Sometimes diabetes gives you symptoms early on. Don't ignore them! It's important to diagnose diabetes so that you can start treatment and stay as healthy as possible. For more information, see What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. And he or she will use a blood test to measure how much glucose is in your blood. In the past, doctors always did another test, called an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT for short), to see if people had diabetes. But now, most people don't need this test.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Diagnosis of diabetes.
January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

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This is a blood test you have first thing in the morning, before you've had breakfast. When you don't eat, it is called fasting. So doctors call this test a fasting plasma glucose test.

The result is called your fasting plasma glucose level. If your level is 126 mg/dL or higher, you could have diabetes. (The mg/dL stands for milligrams per deciliter.) You'll need to have this test a second time to be sure.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Diagnosis of diabetes.
January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

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Your doctor might talk about this level using just the number. For example, your doctor might say, "Your blood glucose is 126."

This is a test of your blood glucose that can be done at any time of the day. The result is called your random blood glucose level. If your level is 200 mg/dL or higher, you could have diabetes. You'll need to have one of the other two tests shown here to be sure.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Diagnosis of diabetes.
January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

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You have this test first thing in the morning, before you eat. First, your doctor measures how much glucose is in your blood (your fasting plasma glucose level). Then you drink a very sugary liquid.

Two hours later, the level of glucose in your blood is measured again. This is called your two-hour plasma glucose level. If your level is at least 200 mg/dL, you could have diabetes. You'll need to have this test a second time to be sure.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Diagnosis of diabetes.
January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

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