What You Should Know About Taking a Diabetes Test
Taking a regular diabetes test should no longer be the concern of just those who have high sugar levels or those who are already diabetic. Millions of Americans do not know that they already have diabetes and you could be one of them. You should know when you should take a diabetes test.
When You Should Test
Even if you show some symptoms of diabetes such as fatigue and frequent urination, it does not necessarily mean that you are already diabetic. Certain situations and activities may have caused you to show diabetes symptoms and may even have temporarily raised your sugar level. The best way to find out for sure if you have the disease is to take a diabetes test.
Even though there are no apparent symptoms, you should still consider taking a diabetes test if you are at high risk of developing the disease. Being overweight and having immediate family members with diabetes is a warning sign that you could develop the condition yourself.
Online Quizzes
Online quizzes for diabetes should never be taken as conclusive evidences of having the condition or not. Online quizzes however, are valuable tools that will tell you if you are at a high risk of developing diabetes or if you should suspect that you have diabetes. Getting critical scores in online tests should encourage you to take a home test or see your doctor.
Home Test
There are different kinds of home diabetes test kits. The most basic kits however will test your blood or your urine. A lot of people prefer blood tests but the urine can also be tested painlessly since the urine usually should not contain glucose or large amounts of it.
A home diabetes test kit will usually contain two test strips that should confirm each other’s results. A positive home diabetes test result does not automatically mean that you are a diabetic. It is however a clear sign that you should see your doctor immediately.
Doctor’s Test
Everyone should be warned that the only way to truly conclude that one has diabetes is through a doctor’s diagnosis based on lab test results. Examples of some lab tests that a doctor may ask you to participate in include the following:
- The fasting plasma glucose test is a very common diabetes test that will require an individual to fast usually overnight for approximately eight hours or as instructed by your doctor. Fasting is necessary for this test since anything you take may affect glucose levels. A blood sample will be taken and evaluated for sugar content. Some laboratories will provide reference points depending on your age and condition. If your blood sugar falls beyond the reference points then you could be diabetic. A second test will be needed though to confirm the results.
- A hemoglobin A1c diabetes test is a test that will assess the amount of glucose in your blood for the span of up to three months. You could be subjected to a second confirmatory test or another test if your levels fall beyond 8%.
- In an oral glucose diabetes test, your glucose levels will be measured after drinking a sugar water solution during a time interval. Again, high test results may require more tests and retests.
