Screening Tests for Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus Type 2 is a disease that is becoming more and more prevalent in today's society, especially with the increasing success of fast food chains and lack of exercise. And some people acquire Type 1 diabetes, where there is a complete lack of insulin put out by the pancreas, as children.
Several tests can tell an individual whether they have diabetes, but before performing them, a doctor will want to examine the problems that the patient is reporting and make sure of which tests are relevant to the patient's status.

Signs and Symptoms

People with diabetes will usually exhibit the following signs and symptoms: the need to urinate frequently; constant thirst and an inability to drink enough; insatiable hunger; tiredness and weakness; hazy vision; anorexia; and increased infection throughout the body.
Usually, in patients who have Type 1 diabetes, the symptoms are immediate and sudden. With Type 2, the symptoms take their time coming on, and a patient will notice changes over time.

Urine Tests

Because sugar and fatty substances are not normally found in urine, a doctor may perform a urine test to see if a patient has diabetes. If the urine contains either of these substances, this is evidence of diabetes. Usually, a nurse will have patients use the restroom, then give them water to drink and wait another half-hour before asking for a urine sample to ensure that the sample is clean.

Blood Tests

If a patient reports the above signs and symptoms, a simple blood sample might be taken then and there if the doctor suspects diabetes.
Usually, however, a patient will have to fast for eight hours before another blood test. (This test is best done in the morning, so as not to starve the patient all day.)
In some patients, the doctor may order a special test called a postprandial glucose blood test, where the patient eats a fatty, high-carbohydrate meal, and then has blood drawn two hours later.
Another test called the oral glucose tolerance test may also be administered. In this case, blood is drawn after three days of the patient eating fatty, high-carbohydrate meals and then fasting for eight hours before the test. Both blood and urine are taken. The patient then drinks a sugary drink, and blood is taken again at intervals afterward.

Considerations

A normal blood glucose test shows a reading of between 70 and 110 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood. Anything higher than this could indicate a diabetic condition. The levels are somewhat higher for the tests that require meals to be eaten beforehand.

Observance Testing

After a patient has received a diabetes diagnosis, their doctor will want to stay informed as to the patient's condition and what their glucose levels are, and may order a blood test called the glycosylated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C test. If the readings of an A1C test are above 7 percent, either the patient is not obeying the doctor's orders, or the doctor may need to change the patient's dosage of medications or insulin.