HbA1c - Animation

If you have diabetes, it's important to keep tight control of your blood sugar. The Hemoglobin A1c test, or HbA1C test, is one way to find out if you are in control. Hemoglobin is an important part of the red blood cell. Red blood cells live about three months. During the life of a red blood cell, sugar molecules, also floating around in your blood, tend to want to stick to the hemoglobin of your red blood cells. Identifying these sugar molecules allows us to get an approximate three-month average of how high persons blood sugars have been. The HbA1c test helps us diagnose a patient suspected of having diabetes and monitors the blood sugar of a diabetic patient. Now, how do we screen for diabetes?If your doctor suspects you have diabetes, your physician will order this simple blood test. A normal HbA1c level is less than 6. 0%, which is a three month blood sugar average of around 126 milligrams per deciliter, written like this in your lab results. (126 mg/dl) A HgbA1c level of 5. 7 to 6. 4% means you are pre-diabetic or borderline-diabetic. If your HgbA1C is 6. 5% or higher, you are considered to be a diabetic. That correlates roughly to a 3-month blood sugar average of 140. So, if you are a diabetic, what level should your HbA1c be? Through a combination of a good diabetic diet that controls for carbohydrates, proteins, fats and calories, the American Diabetes Association currently recommends a HbA1C goal of less than 7%. I should also point out that the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends an even stricter control of diabetes - with a recommended goal of less than 6. 5%. What we do know is diabetes causes permanent and irreversible damage to the nerves, blood vessels and body organs, like your eyes, kidneys, heart and also your feet. So, it's critical to get and keep your diabetes under good control to avoid serious long-term health problems. People often ask -- "How often should a hemoglobin A1C test be done IF you are a diabetic?" Since the HbA1c Test reflects 3 months of control, I recommend getting checked every 3 months to let you, and your doctor know how you're doing. Remember, if you have diabetes, keeping good control of your blood sugar reduces your risk for long-term health problems, like Eye, heart, kidney problems, and even stroke. See your doctor for HbA1c tests every 3 months; you'll be glad you did.

Type 1 diabetes - Animation

Your body is a fuel-burning machine, and the main fuel it burns is sugar, also known as glucose. In people who have diabetes, though, the body doesn't effectively store and use sugar for energy. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood, where it can lead to serious problems like blindness and nerve damage. Let's talk about a kind of diabetes known as type 1 diabetes. Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is often caused by obesity, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. That means your immune system, which normally protects your body, turns against you. In this case, the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar into cells. There it's stored until your body needs it for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar can't move into your cells, so it builds up in your bloodstream. How do you know that you have Type 1 diabetes?The first signs are usually that you feel very thirsty or tired. You may lose weight without having planned to, or feel numbness or tingling in your hands or feet. If your blood sugar has already gotten very high, your body can't use sugar for energy, so it uses fat instead. This leads to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Your breath will smell fruity, like you've just eaten a fruit salad. Your breathing will get faster, and you may feel sick to your stomach. Your doctor will test your blood sugar level to find out if you have type 1 diabetes. The test may be done when you haven't eaten anything, this is called a fasting blood glucose test. When you have type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin to replace what your body isn't making. Insulin is only available as an injection, so you'll have to learn how to give yourself a shot each day or wear a pump that delivers insulin to your body continuously. Managing diabetes also means watching your diet so you don't get too much or too little sugar at once. You also need to check your blood sugar levels regularly, and keep track of them over time. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease, but it's one you can control, and live with. The key to staying healthy with diabetes is partnering with your team of doctors. Test your blood sugar at home, and have your doctor check your A1c levels at least every 3 to 6 months. This test shows how well you're controlling your blood sugar over time. Also visit your doctor for regular cholesterol, blood pressure, and kidney tests. See an eye doctor at least once a year, and a dentist every 6 months. Also check your feet every day for skin sores that you might not be able to feel because of nerve damage. And see a podiatrist or your regular doctor for a foot exam twice a year. If you're having any symptoms like fatigue, frequent urination, blurred vision, foot sores, numbness or tingling, or a fast heartbeat, call your doctor right away.

