Glucose is a type of sugar that your body requires and uses for energy. Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat into glucose.
The urine glucose test involves taking a sample of urine. Once you provide your sample, a small cardboard device known as a dipstick will measure your glucose levels.
The dipstick will change colour depending on the amount of glucose in your urine. If you have a moderate or high amount of glucose in your urine, your doctor will perform further testing to determine the underlying cause.
The most common cause of elevated glucose levels is diabetes, a condition that affects your body’s ability to manage glucose levels. It’s important to monitor your glucose levels if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, or if you show symptoms of prediabetes.
These symptoms include:
- excessive thirst
- blurred vision
- fatigue
When left untreated, diabetes can lead to long-term complications, including kidney failure and nerve damage.
Why is a urine glucose test performed?
A urine glucose test used to be performed to check for diabetes. In addition, people with diabetes could use the urine glucose test as a way of monitoring the degree of sugar control, or efficacy of treatments.
Urine tests were once the main type of testing used to measure glucose levels in people who potentially had diabetes. However, they are less common now that blood tests have become more accurate and easier to use.
In some cases, your doctor may order a urine test to check for kidney problems or a urinary tract infection (UTI).
How do I prepare for a urine glucose test?
It’s important to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, or supplements you’re taking. Certain medications can affect your test results. However, you should never stop taking your medications unless your doctor tells you to do so.
How is a urine glucose test performed?
Your doctor will perform the urine glucose test in their office or at a diagnostic laboratory. A doctor or lab technician will give you a plastic cup with a lid on it and ask you to provide a urine sample. When you get to the bathroom, wash your hands and use a moist towel to clean the area around your genitals.
Let a small stream of urine flow into the toilet to clear the urinary tract. Then place the cup under the stream of urine. After you’ve obtained the sample — half a cup is usually sufficient — finish urinating in the toilet. Carefully place the lid on the cup, making sure not to touch the inside of the cup.
Give the sample to the appropriate person. They will use a device called a dipstick to measure your glucose levels. Dipstick tests can usually be performed on the spot, so you may be able to receive your results within several minutes
Diabetes and the urine glucose test
The most common cause of high levels of glucose in the urine is diabetes. Diabetes is a group of diseases that affects the way the body processes glucose. Normally, a hormone called insulin controls the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.
In people with diabetes, however, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin produced doesn’t work properly. This causes glucose to build up in the blood. Symptoms of diabetes include:
- excessive thirst or hunger
- frequent urination
- dry mouth
- fatigue
- blurry vision
- slow-healing cuts or sores
Type 1 diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune condition that develops when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This means that the body can’t make enough insulin.
This causes glucose to build up in the blood. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to manage their condition.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that usually develops over time. This condition is often referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but it can affect children. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body can’t produce enough insulin and the cells become resistant to its effects.
This means that the cells are unable to take in and store glucose. Instead, glucose remains in the blood. Type 2 diabetes develops most often in people who are overweight and who live a sedentary lifestyle.
