Diabetes is one of the most common conditions in the contemporary world necessitating need for tests for diabetes from time to time. This is most important for people who are at high risks; 45 years or older. When you approach a doctor and you would like to be tested for diabetes, the doctor will use one of the tests for diabetes to test you.
The most common tests for diabetes are;
Fasting Plasma Glucose Test
This is one of the most widely used tests for diabetes. As the name suggests, you have to fast for some time. Your doctor will tell you not to eat anything at least eight hours before the test. Once the time for test comes, the doctor will take a sample of blood from you. The blood glucose in your blood will then be measured and the doctor will inform you about the tests for diabetes results basing on the following. If your blood glucose is about 99 milligrams per deciliter, you do not have diabetes, if your blood glucose is between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter, you have a condition called impaired fasting glucose which can develop in to diabetes if care is not taken and if the blood glucose level is higher than 126milligrams per deciliters, then you have diabetes type one or two.
The Diabetes Blood Test
This is also another of the tests for diabetes which is also called haemoglobin A1C. It tells how diabetes is managed over a period of time. It usually measures average blood sugar of the previous 3 months to know if it is within a target range. The red blood cells contain haemoglobin which helps transport oxygen to the tissues. As the cells age, the more glucose molecules stick to the haemoglobin. If there is high glucose level in the blood it will translate to a higher HbAC1 level. A normal HbAC1 level is 5% while value of above 7% means it is poorly controlled.
Random Blood Sugar Test
In this test one does not need to fast. A blood sample is taken at random regardless of when you ate last. It is then tested for the blood sugar level and if the random blood sugar level is 200 milligrams or above it usually suggests diabetes.
Dilated Eye Exam
This test for diabetes procedure is based on the fact that high blood sugar level in blood damages the blood vessels in the retina, which is the light sensitive tissue situated at the back of the eye. The ophthalmologist performs a dilated eye exam to check the signs of diabetic retinopathy.
Other tests for diabetes include;
• The diabetes foot exam which should be done by a doctor at least once or twice a year.
• The oral glucose tolerance test. In this test, a drink with high glucose level is given then blood samples are tested at regular intervals for two hours.
• The initial glucose challenge test. Syrup of glucose solution is given to drink. An hour later a blood test is done to measure the blood sugar level.
• The follow-up glucose tolerance testing.
• Tests for gestational diabetes.
It is usually good to consult with your doctor on the best of the tests for diabetes for you.