How To Prepare For Glucose Test

Preparing For The A1c Test

How to test your blood glucose (sugar) levels

1Eat normally before the test. The A1C test measures your blood sugar control over the past two to three months and aids in the detection of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Diabetes AssociationHealth-based nonprofit focused on preventing and researching diabetesGo to source

This blood test is not affected by recent food intake so you dont have to fast before the test.

2Bring the form you received from your doctor to your appointment. If your doctor has recommended an A1C test, she will give you a form detailing what test should be conducted. Bring the form to the laboratory you will be testing at.

You may also want to make an appointment for the test. Some laboratories or testing centers will take appointments, which should reduce the time you need to wait in line.

Be sure to use a laboratory that is the primary provider for your health insurance.

3Prepare to give blood. The A1C test is a simple blood test that can be done by two different ways, either using a venipuncture or a finger prick test.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source

During venipuncture, a needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm and blood is drawn into a test tube.

During a finger prick test, the tip of your finger will be punctured with a needle . The laboratory technician may also gently squeeze your finger to form a blood drop that she will then collect.

Gain The Right Amount Of Weight

Gaining too much or too quickly during pregnancy can increase the chances for GD, so talk to your doctor about what you should be seeing on the scale. In general, you should aim to gain 25 to 35 pounds if your pre-pregnancy body mass index was in the normal range, 15 to 25 pounds if you were overweight before becoming pregnant, and 11 to 20 pounds if you were obese before coming pregnant.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

Why Do You Take A Glucose Test In Pregnancy

The glucose test is basically a simple way to determine how your body processes sugar in the third trimester of pregnancy.

In other words, it is a screening test to look for gestational diabetes mellitus.

You will be asked to drink a solution that contains a certain amount of glucose and have your blood drawn 1 or 2 hours later at your doctors office.

The glucose challenge test can be done between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy, which is about 6 months.

If you fail, you will then need to perform the glucose tolerance test.

The American College of OBGYN and the American Diabetes Association recommends that ALL pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes. If you are at high risk, you will be screened twice- once in the first trimester, and again in the third trimester.

Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Recommended Reading: What Is The Earliest Sign Of Diabetes Nephropathy

How The Test Is Done

Let the laboratory technician know how long your child was fasting .

A lab tech will prick your childs finger or draw a blood sample from an arm vein to get a baseline glucose level .

The lab tech will weigh your child. This is to know how much of a special drink to give them to do the test. It will be sweet and flavored with lemon-lime, orange or fruit punch. When asked, your child will need to drink all of it within 5 minutes.

Depending on the orders, the lab tech will take several blood samples. They will tell you how many samples your child needs to give and at what times.

Your child cannot have anything else to eat or drink until the test is over.

If your child cannot swallow all the drink for the test or if they vomit it up, they will have to come back to do the test on another day.

Your child may be hungry and cranky during the test. It will help if you plan quiet play to keep your childs mind busy until they can eat.

Glucose Challenge Screening Test

Close Up Of A Woman Preparing A Glucometer Device To Test The Glucose ...

This preliminary test is often used as the first point of testing for gestational diabetes and youll often hear it referred to as the 1-hour test or two-step test. You wont need to do anything to prepare for this like change your diet, because when you go in, youll be given a sweetened liquid to drink and then need to wait approximately 1 hour before having your blood drawn . This will tell doctors how effectively your body is processing sugar. If blood sugar levels are higher-than-normal or there are any other concerns, your doctor may order a glucose tolerance test.

Recommended Reading: Whisky Or Brandy Which Is Good For Diabetes

What Can You Do If Youre At Risk For Gestational Diabetes

If youre at risk for gestational diabetes, there are a few things you can do to help lower your chances of developing the condition:

-Get regular exercise. Exercise can help your body use insulin more effectively.

-Eat a healthy diet. Eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help your body control blood sugar levels.

-Maintain a healthy weight. If youre overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can help lower your risk of gestational diabetes.

It is important to consider these things even before pregnancy, so Im glad youre thinking about it.

Preparing For The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test

1Fast between eight and 14 hours. The fasting plasma blood test is used to measure blood sugar levels to diagnose diabetes or pre-diabetes. A fasting plasma glucose test is normally performed in the morning, after the patient has gone approximately 12 hours without eating or drinking. Fasting is required because:XResearch source

A person without diabetes produces insulin in response to increased glucose levels. After an overnight fast, the blood sugar levels would be low.

A person with diabetes wont produce insulin, leaving their glucose levels still high after an overnight fast.

