Finding out that you have diabetes is a life-altering event; however, the sooner you're diagnosed, the sooner you can make the necessary adjustments needed to improve your health. With the help of a diabetes screening test, you can begin taking control of your diabetes.

Type 1

Having Type 1 diabetes means your pancreas fails to produce insulin. Without insulin, your body is unable to use or store glucose, causing blood sugar to rise. Although the exact cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown, physicians believe genetics, family history, and certain health factors may play a role. It's difficult to determine whether or not you're at risk for the disease because the symptoms occur suddenly. These include tiredness, excessive thirst and urination, impaired vision, weight loss, and increased hunger. Experiencing any of these symptoms may warrant a diabetes screening.

Generally, an A1c test is the first diabetes screening test. Insulin deficiencies can lead excess glucose to enter the bloodstream, coating oxygen-carrying hemoglobin with sugar. This is what causes your blood glucose level to rise. A comprehensive A1c test measures how many hemoglobin molecules were coated in glucose over the past 2 to 3 months. Receiving a 6.5% reading or higher on multiple A1c tests may indicate diabetes. Not only can an A1c test diagnose diabetes, but it can also provide insight into how one's diabetes treatment plan is working. For instance, diabetics may need to incorporate more exercise or a healthier diet into their routine if their average blood glucose levels remain high even after treatment.

A random blood sugar test and a fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) can also determine if you have Type 1 diabetes. Indicative of its name, a random blood sugar test measures a blood sample taken at a random time of day. While a blood sample result higher than 200 mg/dl may mean you have diabetes, a test result between 140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl points to prediabetes (a condition that can lead to diabetes). Your doctor can also recommend a FPG test. This form of diabetes screening requires patients to fast 12 to 14 hours before the test. The doctor will then take a blood sample and measure its glucose content. Similar to an A1c test, you must receive a high reading on more than one FPG test to confirm diabetes.

Type 2

Unlike Type 1 diabetics, Type 2 diabetics produce insulin; however, their bodies are unable to properly use insulin. As a result, their blood glucose levels increase. Many risk factors are attributed to Type 2 diabetes, including being overweight or obese, family history, age, race, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes (women with diabetes for the duration of their pregnancy). It's important to note that most people with Type 2 diabetes are unaware of their condition because they may not show any symptoms like dark patches of skin or increased infections. For this reason, people at risk for diabetes should schedule a diabetes screening.

Similar to Type 1 diabetics, those with Type 2 can submit to an A1c test, random blood sugar test or a FPG test. However, they may prefer having an oral glucose tolerance test done (OGTT). An OGTT test, like a FPG test, requires patients to fast before the test is to be performed. Once the patient has fasted for 8 hours, his or her blood sample is drawn. The doctor will examine its blood sugar content before providing the patient with a sugary beverage to drink. After finishing the beverage, the doctor will draw more blood samples, testing them over the next 1 to 2 hours. An OGTT test helps to determine how effective one's insulin is at lowering blood sugar. A high blood sugar reading after a couple of hours suggests diabetes. There must be two high OGTT test readings to affirm a diabetes diagnosis.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about diabetes screening. To recommend the right screening option for you, he or she will look at your current health and family history.