Analyzes, the results of which are obtained in laboratory conditions, allow 80% to present the clinical picture of a particular patient, to diagnose the presence or absence of pathological changes in the human body.
It often happens that a disease proceeds with practically no symptoms and signs, and a blood test already shows that negative changes are taking place. A blood sugar test is the fastest and most importantly accurate way to diagnose diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders.
Based on international standards, we can say that every person after 40 years of age should be tested for sugar, as well as any person entering inpatient conditions of medical institutions.
It is necessary to consider how the preparation for blood tests is carried out, how to take the correct test in order to get results without errors?
What blood sugar tests are there?
In the modern world, it is possible to determine the sugar level in the human body by means of several types of tests: on an empty stomach, throughout the day (glycemic profile), and the so-called “glucose load” test.
In addition to the above studies, additional analysis may be recommended if there are any doubts about the accuracy of the diagnosis, or there is a possibility of a large error in early samples.
In this case, the doctor prescribes a sugar curve. To take it, you need to make a test for the presence of sugar on an empty stomach in the human body, then the patient is offered to drink a small amount of concentrated glucose, and the analysis is repeated at regular intervals.
A blood test is also distinguished, which allows you to determine the concentration of glucose in the blood in a person over the past 90 days. This test is called glycosylated hemoglobin in the human body. The rate of such indicators is up to 5.9%. When blood is donated for sugar on an empty stomach, the normal indicators are as follows:
- A newborn child and an infant have up to 4.4 units.
- Children up to 5.5 units.
- Adults up to 5.8 units.
It is advisable to pay attention to the fact that the above values may differ slightly, and it all depends on what requirements the laboratory provides. As a rule, the discrepancies in the figures are quite insignificant, and do not in any way affect the correct diagnosis.
Blood can be donated at your local clinic, or you can use a special device like a glucometer . You can use it at home, just apply a small amount of your blood to the test strip, and literally in 10 seconds you will get your results.
It is worth noting that when using a meter , you need to donate blood correctly in order to really get the right results.
In addition, many medical institutions provide paid services that allow you to donate blood for sugar and get results within a short period of time.
The price of blood sugar is 180 rubles on average, and a glucose tolerance test will cost 500 rubles.
Preparation and delivery of analysis
Many patients are interested in how to get tested for sugar in order to really get the right results? And the question is not idle, since the answer to it is of great importance in establishing the correct diagnosis.
Preparation for the analysis is of no small importance, because the smallest change in the diet, in a person’s well-being can lead to the fact that the test results will be distorted in one direction or another. That is why the doctor tells his patient how to donate blood correctly.
First, the analysis is always carried out exclusively on an empty stomach. You cannot drink fluids that contain sugar in their composition 8-10 hours before blood sampling. Such a rule is required so that the study results are not dependent on the food consumed.
Secondly, if a person smokes, then, if possible, it is worth giving up cigarettes before analysis. The specific time is not called, but doctors recommend that in order to pass the test correctly, you should not smoke for as long as possible.
There are also such recommendations that allow you to pass the sugar test correctly:
- If before the analysis, in particular in the evening before it, the patient overeats, then it is better to postpone the sampling time so as not to get erroneous results.
- When the patient feels unwell, has a high fever or general malaise, it is also recommended to refuse the analysis.
- Exclude the intake of alcoholic beverages before the study. As medical practice shows, even a glass of kefir before blood sampling can significantly affect its results. If the patient drank an alcoholic or even low-alcohol drink, then the sugar test can be taken only after 2-3 days.
- On the morning of the test and a few days before the procedure, avoid serious physical activity. Even if a person in a medical institution climbed the stairs, then before taking the test, you need to calm down and sit for at least half an hour.
- If the patient is taking medication, then it is advisable to cancel their intake when possible.
It is worth noting that the results of the research can be influenced by a physiotherapy procedure, X-ray examinations, massage, sauna, etc.
Low and high sugar: why?
A significant decrease in glucose concentration can signal some problems in the human body. It happens that this is a temporary drop in sugar, and you should not worry. But there are other pathologies that will not tolerate ignoring the situation.
Patients wonder in what situations blood sugar can drop? As practice shows, sugar decreases if the patient missed food or medication when diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
Sugar drops in people with a history of liver disease, kidney disease, pancreas, atherosclerotic vascular changes. For serious administration of alcoholic beverages and arsenic, as a rule, the blood test always shows a reduced sugar content.
If the patient’s blood glucose is significantly exceeded, then the doctor will first of all think about the development of diabetes mellitus. However, this condition may have completely different reasons:
- Disruption of the digestive tract organs.
- Endocrine disruption in the body.
- Epilepsy.
- The body’s response to the use of a number of medications, for example, drugs that contain hormones, diuretic pills.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning.
It is worth noting that a high amount of sugar in the blood can also be due to a violation of the rules and recommendations that each patient must follow before taking blood. That is why the doctor strongly recommends that you carefully adhere to the preparatory stage in order to get a real clinical picture.
Despite the fact that diabetes is an insidious disease that significantly changes the life of everyone, it can be controlled. To do this, you must always adhere to the doctor’s recommendations, regularly take the required tests, and at the slightest deterioration in well-being, contact your doctor.
It is these simple tips that can improve the quality of life of any patient, and will not lead to a complication of the clinical picture in the future.