In order to determine whether specific symptoms are due to diabetes, a diabetes test is required. In principle, it is recommended to have this test with your family doctor, as possible treatment approaches should also be discussed and planned with him or her. Professional measuring devices, like the MEDISANA MediTouch 2 connect, are then essential for regular blood sugar management. This measuring device can evaluate the blood sugar level within a few seconds, while at the same time, it gives an acoustic reminder of the next measurement. If necessary, the data can be transferred to your smartphone via Bluetooth Smart (4.0) and MEDISANA provides you with a free VitaDock+ app for this.
But, back to the subject: A diabetes test is necessary, as this is the only way to unequivocally clarify where the causes lie for specific systems. This diabetes test or also diabetes quick test, can be performed by your family doctor, as well as by a diabetologist (Specialist for Internal Medicine and Endocrinology). For a diabetes test, blood and urine are examined, in some cases, a so-called glucose tolerance test (oGTT) is also recommended.
A urine sample is taken, because it normally does not contain any sugar, or only small quantities. The kidney, which filters the blood, and therefore effectively resorbs it, i.e. holds it back, is responsible for this. If specific quantities of glucose are therefore found in the urine, it is an indication of the existence of a specific type of diabetes. In turn, the HbA1c value, the proportion of haemoglobin (red blood pigment), which is associated with sugar molecules in the blood (glycohaemoglobin A), can be determined in the blood.
Preconditions for a clean diabetes test
In order to avoid falsifying the result, it is important to measure blood sugar on an empty stomach. This means that you have not eaten anything for a minimum of eight hours before the blood sampling, principally in the morning – only unsweetened/calorie-free beverages, tea or water are not a problem.
A diabetes test or diabetes quick test is positive, if values of between 100 and 125 mg/dl appear. Pre-diabetes is referred to, i.e. carbohydrate metabolic disorder, which partly already exists. Manifested diabetes mellitus, i.e. a diabetes diagnosis with highly probable certainty, is assumed with measured results above 125 mg/dl.
A more precise assessment of whether the glucose metabolism is disturbed or not, is enabled by the oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT). Doctors always resort to these extended diagnostics, if suspicion exists on the basis of previous tests that pre-diabetes exists. However, this process is only meaningful and medically indicated, if it is not already known that the diagnosis is diabetes mellitus – otherwise, a risk exists that the blood sugar values will increase dangerously. For this, the patient consumes an immense quantity of sugar in the form of a solution, a total of 75 grams of glucose. Before this and two hours later, blood will be taken in order to assess how much glucose, could be used by the body within this time period.