Symptoms
Symptoms of high blood sugar include:
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Increased urination during the night
- Weight loss (This weight loss may be rapid)
- Frequent infections
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Vision changes, such as blurred vision.
- Fruity smell to your breath.
- Stomach pain.
Diagnosis
Diabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar levels are too high. Your blood sugar level may be checked by one or more of the following blood tests:
- A fasting blood glucose test: greater than 126 mg/dL. You will not be allowed to eat for at least 8 hours before a blood sample is taken.
- A random blood glucose test: greater than 200 mg/dL. Your blood glucose is checked at any time of the day no matter when you last ate.
- A hemoglobin A1c blood glucose test: greater than 6.5%. A hemoglobin A1c test provides information about blood glucose control over the previous 3 months.
- An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): greater than 200 mg/dL (commonly used during pregnancy). Your blood glucose is measured at least 1-3 hours after you have last eaten and then after you drink a glucose-containing beverage. Since the hormones that cause insulin resistance are highest at about 24-28 weeks of a pregnancy, an OGTT is usually done during that time. If you are at risk for gestational diabetes, your doctor may test you for gestational diabetes earlier than 24 weeks of pregnancy.
HgA1C | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Blood Sugar | 97 | 126 | 154 | 183 | 212 | 240 | 269 | 298 | 326 | 355 |