Diabetes is achronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of blood sugar(glucose). This condition currently affects approximately 415 million people worldwide. Diagnosing diabetes at its earliest stage is vital, so that the person living with the condition can be able to manage it for the long term as well prevent some symptoms from causing severe disruption of lifestyle.

Medicalpractitioners usually perform diabetes diagnoseswhen a patient has warning signs or symptoms such as frequenturination, feeling thirsty, unexpected weight loss, and fatigue.There areproper medical ways of diagnosing diabetes. Doctors highlydiscourage self-diagnosis since it may lead to further complications.Testing equipment bought over the counter cannot diagnose diabetes.It’s advisable to seek the help of a doctor to ensure properdiagnosis, medication and treatment.

Adoctor can diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetesthrough blood and urine tests. These tests will show when your bloodsugar is abnormally high, and how often.

Who should be tested for diabetes? Any person showing symptoms ofdiabetes should be tested for the disease. It’s common to find somepeople not showing any symptoms but who may have risk factors for thecondition and need to be tested. Diabetes diagnosis helps healthcareprofessionals to find prediabetes.

Thefollowing tests are used for the diagnosis of diabetes:

Glycatedhemoglobin (A1C) test

TheA1C test is used to diagnose both prediabetes and diabetes. Thisblood test indicates an individual’s average blood sugar level forthe past 2 to 3 months. With the A1C test. There is no fastingrequired meaning it’s more convenient. An A1C ranging from 5.7% to 6.4% indicates that one has prediabetes and they have ahigher risk of developing of diabetes. An A1C level of 6.5 % orhigher indicates that one has diabetes. AnA1C below 5.7 is considered normal.

Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG)

This test measures a person’s bloodglucose after they’ve gone at least 8 hours without eating or drinking anything except water. A fasting glucose test is used todetect diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes is diagnosed at a fastingblood glucose of greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)

This test is more sensitive compared to the FPG test for diagnosing diabetes. However, it’s less convenient to administer. This OGTT measures a person’s blood sugar after they’ve gone at least eight hours without eating anything and two hours after drinking a liquid containing 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. If a person’s blood sugar level is 7.8 mmol/l,but less than 11.1 mmol/l, it means they do not have type 2 diabetes although the person is more likely to develop it. On the other hand, if the blood sugar level is at 11.1 mmol/l or higher,it’s confirmed that the person has diabetes.

Random plasma glucose test

This test is different from theFPG and the OGTT as the doctor checks a person’s blood sugar regardless of the time they ate their last meal. This test, alsoknown as a casual plasma glucose test is used to diagnose diabetes, but not prediabetes. Diabetes is diagnosed at blood glucose of greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl.

Positive test results usually need to be repeated on a different day to diagnose diabetes.

*The author of this blog is not a medical professional and this article does not contain professional medical advice. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the contents of this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.

*The author of this blog is not a medical professional and this article does not contain professional medical advice. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the contents of this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.