Diabetes Test

Diabetes is a defect in the body’s ability to convert glucose to energy. It is caused due to insufficient production of glucose by the pancreas. In diabetes patients, the production of glucose is impaired.

The most important of all aspects when diagnosing diabetes is a high level of sugar in your blood. This test is given to people after a night where they did not eat anything after 12 o’ clock. To diagnose a person with diabetes after such a test, he/ she must have a value above 140 mg/dl and to be even more sure, this test in diagnosing diabetes must be given at least twice. A person that does not suffer from diabetes has a sugar level about 90 mg/ dl. The second test given to people to diagnose diabetes is a tolerance test with oral glucose.The person who has to take this test must not eat or drink anything for at least 11 hours, in order the diabetes test be certain.

However, water is allowed. The first thing that doctors do when starting this diabetes test is to draw blood from that person. Then he/ she is given a drink that has a very big amount of sugar in it. After half an hour, they test that person’ s blood with this diabetes test. They do the same procedure again after an hour, two and three hours.

Four of the most popular diabetes tests that your doctor is likely to use :

1)      FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FPG) TEST:- The FPG test has become one of the most popular diabetes tests. The main drawback with the FPG test is that it is not suitable to test for gestational diabetes (a form of diabetes which develops during pregnancy).

2)      ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST (OGTT):- This test is similar to the FPG but it can be used to diagnose all types of diabetes. If you are a man or non-pregnant woman your doctor will book you in for an FPG test.

3)      RANDOM BLOOD GLUCOSE (RBG) TEST:- The RBG does exactly what it says and involves a random blood test being taken. RBG tests can be performed without the assistance of your doctor using a glucose meter

4)      GLYCOSYLATED HAEMOGLOBIN TEST:- Glycosylated haemoglobin is the term used to describe haemoglobin that has bound with glucose. Glycosylated haemoglobin cells usually last for between two to four months.

The blood test that is done for checking diabetes is a test to check the blood sugar levels in the body. The test is carried out in two phases on the same day. The first blood test is carried out on the patient’s blood when he is fasting. So, a patient coming for the test arrives without taking his breakfast or even a cup of morning tea or coffee. If the blood sugar levels are found to be 126 milligrams per deciliter or higher, on two separate occasions, after fasting, then there is a likelihood of diabetes.

Following this, another blood test is taken after the patient has had his breakfast and a cup of tea or coffee. This time the blood sugar levels should not go above 200 milligrams per deciliter. In case it is above this mark, then the likelihood of diabetes is high. At times the patient is given 75 gram glucose solution to drink. Then the blood sugar levels are checked for monitoring the blood sugar levels as well as the measurement of ketones, which are the products from the breakdown of fats.

Once these tests have been successfully carried out, the patient is prescribed a course of treatment which involves both the physical and emotional aspects of his being, as diabetes is not a malaise of the physical body alone. It is also a disease that affects one’s emotions and reactions.

The diagnosis of diabetes is made by a simple blood test measuring blood glucose level. Usually blood glucose level tests are repeated on a subsequent day to confirm the diagnosis. Your health care team may also request that you have a glucose tolerance test. If two hours after taking the glucose drink your glucose level is 200 or above, you will be diagnosed as having diabetes.

If you have diabetes, you are much more likely to have a risk of stroke, heart disease, or a heart attack. In fact, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die from stroke or heart disease. There are three conditions that make people with diabetes vulnerable to foot problems. These are vascular disease and foot deformities. About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure. Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body.

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