Diabetes Test and Diagnosis

Chances are if you have been diagnosed with diabetes your glucose levels were off for some time. Having just a rare occasion when your blood glucose is elevated is not a cause for taking a diabetes test. Depending on which type of diabetes you have been diagnosed with having will give you an idea of the way your body produces insulin. In Type 1 diabetes the insulin produced by the body is not enough for the body to be able to function as it should. In Type 2 diabetes the body produces too much insulin for it to function the way it is supposed to.

A common diabetes test doctors order for the detection of diabetes is the FPG test or Fasting Plasma Glucose test. For the most accurate results the patient has to fast for at least eight hours prior to the test. This is a simple procedure where blood will be drawn and then tested. For the most part a normal reading in a person that does not have diabetes is around 99 mg/dL.

It is common for a doctor to diagnose someone as having pre-diabetes if the fasting results show levels from about 100-125 mg/dL. This is usually a great indication that there might be a problem in the future if a change in habit is not soon taken. Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes does not actually mean you have diabetes, it just means you should begin managing your health a little more.

For the most part if your results are above the 125 mg/dL this indicates you have diabetes. Your doctor will more than likely have you partake in further diabetes testing just to be positive you actually have diabetes. Among the other possible diabetes tests your doctor might ask you to do is the OGTT, or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.

If you are going for the OGTT, you can expect to be drinking a high glucose drink. The drink isn’t a pleasant one and after you have finished it your blood should be drawn once again for retesting over a period of time. In some cases the blood will be tested in half an hour, again at an hour and possibly again at thee three hour mark. However your doctor will have to determine the timeline for the diabetes testing to be done.

Normally a glucose level that is 139 mg/dL and under is considered to be in the normal range. The body should release insulin because of the high glucose levels which the cells should absorb. For the most part levels of 140-199 mg/dL after the two hour mark is still considered to be normal, however it is an indicator that there is an inadequate amount of insulin released by the body. This also indicates pre-diabetes, and levels of 200 mg/dL and over are indicators of diabetes in the individual.

If it has been determined that you have diabetes, do not be surprised if later on down the road your doctor wants you to go for the diabetes test again. This is done to be sure that the diabetes is under control. In some cases it might also be to reconfirm diabetes in the person.

         

Introduction to Diabetes Symptoms and Care

Diabetes Complications and Problems
Diabetes Symptoms – Early Symptoms of Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes Causes – Obesity and Diet
What Is Diabetes – What Are Causes of Diabetes
What Causes Diabetes - Genetic and Environment Risk Factors

Diabetes Management and Treatments

Diet for Diabetes
What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes – Managing Diabetes
Diabetes Testing Supplies - Diabetes Test Strips and Testers
Diabetes Management – How to Manage Diabetes
Exercise for Diabetes – How to Start a Safe Routine
Diabetes Medical Supplies - New Diabetes Medications
Medicine for Diabetes and Natural Diabetes Treatments
How to Minimize Diabetes Symptoms and Effects