glucose
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?