2Go to the laboratory for the test. If you have fasted overnight, go to the testing center in the morning.

Remember to bring the form your doctor gave you that details what test should be conducted.

If the laboratory takes appointments, you may want to make one to reduce the time you need to wait in line.

Also, check your insurance and use a laboratory that is the primary provider for your health insurance.

3Prepare for a venipuncture. In order to measure the fasting plasma glucose level, you need to give a blood sample. During the blood sample:XResearch source

A needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm.

Blood is drawn into a test tube.

Once the test is done, you can go home and the blood sample is sent to a laboratory for testing.

A test result of 100125 mg/dl is considered to be in the prediabetic stage and you are at a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Recommended Reading: How To Use Glucose Meter

Who Is At Risk

Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

having had gestational diabetes in an earlier pregnancy
a family history of diabetes
having obesity or other diabetes-related conditions
being physically inactive

If a person gains more weight than is usual during pregnancy, this may be a sign of gestational diabetes, according to the

attending more frequent screening and seeking medical help if glucose levels go up
insulin use, in some cases

The healthcare provider will advise on each persons needs and treatment plan, as diabetes affects everyone differently.

What Do My Results Mean

I Failed the 1-Hour Glucose Test | 3-Hour Glucose Test | Pregnancy Vlog

If your test results come back abnormal or slightly elevated, your doctor may suggest dietary changes or another glucose test later on in pregnancy. Two or more positive glucose tests may lead to a diagnosis of gestational diabetes or another blood sugar issue. Your doctor will be able to help advise on a treatment plan to help you better manage it .

Don’t Miss: Why Do I Need Insulin

What Is An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

An OGTT is a way to measure your bodys ability to use glucose. Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin, which helps your body use the glucose in your blood. If your pancreas doesnt make enough insulin or if your body is unable to use the insulin it makes, you may have a high blood glucose level. The OGTT involves fasting overnight and then having your blood checked early in the morning. You will then drink a special glucose drink and have your blood tested again after 2 hours. Sometimes blood sugar levels are also checked at other times such as 1 hour, 3 hours, or 4 hours after the glucose drink.

How To Prepare For A Diabetes Check

Are you preparing for your first Diabetes Check? It is essential for you to be proactive when it comes to your health. This means if you think you might have diabetes or even be prediabetes, then making an appointment to get checked is vital. It is always best to identify potential health concerns before they start to affect your body. It is easier for medical professionals to treat illnesses and diseases in their earlier stages.

Recommended Reading: Sugar Free Food List For Diabetics

Choose Healthy Carbohydrates Instead

Complex or unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and cereals, whole fresh fruits and even baked potatoes are absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream and are less likely to give you the large sugar jolts that can result in excess glucose filtering into your urine.

In fact, since complex carbohydrates contain more fiber, they actually slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. Whats more, they provide lots of essential nutrients for pregnancy .

Why Is Gestational Diabetes An Issue

Poorly controlled GDM increases the risk fo having a large baby, pregnancy and birth complications, induction or other interventions of labour, caesarean section, unstable blood sugars of baby, and poorer outcomes for Mum and baby.

If blood glucose levels are well controlled with diet and lifestyle changes or good medication management, the risks of GDM can be minimised.

Don’t Miss: Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms In Adults

How To Prepare For Glucose Test Pregnancy

Preparing for the Gestational Glucose Test is the Fourth Method of the Four Methods Download the Article

Before the exam, eat as you normally would. Between the ages of 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, women should get a glucose screening test as part of their prenatal care.

Make sure you call and schedule an appointment. The test will take an hour after you have ingested the glucose solution , thus in order to cut down on the amount of time you have to wait, it

Consume some of the glucose solution

Hold your horses for an hour

Between 8 and 14 hours before your test, DO NOT consume anything by way of food or drink .

You are going to be requested to consume 100 grams of glucose in the form of a beverage .

Before you drink the liquid, your blood will be drawn, and then again at regular intervals for the next three hours after you consume the liquid.

Contents

15 What is a good score on gestational diabetes test?

Why The Test Is Performed

This test checks for gestational diabetes. Most pregnant women have a glucose screening test between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The test may be done earlier if you have a high glucose level in your urine during your routine prenatal visits, or if you have a high risk for diabetes.

Women who have a low risk for diabetes may not have the screening test. To be low-risk, all of these statements must be true:

You have never had a test that showed your blood glucose was higher than normal.
Your ethnic group has a low risk for diabetes.
You do not have any first-degree relatives with diabetes.
You are younger than 25 years old and have a normal weight.
You have not had any bad outcomes during an earlier pregnancy.

