How to Know if You Have Diabetes - Part3 Getting Tested for Diabetes

1 See a doctor immediately if you experience symptoms. Your doctor will need to perform several tests to determine if you have diabetes. If you do, in fact, have diabetes or pre-diabetes, you will need to follow-up with regular treatment by following your doctor's instructions.

2 Get a blood glucose test. The blood glucose test does exactly what it sounds like it does: it tests the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. This will be used to determine whether you have diabetes or are at risk of developing it. This test will done under one of three circumstances:

• A fasting glucose blood test is done after you haven’t had anything to eat for at least eight hours. If it is an emergency, your doctor will do a random blood glucose test regardless of whether you have eaten recently.

• A two-hour postprandial test is done two hours after eating a specific number of carbohydrates to test your body’s ability to handle the sugar load. This test is usually done in a hospital so they can measure the number of carbs eaten before the test.
• An oral glucose tolerance test requires you to drink a high glucose fluid. They will test your blood and urine every 30-60 minutes to measure how well the body is able to tolerate the additional load. This test is not done if the doctor suspects type 1 diabetes.

3 Submit to an A1C test. This blood test is also called the glycated hemoglobin test. It measures the amount of sugar attached to the body's hemoglobin molecules. This measurement gives the doctor a good indication of your average blood sugar measurements over the past 30 to 60 days.

4 Have a ketone test done if necessary. Ketone is found in the blood when an insulin shortage forces the body to break down fat for energy. It comes out through the urine, most often in patients with Type 1 diabetes. Your doctor may recommend a blood or urine test for ketone:

• If your blood sugar is higher than 240 mg/dL.
• During an illness such as pneumonia, stroke or heart attack.
• If you experience nausea and vomiting.
• During pregnancy.

5 Request routine testing. If you have diabetes or are at risk of developing it, it's important to monitor your health and blood sugar levels regularly.High blood sugar will cause damage to the microvascular (micro-blood vessels) in your organs. This damage can cause problems throughout the body. To monitor your overall health, get:

• An annual eye exam
• Evaluation for diabetic neuropathy in the feet
• Regular (at least annual) blood pressure monitoring
• Annual kidney testing
• Dental cleaning every 6 months
• Regular cholesterol testing
• Regular visits with your primary care doctor or endocrinologist