Testing for diabetes should include
blood glucose
levels performed by a medical laboratory. The timing of the sample (fasting, random, or
1-2 hours after eating,)
would influence how high a level is considered abnormal. See
Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes
for further information.
Occasionally, laboratory blood sugar testing might be normal in an early
case of diabetes. Repeat blood sugar testing at the same or a different time, or performing
a glucose tolerance test,
might be appropriate if there is a high suspicion of diabetes
despite normal initial testing. Another test, the
glycosylated hemoglobin
(also called A1c),
might be used to help confirm a suspected diagnosis of
diabetes, but the A1c is not usually considered as appropriate to make an
initial diagnosis.
Antibody testing is occasionally done as a screening test in high-risk situations, or as confirmatory of
type 1 diabetes,
but is not part of routine testing.
Urine sugar tests or home glucose testing, if done, might be positive, which would make the situation urgent to get lab blood testing done to confirm the abnormal results. However, urine or home glucose testing, if negative, would not completely exclude diabetes.
There are no other ways to make the diagnosis of diabetes, other than blood and urine testing. Sometimes people have symptoms such as you describe that are due to other problems. Perhaps testing for other disorders would be
appropriate; if your physician is unsure what to do, a
referral to an endocrinologist might be appropriate.
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