symptoms and diagnosis

Diabetes is often called a "silent" disease because many people have no signs or symptoms before they are diagnosed. Symptoms can also be so mild that you might not notice them. More than 5 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes and do not know it.

The signs of diabetes are

being very thirsty
urinating often
feeling very hungry or tired
losing weight without trying
having sores that heal slowly
having dry, itchy skin
losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
having blurry eyesight.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes, which occurs most often in children and young adults, usually develop over a short period of time. The symptoms for type 2 diabetes develop more gradually.

Gestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery. However, the mother is at increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

Doctors use the following tests to diagnose diabetes.

A fasting plasma glucose, or FPG test, measures your blood glucose after you have gone at least 8 hours without eating. Doctors use this test to detect diabetes or pre-diabetes.
An oral glucose tolerance test, or OGTT, measures your blood glucose after you have gone at least 8 hours without eating and 2 hours after you drink a sweet beverage. Doctors use this test to diagnose diabetes or pre-diabetes. Doctors also use the oral glucose tolerance test to diagnose gestational diabetes in pregnant women.
In a random plasma glucose test, your doctor checks your blood glucose without regard to when you ate your last meal. This test, along with an assessment of symptoms, is used to diagnose diabetes but not pre-diabetes.

If any of these tests show that you might have diabetes, your doctor will need to repeat the fasting plasma glucose test or the oral glucose tolerance test on a different day to confirm the diagnosis.

The fasting plasma glucose or FPG test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes and is most reliable when done in the morning.

Because type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight, doctors recommend that anyone 45 years of age or older be tested for diabetes. If you are 45 or older and overweight, getting tested is strongly recommended.

Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to pain, disability, and death. Sometimes people have symptoms but do not suspect diabetes. They delay scheduling a checkup because they do not feel sick. Many people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes complications, such as blurry vision or heart trouble. Finding out early if you have diabetes is important because treatment can prevent damage to the body from diabetes.

NIH SeniorHealth
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Last updated: 08 December 2004