Understanding how diabetes is diagnosed is an important step in managing your health. This section explores the symptoms to look out for, the tests used to confirm a diagnosis, and why early detection matters.
Learn how recognising diabetes early can help you take control of your wellbeing.
Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy and may have no obvious symptoms. Risk factors include being overweight, family history, previous large babies, or certain ethnic backgrounds. Early testing with an OGTT allows timely management to protect mother and baby.
Prediabetes often has no obvious symptoms, but risk factors include being overweight, inactive, or having a family history of diabetes. Blood tests such as fasting glucose, HbA1c, or glucose tolerance tests help detect prediabetes early, allowing lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes develops gradually, with symptoms like thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow wound healing. Early diagnosis through blood and HbA1c tests allows timely treatment, lifestyle changes, and reduces the risk of long-term complications.
Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly, with symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, and fatigue. Early diagnosis through blood tests and autoantibody screening is vital to start insulin therapy and reduce complications.