Frequently Used Diabetic Lingo

Diabetes has been increasing at an alarming rate in the world. When you visit your diabetologist for the very first day, there are several diabetic terminologies that you as a layman are unable to understand. This blog is written with the intention to make you familiar with important diabetic terms/lingo. Let’s look at 10 basic terms and then move to some advanced terms.

10 Basic Diabetic Terms:

1. Glucose: Glucose is the sugar that the body uses for energy. In order to use it properly, your body must have enough of the hormone called “insulin”.

2. Blood glucose level: The blood glucose level is how much glucose is currently in your bloodstream at a particular given time. This level is very important for people with diabetes, and they must monitor their blood glucose levels throughout the day. 

3. Fasting blood glucose: Fasting blood glucose is one of the ways that diabetes is diagnosed. It measures the blood glucose level after fasting overnight. Though you can wake up and have water but ensure you check the blood sugar before consuming other liquids or food items.

4. Hemoglobin A1c: The hemoglobin A1c measures the blood glucose level over 90 days. It helps you and your doctor see how well you’ve done controlling your blood glucose level in the span of 3 months. An average of the result is shared with you.

5. Pre-diabetes: Pre-diabetes, also called glucose intolerance, is when a person has high blood glucose levels, but they aren’t high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. Pre-diabetes is an early sign of diabetes if not controlled or maintained in time, you can enter the diabetes range soon.

6. Target range: Blood glucose levels need to stay within a certain range, and when you have diabetes, you must regulate your blood glucose levels with diet, exercise, and (perhaps) insulin. Before meals, the target range is 70 to 130mg/dL, and one to two hours after a meal, the target range is below 180mg/dL. To maintain great sugars read more about the formula to successfully managing diabetes.

7. Hyperglycemia: Hyperglycemia is when you have too much glucose in the blood. In simple terms, it’s used to express high blood glucose in your body. 

8. Hypoglycemia: Hypoglycemia is when you have too little glucose in the blood. In simple terms, it’s used to express low blood glucose in your body. 

9. Pancreas: The pancreas is an organ of the endocrine system. A specific area of the pancreas, the islets of Langerhans, produces the hormone insulin.

10. Insulin: Insulin is a hormone that helps the body utilize glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin allows glucose to enter the cells that need it, especially the muscles. With a lack of insulin, glucose is stuck in the bloodstream and doesn’t reach the required body parts. People with type 1 diabetes don’t have this hormone; people with type 2 diabetes either don’t have it or their bodies aren’t able to use it. Know more about type 1 and type 2 diabetes here.

7 Advanced Diabetic Terms:

1. Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance is when the body doesn’t respond as well as it should to insulin. It’s an early sign of type 2 diabetes.

2. Ketones: When the body starts to break down fat in order to get energy, ketones are a byproduct. When too many of those build up in the blood, it makes the blood acidic and can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis.

3. Antigens: An antigen is a foreign substance (such as a virus or bacteria) that invades the body. When this foreign substance is detected in the body, the immune system produces specific antibodies to fight off the antigen.

4. Antibodies: Antibodies are specialized proteins that are part of the immune system. They are created when an antigen (such as a virus or bacteria) is detected in the body. Antibodies are created to fight off whatever has invaded the body. 

5. Autoantibodies: Autoantibodies are a group of antibodies that “go bad” and mistakenly attack or damage the body’s good and healthy tissues and organs. In the case of type 1 diabetes, autoantibodies attack the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

6. Autoimmune disorder: If you have an autoimmune disorder (also called an autoimmune disease), your body’s immune system turns against itself and starts to attack its own tissues. There is no specific reason for this condition to occur. 

7. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): Diabetic ketoacidosis (abbreviated to DKA) is a very serious condition. It occurs when there is no insulin to help the body use glucose for energy. Glucose builds up in the blood, and the body relies on fat for its source of energy. As the body breaks down the fat, ketones are released, and when too many of those build up in the blood, it makes the blood acidic. If you don’t get immediate treatment for DKA, it can lead to a coma or even death.

Ref:
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/diabetes/diabetes-glossary