Significance of Insulin in the Blood – An Overview
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in the body. It is used to control the sugar level in the body. It is stored as glycogen in the body in small storage spaces so that it can be used when the sugar level in the blood rises.
Insulin helps to control the sugar level. If the sugar level is high, it helps to summon the sugar from the glycogen; if it is low, it helps the sugar absorb into the blood. The sugar level in the body is usually maintained between 120–140 mg/dl. Therefore, an insulin test helps denote these levels, further elaborating on whether your body needs to lower or make up for the lost insulin.
In this guide, you can learn what insulin is, what it does in the body, and how it affects us. You can also understand why maintaining a certain insulin level in the body is essential. The various ways we can keep this insulin level in the body have also been discussed.
When Should You Get an Insulin Test Done?
If you are pre-diabetic or have struggled with diabetes for a while, you must already know how crucial it is to get an insulin level test. Book an appointment for an insulin tolerance test to keep the following in check:
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels due to diabetes medications
Monitoring overall healthy well-being
Understanding the effects of diet and lifestyle changes on the body
Underlying stress or illness that can cause insulin levels to dip or increase
You might also have built up insulin tolerance over time. This condition has common symptoms such as lethargy, weight gain, hunger, and high sugar and cholesterol. In addition to this, if you have the following symptoms that affect your day-to-day lifestyle, you should get tested at the earliest:
Fatigue
Fainting
Dizziness
Palpitations
You can consult your healthcare provider to understand the best time to get an insulin tolerance test. Then, depending on which type of diabetes you have, you can get an insulin level test by visiting a clinic or getting the test done at your home.
For Type 1 diabetes, the following time durations are ideal for getting an insulin test:
Before meals and snacks
Before and after exercise
Before bed
In case you’re ill, the frequency of getting an insulin level test should increase
In case you’re starting a new medication, get an insulin test soon
For Type 2 diabetes, insulin tests are conducted several times a day. You can ask your healthcare provider for appropriate times before and after meals. If you manage this type of diabetes with diet, lifestyle changes, and exercise alone, you may not need to undergo this test.
Insulin Test: Understanding the Procedure
Before you go for your test, your healthcare professional will ask you to fast for at least 8 hours. Then, on the test date, professionals will take a blood sample from your veins into a vile/tube and send it to the laboratory for further testing. In most cases, you would get your results on the same day.
Risks & Challenges Associated with Insulin Test
While getting the insulin level test or the insulin resistance test, there are little or no risks. However, the results need to be interpreted for proper diagnosis, which will further determine any challenges associated with the insulin levels in your body.
Insulin Test Results: What do They Indicate for an Individual?
Got your insulin test results but need clarification on what it means?
The normal range for an insulin test is 2.6 - 24.9 mcIU/mL. Anything lesser can be termed Type 1 diabetes, and anything more than the usual range will get categorized as Type 2 diabetes. In both cases, doctors will recommend instant medication and a change in lifestyle choices.
Insulin levels are directly proportional to your glucose levels. Hence the treatment for both needs to be conducted simultaneously. Your doctor will constantly monitor your vitals to treat these symptoms in your body. Moreover, they can also advise you on how to prevent these borderline symptoms from aggravating into life-threatening diseases.
Risks of not treating insulin imbalance
Insulin is a vital hormone in our bodies that enables our cells to get the required energy to carry out healthy metabolism. An insulin imbalance cuts off the fuel supply to all our vital organs, and the results can be devastating. If left undiagnosed, insulin imbalance can cause:
Insulin shock-induced coma or diabetic coma
Frequent life-threatening infections
Damage organs like kidney, liver, and the brain
Sudden loss of consciousness, seizures, and even loss of life
No amount of insulin imbalance can thus be kept untreated. If you have a family history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, get an insulin test done periodically to monitor the onset of insulin imbalance. Thyrocare's insulin fasting test cost is economical and cost-effective. You can get the insulin test done once every six months and keep consulting with your doctor to maintain the correct insulin level in your blood. Check out serum insulin test cost & Book your test Today!.
Why Should HealthcareOnTime Be Your Go-To Choice for Insulin Test?
HealthcareonTime is a NABL/ISO-accredited diagnostic center with a PAN Indian presence providing top-notch healthcare facilities administered by trained professionals. If you have low or high insulin symptoms or suspect to have developed insulin resistance symptoms, you can consider getting your blood tests done here.
The insulin test price is affordable, so you can get the tests done regularly and recommend the same for your family. Moreover, you can avail of different healthcare packages at affordable rates. You can also call our professional to your home to get the insulin level test or the insulin resistance test done quickly.
Our bookings are available 24x7, and we provide constant support for your healthcare issues. So get yourself checked today by booking your insulin test with HealthcareOnTime.
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