Diabetes Monitoring
(Blood Glucose Screening)

It is important to know what diabetes is and what are the risk factors associated with it.

Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in your blood, and your body can't make enough insulin or isn't effectively using the insulin it does make¹.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for diabetes, but you can still live your life to the fullest by learning and managing the condition.

If not monitored, all types of diabetes can cause serious health problems.

¹Diabetes Australia, About Diabetes, accessed 23 December 2022.

Yes, there are three main types of diabetes, which are:

• Type 1 diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes

• Gestational diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body's own immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin¹.

Type 1 diabetes represents 10 percent of all diabetes cases in Australia, and can occur frequently in anyone at any age.

Some symptoms of Type 1 diabetes include being excessively thirsty, feeling tired and lethargic as well as unexplained weight loss.

With Type 1 diabetes, you'll need insulin injections daily, as insulin producing cells are vital into converting glucose into energy.

¹Leszek Szablewski. (2011). Glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance. Bentham Science. https://benthambooks.com/book/9781608051892/ p121-124.‌

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease and occurs when your body develops insulin resistance and impacts your blood sugar level. This means that your body slowly loses the ability to produce insulin in the pancreas.

Unfortunately, we do not know the genetic causes of type 2 diabetes and it represents 85 to 90 per cent of all diabetes cases².

This type usually develops in adults over the age of 45, but is also occurring in younger age groups, such as children and young adults.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include blurred vision, mood swings and having cuts that heal slowly.

Early diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes can help you manage treatment, which includes increasing your physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

²Diabetes Australia, Type 2 Diabetes, accessed 23 December 2022.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops when you are pregnant. Women who have gestational diabetes can still have healthy children, as long as gestational diabetes is managed.

Gestational diabetes does not mean your child will be born with diabetes, but can lead to being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Women who are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes include women who are 40 years or older, are above the healthy weight range and First Nations women.

Pregnant women are also at risk if they have a family history of Type 2 diabetes or a first-degree relative (such as a mother or sister) who has had gestational diabetes.

Some women never develop gestational diabetes.

Diabetes symptoms include:

• Mood swings

• Headaches

• Blurred vision

• Always feeling hungry

• Increased thirst

• Cuts that heal slowly

• Feeling tired or lethargic

Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed quickly, as symptoms of Type 1 can appear suddenly.

Type 2 diabetes can have no symptoms of diabetes at all or can be written off as "just getting older". This mindset can lead to complications as severe symptoms of diabetes may already be present before a diagnosis is made.

Gestational diabetes can also be diagnosed quickly, as high blood glucose levels can first appear during pregnancy.

It is also the fastest type of diabetes growing in Australia that impacts thousands of pregnant women every year, with between five and 10 percent of women developing gestational diabetes¹.

¹Diabetes Australia, Gestational Diabetes, accessed 16 January 2023

Diabetes can only be diagnosed with a laboratory blood test that's been ordered by your general practitioner, which is why it's recommended to take the results you get from the Blooms The Chemist Health Check to your GP.

As diabetes is a chronic condition that has no cure and develops when your pancreas can't produce insulin, there are a range of health problems associated with this disease.

Some diabetes complications include:

• Heart disease (known as cardiovascular disease): Diabetes can change the chemical makeup of some of the substances found in your blood and can cause blood vessels to either narrow or clog up completely, increasing your risk of heart disease¹

• High blood pressure: While common in people with diabetes, high blood pressure can result in increased risk of strokes, heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease and nerve damage. Some lifestyle factors that increase the risk of high blood pressure include having excess weight, drinking alcohol and your family history²

• Kidney disease: One cause of kidney disease and failure is diabetes, which is characterised by high blood glucose levels³

• Vision problems: It's likely you'll develop eye changes if you have diabetes, as it can cause vision damage from diabetic retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels inside your eyes)⁴

¹Diabetes Australia, Heart Disease, accessed 16 January 2023

²Diabetes Australia, Blood Pressure, accessed 16 January 2023

³Better Health Channel, Diabetes and Kidney Failure, accessed 16 January 2023

⁴Diabetes Australia, Your Eye Health and Diabetes, accessed 16 January 2023

For someone without diabetes, your blood glucose levels will change throughout the day and should generally range between 4.0 to 7.8 millimoles of glucose per litre of blood (Mmols/L) no matter what you eat or if you're stressed¹.

For people with Type 1 diabetes, your body finds it hard to keep your blood glucose levels in a healthy range, so your healthy blood glucose level is different.

Type 1 diabetes have different ranges depending on before or after you've eaten.

• Before meals with Type 1 diabetes: 4 to 6 mmol/L

• 2 hours before you've eaten with Type 1 diabetes: 4 to 8 mmol/L

Type 2 diabetes has a higher level of blood sugar levels.

• Before meals with Type 2 diabetes: 6 to 8 mmol/L

• 2 hours before you've eaten with Type 2 diabetes: 6 to 10 mmol/L

Monitoring your blood glucose levels can help keep your levels in the target range, which can be done in the comfort of your own home if you have a blood glucose monitoring device.

¹Diabetes Australia, Blood Glucose Monitoring, accessed 16 January 2023.

Diabetes management depends on a range of factors, including the type of diabetes that you have. People with diabetes will try and figure out what works for them in order to prevent complications moving forward.

Managing Type 1 diabetes is different from managing Type 2 diabetes.

• Managing Type 1 Diabetes: You need to take insulin doses every day, as well as keeping a healthy body weight and monitoring your blood sugar levels. You also need to eat healthy foods and keep exercising regularly. Type 1 diabetes has no known cause or cure, which requires lifelong management.

• Managing Type 2 Diabetes: You need to be physically active as well as keeping a healthy diet, as this may be all that's needed initially. However, you may need to take insulin later on.

• Managing gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes can be managed through a healthy eating plan, increasing your physical activity and monitoring your blood glucose levels.

You can manage diabetes, as long as you keep an eye on your blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes losing weight.

Managing diabetes also includes working alongside your diabetes healthcare team, which is a range of professionals that will help you learn about diabetes, the treatment of diabetes and how you can manage it by yourself.

Blooms The Chemist is proud to be a part of the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS), a nationwide scheme that aims to help people with diabetes to have access to a range of services, supports and subsidised products.

You can visit your local Blooms The Chemist for diabetic support under the NDSS.

For more information about what diabetic products are subsidised, please visit the NDSS products page.