Symptoms:

Often, people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at all. If you do have symptoms, they may include:

• Blurred vision
• Erectile dysfunction
• Fatigue
• Frequent or slow-healing infections
• Increased appetite
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination

Signs and tests:

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed with the following blood tests:

• Fasting blood glucose level -- diabetes is diagnosed if higher than 126 mg/dL on 2 occasions.
• Oral glucose tolerance test -- diabetes is diagnosed if glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours.
• Random (non-fasting) blood glucose level -- diabetes is suspected if higher than 200 mg/dL and accompanied by the classic symptoms of increased thirst, urination, and fatigue (this test must be confirmed with a fasting blood glucose test).

Have your hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level checked every 3 - 6 months. The HbA1c is a measure of average blood glucose during the past 2 -3 months. It is a very helpful way to determine how well treatment is working.