What to Expect from a Glucose Tolerance Test

If you have ever been pregnant, then you know about doing a the famous glucose tolerance test . What is this test, you maybe asking , the glucose tolerance test is a laboratory method to check how the body breaks down (metabolizes) blood sugar. This test is not only for pregnant woman, it can be done on anyone, who doctors may suspect are hypo or hyperglycemic. The test ranges from 1 hour up to 6 hours, depending on what the doctor feels you might have.

How this test works, with the exception of a 1 hour test, which is only given to pregnant woman, a fasting blood sample is drawn, you will then be given a 75 gram bottle of glucola. However, if you are pregnant, the one hour test you will have a 50 gram bottle, and if you fail and have to do the three hour test a 100 gram bottle will be given. The flavors are generally orange, cola or lemon lime, but a fruit punch flavor is going to be introduced very soon according to cardinal health. Most people feel the orange is the best tasting out the that is out right now. You will have five minutes to drink the entire bottle. After you are done a timer is set and you will be drawn exact 1 hour later. You blood will be drawn for every hour for as long as the test is ordered. So if you have a 4 hour test ordered, you blood will be drawn every hour for the next 4 hours.

Some rules that apply, is you will not be allowed to leave a facility, so make sure you bring something to do, also you will not be allowed to eat or drink during the test either, so if you do feel sick at any time let the technician know immediately. You also must be fasting for at least 6-8 hour prior to the test.

The test is slightly different for pregnant woman, for the one hour test, fasting isn't required, however to ensure the best results, it is recommended. Also be careful what you might eat the night before the test, it can cause you to fail. If you fail the one hour test, you will be required to do a three hour tolerance. For that you must fast.. Most woman who fail the one hour generally pass the 3 hour, and because of them not fasting, or what they ate the night before.

Lately, people have read about using jellybeans instead drinking the beverage, that test isn't accurate on many accounts, on further research, jelly beans come in different sizes and you can not guarantee that the patient will get the correct amount of sugar, Another problem some people just can not chew or the jellybeans get stuck in the teeth, which also doesn't help in the absorption. So why may, places will not do this, experimental approach to this test.