Colon cancer screening - Animation

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The good news is that earlier diagnosis due to screening tests often leads to a complete cure. Colorectal cancer starts in the large intestine, also known as the colon. Nearly all colon cancers begin as noncancerous, or benign, polyps, some of which may slowly develop into cancer. Screening can detect these polyps and early cancers. Polyps can be removed years before cancer even has a chance to develop. Your doctor can use two types of tools to screen for cancer. The first type is a stool test. Polyps in the colon and small cancers can bleed tiny amounts of blood that you can't see with the naked eye. The most common method to test for the presence of blood is the fecal occult blood test or FOBT. This test checks your stool for small amounts of blood that you may not be able to see. Two other stool tests are the fecal immunochemical test and the stool DNA test. The second type of screening tests involve looking at the lining of the colon. One of these tests is a sigmoidoscopy exam. This test uses a flexible scope to look at the lower portion of your colon. But, because it looks only at the last one-third of the large intestine, it may miss some cancers. So this test is done along with a stool test. A colonoscopy is similar to sigmoidoscopy, but it can see the entire colon. For this test, your doctor will give you instructions for cleansing your bowel. This is called bowel preparation. During the colonoscopy, you’ll receive medicine to make you relaxed and sleepy. Another test your doctor may recommend is a virtual colonoscopy, also called a CT colonography. This test uses a CAT scan and computer software to create a 3-D image of your large intestine. Beginning at age 45, all men and women should have a screening test for colon cancer. Screening options for people with average risk for colon cancer include visual based exams. These could be a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 45 or a virtual colonoscopy every 5 years. A Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or a Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus stool testing with FIT done every year. Screening options also include stool based tests. People with average risk should have an FOBT or FIT every year. A colonoscopy is needed if the results are positive, or a Stool DNA test every 1 to 3 years. A colonoscopy is needed if the results are positive. People with certain risk factors for colon cancer may need screening at a younger age, or they may need screening more often. Such people include those with a family history of colon cancer, those with a history of previous colon cancer or polyps, or people with a history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease. The death rate for colon cancer has dropped in the past 15 years and this may be due to increased awareness and colon screening. In general, early diagnosis is much more likely to lead to a complete cure.

HbA1c - Animation

If you have diabetes, it's important to keep tight control of your blood sugar. The Hemoglobin A1c test, or HbA1C test, is one way to find out if you are in control. Hemoglobin is an important part of the red blood cell. Red blood cells live about three months. During the life of a red blood cell, sugar molecules, also floating around in your blood, tend to want to stick to the hemoglobin of your red blood cells. Identifying these sugar molecules allows us to get an approximate three-month average of how high persons blood sugars have been. The HbA1c test helps us diagnose a patient suspected of having diabetes and monitors the blood sugar of a diabetic patient. Now, how do we screen for diabetes?If your doctor suspects you have diabetes, your physician will order this simple blood test. A normal HbA1c level is less than 6. 0%, which is a three month blood sugar average of around 126 milligrams per deciliter, written like this in your lab results. (126 mg/dl) A HgbA1c level of 5. 7 to 6. 4% means you are pre-diabetic or borderline-diabetic. If your HgbA1C is 6. 5% or higher, you are considered to be a diabetic. That correlates roughly to a 3-month blood sugar average of 140. So, if you are a diabetic, what level should your HbA1c be? Through a combination of a good diabetic diet that controls for carbohydrates, proteins, fats and calories, the American Diabetes Association currently recommends a HbA1C goal of less than 7%. I should also point out that the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends an even stricter control of diabetes - with a recommended goal of less than 6. 5%. What we do know is diabetes causes permanent and irreversible damage to the nerves, blood vessels and body organs, like your eyes, kidneys, heart and also your feet. So, it's critical to get and keep your diabetes under good control to avoid serious long-term health problems. People often ask -- "How often should a hemoglobin A1C test be done IF you are a diabetic?" Since the HbA1c Test reflects 3 months of control, I recommend getting checked every 3 months to let you, and your doctor know how you're doing. Remember, if you have diabetes, keeping good control of your blood sugar reduces your risk for long-term health problems, like Eye, heart, kidney problems, and even stroke. See your doctor for HbA1c tests every 3 months; you'll be glad you did.

