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Sometimes a person is first diagnosed with diabetes after developing the classic symptoms of excessive urination, thirst, weight loss and hunger. Or they may have become dangerously ill and have fallen into a coma (though this is rare these days).

These days it's much more likely to be diagnosed by a blood glucose test taken as part of a routine check-up, or during the course of a blood test for some other illness. The blood test must be taken when a person is fasting - at least eight hours after a meal. That’s because a person's blood glucose normally rises for a couple of hours after a meal anyway.

Usually, doctors will order a further series of tests, in which blood glucose levels are taken over a two (or sometimes four) hour period following a standard glucose drink. This is called a glucose tolerance test. It gives a more accurate picture of what is happening to blood glucose levels after a meal.

What are the syptoms?

The classic symptoms of diabetes are; thirst (the medical term for this is polydipsia), frequent passing of urine (polyuria), hunger and weight loss.

The thirst and the excess passing of urine is a consequence of the high levels of glucose in the blood. The kidneys excrete more glucose in the urine than is usual, and more fluid as well, so the body loses fluid and the person tries to replace the lost fluid by frequent drinking. The weight loss is caused by the fact that the cells of the body are not getting enough glucose. The body compensates by burning fat instead and the person loses weight. The lack of glucose going into the cells drives the person to consume more carbohydrates in food, but despite this, the person still loses weight.