Excessive thirst Excessive hunger Blurry vision Frequent urination (you wake 3 or more times in the night to urinate) Fatigue (particularly after eating) Feeling irritable Wounds that don’t heal or heal slowly

Note that Type 2 diabetes is acquired in one’s life, most often related to poor lifestyle choices, versus Type 1 diabetes which is a condition that most often presents in childhood in which the pancreas simply cannot make use of insulin due to a lack of beta cells.

It is best to know sooner rather than later whether or not you have the disease, because if you do, prompt treatment is key. The damage that results to your body from diabetes is mostly long-term damage caused by “uncontrolled blood sugars. " What this means is that, if you receive treatment that helps to control your blood sugars, you can avert or at least delay many of the long-term health consequences of diabetes. It is for this reason that prompt diagnosis and treatment are key.

Normal blood glucose levels are between 70 and 100. If you’re borderline diabetic (“pre-diabetic”), your levels will be between 100 and 125. If your levels are above 126, you’re considered diabetic. A non-fasting or random blood glucose level of 200 or above can also be a sign of diabetes.

The normal correlation between HbA1c and average blood sugar levels is as follows. An HbA1c of 6 equates to a blood glucose level of 135. An HbA1c of 7 = 170, an HbA1c of 8 = 205, an HbA1c of 9 = 240, an HbA1c of 10 = 275, an HbA1c of 11 = 301, and an HbA1c of 12 = 345. In most labs, the normal range for HbA1c is between 4. 0-5. 9%. In poorly controlled diabetes, it is 8. 0% or above, and in well-controlled patients it is less than 7. 0%. The benefit of measuring HbA1c is that it gives a more reasonable view of what’s happening over the course of time. It reflects your average sugar levels over the past 3 months, rather than a simple glucose test which is a one-time measurement of your sugar levels. Keep in mind that HbA1c tests aren’t a perfect diagnostic tool for diabetes. Some conditions, like iron deficiency anemia and chronic blood loss, can cause these tests to give misleading results. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source

Sometimes, in more mild cases of Type 2 diabetes, the only thing needed is diet and exercise. Sufficient lifestyle changes can actually reverse diabetes and put you back into the “normal” range for your blood sugars. [10] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Talk about some great motivation to make changes! You will be asked to cut back on sugars and carbohydrates, and to exercise for about 30 minutes a day. Your individual needs may vary, but in general, women should eat no more than 45-60 g of carbs per meal, and men should stay in the 60-75 g range. [11] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source If you follow through with these changes, you will likely see a noticeable reduction in your blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, will always require insulin injections because it is an autoimmune disease where the body fails to produce insulin. [12] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source It is extremely important to properly treat diabetes. Note that, if left untreated, the elevated blood sugars from diabetes can lead to more serious health issues, such as nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage or failure, blindness, and severe circulation problems resulting in difficult-to-treat infections that can progress into gangrene necessitating amputation (particularly in the lower extremities). [13] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source

Repeat blood tests also help your physician to make decisions about insulin doses and medication doses. Your doctor will be trying to “target” your blood sugars to be within a particular range, so having the numerical values from repeat blood tests is key. It can also provide motivation for you to exercise more, and to make positive changes to your diet, knowing that you may very well see tangible results on your next blood test! If you fall in the pre-diabetic range or if your diabetes is well controlled, you may only need tests every 6 months. If you have poorly controlled diabetes, your doctor may recommend testing every 3-4 months.