How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?

Over 24 million people in the US have been diagnosed with diabetes. There are close to 6 million people who have the disease, but because they don't recognize the symptoms or know their risks have yet to be diagnosed.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is defined as having an elevated blood glucose (sugar) level. It is caused by an imbalance of insulin and glucose. We need Insulin to regulate our glucose levels. When there is an insufficient amount of insulin in the blood, the glucose levels rise, which could lead to other complications of the disease process. Insulin regulates glucose levels by converting glucose into energy for use by the cells for fuel. When insulin can't do it's job, glucose builds up in the blood and causes symptoms of thirst and increased urination.

In the early stages of diabetes, it mostly goes undetected and many don't know they have it. It is usually not until the condition has progressed to the point where a visit to the doctor reveals that diabetes has taken up residence in the body. What are the symptoms?

Symptoms vary and may not present themselves in all people. Some have no signs at all of the disease while others may exhibit any of the following:

• increased urination


• extreme thirst


• non healing wounds


• fatigue


• irritability


• headache

Due to the build up of glucose in the blood, the body tries to get rid of it via the kidneys, resulting in polyuria (increased urination). Frequent trips to the bathroom cause dehydration, which explains the extreme thirst and headache. Dehydration is the same reason for the headache of a hangover.

Living a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight are risk factors for development of the disease.

How can I find out if I have diabetes?

Knowing the symptoms is the first step, as well as learning what your risk factors are. If you suspect that you may have this condition, there are diagnostic tests that your doctor can administer to determine if you indeed have the disease. The following is a listing of tests that are performed in the diagnosis:

The FPG Test (fasting plasma glucose) Is done after an 8 hour fast and reveals diabetes and prediabetes if present. This test is convenient and reasonably priced. It is the test most doctors prefer, but is not as reliable as the OGTT Test.

A more reliable but not as convenient test is the OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). This test is administered after 8 hours of fasting, then again 2 hours after drinking a glucose and water solution. Blood glucose is checked before the test and 2 hours afterwards. This test is also used to diagnose gestational diabetes in pregnant women, but worked differently, in that glucose levels are checked four times while the test is being conducted.

Random Plasma Glucose Test is conducted without regard to when the person last ate. If a person has symptoms of thirst, frequent urination, and unintended weight loss; along with a blood sugar value of 200 mg/dl is usually indicative of having diabetes.

With age being another factor for diabetes, persons over 45 should be checked at least every 3 years. In younger people if they are obese, have low physical activity, or have a family history of this disease should be checked every 1-2 years and take steps to lower their risk factors to prevent the condition from occurring.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT