It's Time to Get Your Diabetes Screening Tests!
Date: 05/24/21
Over 451,323 Louisianans are living with diabetes. Of those, more than 100,000 don’t even know they have it.
If you have diabetes, it’s important that you get the following screenings: retinopathy screening (dilated eye exam), HbA1C test and a blood pressure check.
Retinopathy Screening (Dilated Eye Exam)
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. The test to find this condition is a dilated eye exam, also known as a retinopathy screening.
For this screening, your eye doctor will place drops in your eyes to widen, or dilate, your pupils. Dilating your pupils helps your doctor see inside your eyes more easily so they can inspect for damage caused by retinopathy.
HbA1C Test
The HbA1c test is an important blood test that gives a good indication of how well your diabetes is being controlled. Together with the fasting plasma glucose test, this screening is one of the main ways type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.
For the HbA1c test, a blood sample is taken from your arm and used to produce a reading. This reading helps your doctor determine if your blood glucose levels are normal or if they show signs of prediabetes or diabetes. Your doctor uses this information to help you get the medicine you need. They may also make suggestions about appropriate lifestyle changes you can make to manage your diabetes or prediabetes.
Wait, what’s prediabetes?
People with prediabetes have higher-than-normal levels of sugars in their blood—but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 1.27 million people in Louisiana have prediabetes but are unaware of it. Prediabetes can easily become diabetes. The good news is prediabetes can be reversed—meaning you can stop it from becoming type 2 diabetes. But for that to happen, you need to start making changes when you are diagnosed. Well-Ahead Louisiana offers a quiz that tells you how at risk you are for developing prediabetes and diabetes. Take the quiz here!
Blood Pressure Check
If you have diabetes, you should get your blood pressure checked regularly. Blood pressure is important to check since high blood pressure levels can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, retinopathy and strokes.
When a doctor checks your blood pressure, a fabric sleeve will be put over your upper arm and pumped up to inflate. After a number of seconds, the sleeve will then be deflated.
When you take the test, try your best to relax. To prevent misleading results, you should feel suitably calm, be sitting down and not talking.
As a Louisiana Healthcare Connections member, you can earn rewards for managing your diabetes. If you are a diabetic member ages 18-75, you can earn $20 each year just by completing these tests:
- HbA1c test
- Kidney screening
- LDL-cholesterol screening
- Retinopathy screening (dilated eye exam)
Ask your doctor about what screening tests are right for you. For more information about diabetes and your risk, visit https://wellaheadla.com/Programs/Diabetes.