DIAGNOSIS
Doctors use these tests to find out if you have diabetes:
- Fasting plasma glucose test. The doctor tests your blood sugar levels after fasting for 8 hours and it’s higher than 126 mg/dL.
- Oral glucose tolerance test. After fasting for 8 hours, you get a special sugary drink. Two hours later your sugar level is higher than 200.
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- Random check. The doctor tests your blood sugar and it’s higher than 200, plus you’re peeing more, always thirsty, and you’ve gained or lost a significant amount of weight. He’ll then do a fasting sugar level test or an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm the diagnosis.
- A1C- is a blood test that checks your average blood sugar level over the past three months.
Any sugar levels higher than normal are unhealthy. Levels that are higher than normal, but not reaching the point of full-blown diabetes, are called prediabetes.
TREATMENT
Too high or too low blood sugar can either affect your health. In that case, a regular schedule of eating, activity, and medicines can help. For people with diabetes, it is very important to keep the blood sugar numbers in the target range. You need to check your blood sugar several times each day. The American Diabetes Association’s goals for blood sugar control in people with diabetes are 70 to 130 mg/dL before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL after meals.