What is the A1C Blood Test?

Diabetes is a common syndrome which affects millions of people around the world and the A1C blood test is one of the basic tests that people with Diabetes take. The A1C blood test lets you see how your blood sugar levels are changing over time. Regular blood tests are important to maintain your health – you will feel better if you keep an eye on your blood sugar and control it.

One way for you to check on your blood sugar is to have a home testing kit – you can use this kit whenever you want to see how high your blood sugar is. The home testing kit for diabetes is convenient and you can get immediate results from it.

The A1C blood test is a little different – it tells you what your blood sugar levels have been over the past two or three months. Red blood cells in your body contain the memory of your previous blood sugar levels. They have A1C, which is a combination of glucose (sugar) and hemoglobin (a chemical protein in your blood which hooks up with sugar). Continue reading…

Why Take the Three Hour Glucose Test?

The 3 hour glucose test is a test that you can take to find out whether or not you have diabetes. Often the 3 hour glucose tolerance test is taken after an initial screening test. The glucose screening will take one hour and there will be no special requirements for it – you can just go to the doctor’s office when you have time and take the screening.

The 3 hour glucose test requires fasting the night before and a carbohydrate rich diet for the days before that.

The screening test and the 3 hour glucose test both begin the same way. You take a drink of a solution which is rich in glucose (so rich that in some cases you may feel dizzy or faint shortly after drinking it). In the screening test you have a blood sample taken after an hour to see if your body breaks down glucose at a normal speed.

If the glucose level in your body is higher than normal at the end of the screening test, you will be called back to take the 3 hour glucose test. The 3 hour glucose tolerance test is similar, except you give blood samples and urine samples every hour for three hours. From the 3 hour glucose tolerance test you can get a diagnosis and tell whether or not you have diabetes. Continue reading…

Glucose Tests for Expecting Mothers

When an expecting mother is between twenty four and twenty eight weeks into the pregnancy it is usually suggested that she go through screening for gestational diabetes. Diabetes is a syndrome in which the glucose in the body is not properly broken down; a natural hormone called insulin produced within the body is responsible for changing the form of glucose, but some people may develop problems with the level of insulin in their bodies or with their body’s resistance to the effects of insulin.

The 1 hour glucose test is not a conclusive test, but it allows you to screen for gestational diabetes. What is the 1 hour glucose test like?

Generally you can arrive for the test at any time of the day without having to worry about fasting or your recent diet. You drink a 50 gm high glucose solution (usually there are different flavors like cola, orange and lemon / lime available). You then wait for an hour before having a blood sample taken by the nurse, and if your glucose is above a certain level you will be called back for the more definitive 3 hour glucose test.

Points of the 1 hour glucose test:

• The 1 hour glucose test requires no fasting
• After drinking a glucose rich solution and waiting one hour a blood sample is taken
• Is a screening, not a definitive test

Points of the 3 hour glucose test:

• For the 3 hour glucose test you need to fast for the night before (usually the test is early in the morning)
• Blood and urine samples are taken every hour for three hours after drinking a glucose solution
• Can diagnose for gestational diabetes

Only around a third of the people who rate positive on the 1 hour glucose test are actually diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes can pose health risks for the baby, so make sure that you take the necessary tests to see whether or not you need to take special care.