon period dont produce any insulin or if they do it is very very small amount.

hope this helps 🙂

mike
 
Hi Dan,

Perfectly legitimate questions! A non-diabetic person will have a blood sugar range somewhere between 4 and 7 mmol/l. Diabetics can have problems if the numbers fall outside either of these two ranges. Low, i.e. below 4.0, can mean that a person is not getting enough energy for their brain to function properly, and therefore needs a boost of quick-acting sugar like jelly babies, glucose tablets etc. If it goes too low then coma can result. Higher than normal range and the problems are more likely to be less noticeable and longer-term. High blood sugar over a period of time can lead to the complications of kidney, heart and nervous system disorders as well as the possibility of amputation of lower extremities in particular. High sugars can also cause lethargy, excessive thirst, frequent urination etc. In Type 1 there is also the danger of diabetic ketoacidosis and possible coma (so, both ends of the scale!). They will test for high blood sugar because the non-diabetic person would not normally exceed the 4-7 range on a fasting test, so high is an indication of a failure in this respect. It is possible to have something called a C-peptide test if there is confusion over Type 1/2 as there sometimes is in adults - Type 1 used to be thought of mainly as a childhood disease and Type 2 for older people. However, I am Type 1 at age 50.

Type 1 is a failure of the pancreas to produce insulin, so it needs to be injected. Type 2 is primarily insulin resistance - you're still producing it, but not using it effectively - the effectiveness can be improved with good diet, exercise or medications, or supplemented by extra injected insulin.
 
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Much appreciated, I hope that I will know either way in the next 7 days so I will update, thanks for your patience.

Dan
 
Can't add to the answers you have already had. A couple of times I have been aasked are you insullin dependent or non insulin dependent. If you are insulin dependent you are type 1 and non insulin dependent means you are type 2 and controled by diet (the lucky ones) or pills.

Your questions are not daft, if you don't know, the only way to find out is to ask!
 
Hey dan we all are full of questions when we are first diagnosed and it's always best to ask you will always be given a answer , no question is a silly or stupid one , i cant add to what mike and northener have said but please come back to us when you knoe more x
 
Caroline said:
Can't add to the answers you have already had. A couple of times I have been aasked are you insullin dependent or non insulin dependent. If you are insulin dependent you are type 1 and non insulin dependent means you are type 2 and controled by diet (the lucky ones) or pills.

Your questions are not daft, if you don't know, the only way to find out is to ask!
Click to expand...

Caroline, hope you don't mind me saying, but type 2s sometimes use pill or injected forms of insulin.

Can't add anything else, but good luck 🙂
 
runner said:
Caroline, hope you don't mind me saying, but type 2s sometimes use pill or injected forms of insulin.

Can't add anything else, but good luck 🙂
Click to expand...

I always forget that sometimes type 2s need to inject. Guilty of being set in my ways and listening to too much propogander!
 
Caroline said:
I always forget that sometimes type 2s need to inject. Guilty of being set in my ways and listening to too much propogander!
Click to expand...

That's probably because, like a certain Nurse* of our acquaintance, they are able to do it 'invisibly'...sorry, couldn't resist!

*Of 'Balance' fame, who believes that diabetics should be neither seen nor heard, despite being one herself
 
Ha ha that'll be it then!
 
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