Read Also: Lantus Insulin Pens For Diabetes

How To Pass The 3 Hour Glucose Tolerance Test

Just like the 1 hour glucose test, there isnt any special way to ensure that you pass the 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test aka the ogtt.

Your best bet is to eat a well-balanced diet leading up to the test and minimize the consumption of simple carbs like cereal, white flour, juice, and soda.

Making these changes the night before or the week before is unlikely to make a big difference. You should make these changes months in advance.

Its also a good idea to try and maintain these habits postpartum as well. Unfortunately, 60% of women with gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Is Gestational Diabetes My Fault

How to Perform a Quality Control QC Test on a Glucometer | Nursing Clinical Skill

YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS!

This occurs as a result of hormones that are secreted by the placenta.

People who do not have diabetes are able to successfully boost their insulin production to an adequate level.

Women who are unable to produce enough insulin or who are unable to utilise the insulin that is already present in their bodies in an efficient enough manner are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Read Also: Diabetic Fasting Blood Sugar Goal

So What Is Gestational Diabetes

GDM is diabetes of pregnancy. That means once you have birthed, you are no longer considered diabetic.

That being said, history of GDM is linked to higher risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life, so it is important to have diabetes follow-up with your GP at 6-8 weeks post birth and ongoing.

The hormones produced by the placenta are vital in helping a baby grow and develop.

However, these hormones also block the action of insulin, which lowers blood glucose levels.

In pregnancy, the need for insulin is 2-3 times higher because of this insulin resistance.

In the case of GDM, the body isnt coping with the extra demand for insulin and the blood glucose levels are therefore higher.

Besides Glucose What Other Tests Might Be Done

Hemoglobin A1c is an indicator of long-term glucose control that is commonly ordered in patients with prediabetes and diabetes and can also be used as a screening test. Other less common tests, such as islet autoantibodies, insulin, and C-peptide, may sometimes be performed along with these tests to help determine the cause of abnormal glucose levels, to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and to evaluate insulin production.

Also Check: Best App To Track Diabetes

When Is It Ordered

Screening and Diagnosis

The American Diabetes Association recommends diabetes screening when you are age 45 or older. Several health organizations, including the ADA, recommend screening when you have risk factors, regardless of age. You may be at risk if you:

Are overweight, obese, or physically inactive
Have a close relative with diabetes, such as parent, siblings, aunt or uncle
Are a woman who delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds or who has a history of gestational diabetes
A woman with polycystic ovary syndrome
Are of a high-risk race or ethnicity, such as African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander
Have high blood pressure or are taking medication for high blood pressure
Have a low HDL cholesterol level and/or a high triglyceride level
Have prediabetes identified by previous testing
Have a history of cardiovascular disease

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for abnormal blood glucose as part of a risk assessment for cardiovascular disease in adults ages 40 to 70 who are overweight or obese.

If the screening test result is within normal limits, the ADA and USPSTF recommend rescreening every 3 years. People with prediabetes may be monitored with annual testing.

A blood glucose test may also be ordered when you have signs and symptoms of abnormal blood glucose levels.

High blood glucose :

Blurred vision

When Does A Person Need To Have Their Blood Glucose Measured With This Test

What is a blood glucose test,How to prepare for a blood glucose test ...

Prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes often have no symptoms at first. A person can have the condition and not know it. Healthcare providers usually order a fasting blood sugar test:

As part of a standard annual physical examination to monitor a persons blood glucose over time.
For pregnant women to ensure that pregnancy hormones are not causing diabetes.
When a person has symptoms of diabetes, a family history of diabetes or risk factors for diabetes .
When a person has had a previous blood glucose level that was higher than normal.

Don’t Miss: Artificial Pancreas System For Diabetics

Does Walking Lower Blood Sugar

When you do moderate exercise, like walking, that makes your heart beat a little faster and breathe a little harder. Your muscles use more glucose, the sugar in your blood stream. Over time, this can lower your blood sugar levels. It also makes the insulin in your body work better.

How do you feel if you fail a glucose test?

Glucose testing and screening is very low risk. As with any blood draw, there is a slight risk of: Feeling lightheaded or fainting.

Did I pass my glucose test?

According to the Mayo Clinic: Blood sugar level below 140 mg/dL is normal and considered passing. Blood sugar level between 140 mg/dL and 190 mg/dL is elevated, and requires the follow-up three-hour glucose tolerance test to confirm gestational diabetes.

Must read