Could I have diabetes

Hi @hazcad83 Yes, diabetes should show in a blood test. They usually do an HbA1C test (which gives an idea of your blood sugar over the last two or three months) but you may also have a fingerprick test.

Your GP should be able to sort a test for you pretty quickly.

Edited to add that I presume you've had general blood tests for things like anaemia, thyroid problems, etc?

It will only show up in a blood test if the blood was taken for the purposes of an Hba1c test. Blood can be tested for all sorts of things as well as blood sugar. If another test is intended they might not report on the sugar level.

I see your consultant is going to get you a blood sugar test in the next few weeks so the one you had, logically, was for something else.

hazcad83 said:

Yes as far as i know it was just a general blood test to see what i could be lacking thats causing the swelling. hence him putting me on folic acid before as that was the only thing low in my tests a few months ago.

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Tongue problems can be associated with thyroid issues, amongst a number of other things. A blood test could rule that out, if it hasn't been ruled out already.

hazcad83 said:

Yes thyroid was ruled out in the general tests as its OK.

So am I right in thinking the Hba1c test is specifically for blood sugar? An that's the one he could be referring me for.

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Yes, the HbA1C is looking at blood sugar The result from that test will indicate whether you have diabetes or not, or are getting close to diabetic levels (known as prediabetes).

If you want to check exactly what tests you've been referred for, I'd ask the doctor themselves just to make sure

I would ask for not only TSH but T4 and T3 to be tested, a scalloped tongue is definitely thyroid linked. Doctors seem very reluctant to treat thyroid problems, I know because I am having many problems (not scalloped tongue) with mine at the moment and I have had to be very persistent to get some treatment. Try going to HealthUnlocked forum to get some answers, they are very helpful.

Not trying to confuse you, honest!
But there are a few different blood tests that can be used to screen for diabetes.

finger prick tests - these give a snapshot of what your blood glucose is on the day and time it is taken. the result will depend entirely on what you have eaten, and how long ago. Diabetics who have been eating carbs often show higher than non diabetics.

HbA1c - often used for diagnosis because it doesn't require fasting before the test, and the test result shows an approximate average of what your blood glucose has been for the last 2-3 months.

Fasting blood glucose test - this can be a finger prick test or a venous blood test, and will show what your blood glucose is on the day and time it is taken. The reason you would be asked to fast (miss breakfast) is because they want to know what your blood glucose is without breakfast. Diabetics often have higher fasting readings than non-diabetics

The Glucose Tolerance Test - this is where you go to the surgery for a Fasting test, then drink a big glass of Lucozade or glucose in water, and then they test your blood glucose after 2 hours. This one tests how well your body deals with a lot of sugar in one go.

Depending on what your history is, and how you present your symptoms, the doc may request any (or all) of these tests, to make sure he gets a good picture of your blood glucose situation. There are supposed to be general diagnostic guidelines that all doctors adhere to, but I have noticed that every doc I have seen in the last 15 years seems to have different preferences in which tests to use.

Hope that helps.

Hi. If you remain worried, you can always ask the local pharmacy to do a finger-prick test which most do for free on the spot. It's best around 2 hours after a meal when your sugar will be near it's highest. It should be below 8.5 mmol. The GTT test should show whether you have diabetes and the HBa1C test is the best but often isn't done until 3 months after diagnosis.