Type 1 diabetes - Animation

Your body is a fuel-burning machine, and the main fuel it burns is sugar, also known as glucose. In people who have diabetes, though, the body doesn't effectively store and use sugar for energy. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood, where it can lead to serious problems like blindness and nerve damage. Let's talk about a kind of diabetes known as type 1 diabetes. Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is often caused by obesity, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. That means your immune system, which normally protects your body, turns against you. In this case, the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar into cells. There it's stored until your body needs it for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar can't move into your cells, so it builds up in your bloodstream. How do you know that you have Type 1 diabetes?The first signs are usually that you feel very thirsty or tired. You may lose weight without having planned to, or feel numbness or tingling in your hands or feet. If your blood sugar has already gotten very high, your body can't use sugar for energy, so it uses fat instead. This leads to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Your breath will smell fruity, like you've just eaten a fruit salad. Your breathing will get faster, and you may feel sick to your stomach. Your doctor will test your blood sugar level to find out if you have type 1 diabetes. The test may be done when you haven't eaten anything, this is called a fasting blood glucose test. When you have type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin to replace what your body isn't making. Insulin is only available as an injection, so you'll have to learn how to give yourself a shot each day or wear a pump that delivers insulin to your body continuously. Managing diabetes also means watching your diet so you don't get too much or too little sugar at once. You also need to check your blood sugar levels regularly, and keep track of them over time. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease, but it's one you can control, and live with. The key to staying healthy with diabetes is partnering with your team of doctors. Test your blood sugar at home, and have your doctor check your A1c levels at least every 3 to 6 months. This test shows how well you're controlling your blood sugar over time. Also visit your doctor for regular cholesterol, blood pressure, and kidney tests. See an eye doctor at least once a year, and a dentist every 6 months. Also check your feet every day for skin sores that you might not be able to feel because of nerve damage. And see a podiatrist or your regular doctor for a foot exam twice a year. If you're having any symptoms like fatigue, frequent urination, blurred vision, foot sores, numbness or tingling, or a fast heartbeat, call your doctor right away.

Colon cancer screening - Animation

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The good news is that earlier diagnosis due to screening tests often leads to a complete cure. Colorectal cancer starts in the large intestine, also known as the colon. Nearly all colon cancers begin as noncancerous, or benign, polyps, some of which may slowly develop into cancer. Screening can detect these polyps and early cancers. Polyps can be removed years before cancer even has a chance to develop. Your doctor can use two types of tools to screen for cancer. The first type is a stool test. Polyps in the colon and small cancers can bleed tiny amounts of blood that you can't see with the naked eye. The most common method to test for the presence of blood is the fecal occult blood test or FOBT. This test checks your stool for small amounts of blood that you may not be able to see. Two other stool tests are the fecal immunochemical test and the stool DNA test. The second type of screening tests involve looking at the lining of the colon. One of these tests is a sigmoidoscopy exam. This test uses a flexible scope to look at the lower portion of your colon. But, because it looks only at the last one-third of the large intestine, it may miss some cancers. So this test is done along with a stool test. A colonoscopy is similar to sigmoidoscopy, but it can see the entire colon. For this test, your doctor will give you instructions for cleansing your bowel. This is called bowel preparation. During the colonoscopy, you’ll receive medicine to make you relaxed and sleepy. Another test your doctor may recommend is a virtual colonoscopy, also called a CT colonography. This test uses a CAT scan and computer software to create a 3-D image of your large intestine. Beginning at age 45, all men and women should have a screening test for colon cancer. Screening options for people with average risk for colon cancer include visual based exams. These could be a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 45 or a virtual colonoscopy every 5 years. A Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or a Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus stool testing with FIT done every year. Screening options also include stool based tests. People with average risk should have an FOBT or FIT every year. A colonoscopy is needed if the results are positive, or a Stool DNA test every 1 to 3 years. A colonoscopy is needed if the results are positive. People with certain risk factors for colon cancer may need screening at a younger age, or they may need screening more often. Such people include those with a family history of colon cancer, those with a history of previous colon cancer or polyps, or people with a history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease. The death rate for colon cancer has dropped in the past 15 years and this may be due to increased awareness and colon screening. In general, early diagnosis is much more likely to lead to a complete cure.