Diagnosing type 1 diabetes- our health nugget for this week
The logical thing to do after having noticed all the symptoms described in the previous health blog would be to visit your GP. Describe your symptoms clearly and truthfully. If your doctor suspects that indeed, you could have diabetes, then they will do a few tests. The following are the tests that can determine if for sure you have diabetes:
a) Urine test – although it doesn’t usually contain glucose, but if indeed you have developed diabetes, an amount of glucose tends to overflow through the kidneys and into the urine. In this case your urine is tested for ketones, which are chemicals which confirm or suggest that you may have Type 1 diabetes.
b) Blood test – blood is taken in the morning before eating and is tested for glucose levels. If the levels are not high enough to give a proper diagnosis, then you may be referred for a glucose tolerance test (GTT) or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This is done by giving you a glucose drink, after which samples of your blood will be taken every half an hour, usually for two hours. The reason for this is to find out how your body is coping with the glucose in your body.
Article By Bertha Mukodzani, a Registered Nurse (BSc Hons); also holds a certificate in caring for the diabetic patient. Bertha is also a published author and writer of many articles for various publications. Visit her website by clicking here for more.
Cartoon courtesy of DiabetesHealth website.
