Diabetes mellitus is the full name for what most people commonly refer to simply as diabetes. This disease is characterized by the abnormal treatment of glucose by the body, causing it to be leached out into the urine (hence its ancient disease label of "sweet urine"). Though there are some clear signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus, these symptoms may also be caused by a multitude of other problems, so you'll want to have your doctor test you specifically for this disease.
Instructions
1. Perform a regular urinalysis. You doctor will ask you to provide a sample, which he will send off to the lab to be analyzed specifically for glucose and ketones. These substances in the urine are a tell tale sign of diabetes mellitus, but this may not be the final test you receive before officially receiving a diagnosis.
2. Take a fasting blood glucose level test by not eating at least 6 hours prior to the lab assistant taking the first blood sample. This test will likely be done over several occasions, and the results will be analyzed together to make sure a high or low reading was not simply because of outside factors like diet or stress. You will be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus if your fasting blood glucose level is consistently 126 mg/dL or higher.
3. Draw blood at any time of day and whether you have eaten or not with a random or non-fasting blood glucose level test. If the results register a glucose level higher than 200 mg/dL and are accompanied by the classic symptoms of unexplained weight loss, fatigue and increased thirst and urination, then the doctor will suspect diabetes mellitus. He will request a fasting blood glucose level test to confirm these suspicions.
4. Participate in an oral glucose tolerance test. This test will require you to quickly drink a large amount of extremely sweet liquid. Blood will be drawn both before and after the drink to compare the glucose levels. If the glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL over a 2 hour interval, then you will be diagnosed with diabetes.
5. Consider having your hemoglobin A1c level checked as well. This is a test that allows the doctor to determine a 2 to 3 month average of your glucose levels. Though it will not diagnose you with diabetes alone, it may give the doctor another important tool to help you mange the disease if you do in fact develop it.
Tags: glucose level, blood glucose, blood glucose level, diabetes mellitus, fasting blood, fasting blood glucose