Tests and Exams to Determine If You Have Diabetes
Diabetes requires special tests and exams to watch
blood sugar levels, and diagnosing the disease. You should always
start with a thorough exam by your doctor. Then, you will be asked
about your family history, if diabetes runs in the family, and other
risk factors. Another question will be, what medications you are
on? You will be asked if you are allergic to any medications and if
you have high cholesterol or other early signs of cardiovascular
disease.
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One of easiest methods is a simple finger
stick. This will give blood sugar levels immediately but
not always as accurate as a laboratory test. A pinprick is
made on a finger, a drop of blood is placed on a test strip,
and then it goes into a small machine. These machines are
usually the way that diabetics keep track of their levels at
home. You will sometimes get an unusually high or low
reading and are only accurate to within about 10 percent of
the reading a laboratory would read.
Going a little further, a fasting plasma
glucose test may be needed. You will need to fast the eight
hours before your test is scheduled. Your blood will be
drawn, usually in the morning, and your reading should not
be more than 126 mg/dl. If the reading is higher, you
probably have diabetes. The test may be done again on
another day just to corroborate the results, or you may be
asked to take a glucose tolerance test or a glycosylated
hemoglobin test. |
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These tests are more accurate and will confirm
you have diabetes or you are considered prediabetic. It would
mean you have a high risk of developing diabetes in the future.
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The oral glucose tolerance test involves
drawing blood and testing it, then drinking a drink that
is sweet and two hours later you will have another blood
sample drawn. If this test shows your blood glucose
level to be over 200 mg/dl, you are diabetic. A reading
between 140 and 200 would suggest a prediabetes
condition.
The most accurate test is called the
glycosylated hemoglobin test. It’s a measurement of how
high your sugar level has been over the last 120 days.
This is the normal life span of all red blood cells.
Extra glucose attaches to red blood cells and stays
there for the life of the cell. It is the best
measurement for people who already have diabetes. This
test is being used more often as a diagnostic tool for
testing for diabetes.
You may have seen advertisements on TV
about monitors that don’t need you to stick your finger
each time you need your blood levels tested. |
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This will make it easier for those of us, who use
our fingers for our work. Using a different method needing less
blood and not sticking the finger every time, makes this method
best for those who need to test several times a day. Many
diabetics will test their sugar levels and adjust their insulin
accordingly.
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