Diagnosing Diabetes

Diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus are a group of disorders of metabolism which are characterized by chronic elevation of blood glucose. The 3 most common types of diabetes are Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes. Newly diagnosed diabetes are usually treated in the hospital where patients stay 1-2 weeks on the ward. Diabetes is a chronic condition that will affect you every day for the rest of your life. Try to become friends with your diabetes since you can’t escape it and there is no currently known cure.

The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is made based on the history, physical examinations and the blood glucose levels. The common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, increased drinking of water, frequent urination, dehydration, weight loss, excessive tiredness, nausea, abdominal pain, heavy breathing with the smell of acetone in the breath, drowsiness and diabetes coma. The presence of any of these symptoms with elevated blood glucose greater than 11.1 mmol/L will confirm the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. In the absence of symptoms, a fasting blood glucose greater 7.0 mmol/L on two or more occasions will be confirmatory of diabetes mellitus. The fasting blood glucose should be taken after fasting for at least 8 hours.