Whether you've had diabetes for years or have just been diagnosed, one thing you've probably heard is that controlling your blood glucose (or blood sugar) level is critical to your long-term health.
In a nutshell, when you have diabetes either your body doesn't produce enough insulin to properly metabolize, or burn, blood sugar (type 1 diabetes) or it makes less insulin than necessary or has developed a resistance to using insulin properly (type 2 diabetes).
Both cases result in the same problems: First, your cells aren't able to produce the energy from glucose that they need to function optimally from day to day, and second, the excessive glucose in your blood puts you at risk of serious long-term health problems, such as eye, nerve, kidney, and heart damage, among other complications.
The good news is that you don't have to just accept these risks. With careful blood sugar monitoring and control, you can lead a healthy, active life and avoid both short- and long-term consequences of diabetes. Keep the following dos and don'ts in mind and chances are your diabetes will always play a minor role in your life.
Dos
Do be consistent: Checking and managing your blood sugar levels should be a part of your daily routine, not something you do now and then, when you feel like it, or when you remember. Make it a habit!
Do check more often during times of stress: Blood glucose levels are more likely to get out of balance when you are sick, subject to physical or emotional stress, not sleeping well, or not eating or exercising as you should. Be especially diligent about blood glucose monitoring during such times.
Do test at the proper times: Ask your doctor when you should test your blood sugar levels for the most accurate results. Typically this is before eating and before bed. Testing at the same times and under the same conditions every day provides the most accurate picture of what's happening with your blood sugar over time.
Do keep track: Newer blood glucose monitors can keep a log of your results from test to test. If your model doesn't do this, a simple paper log can do the same thing. Keeping track of results over time can give you and your doctor a more accurate picture of how well your diabetes management program is working. This is more important than the results of any single test.
Do aim for the middle road: The American Diabetes Association recommends that premeal blood sugar levels fall in the range of 80 to 120 mg/dl, and that bedtime blood levels fall in the range of 100 to 140 mg/dl. Aim to stay within these ranges, unless your doctor adjusts them because of your particular circumstances.
Don'ts
Don't wait until you feel sick to check: By the time you feel physical symptoms, your blood sugar level can be dangerously high or low. Think of regular blood glucose checks as good preventive medicine.
Don't get lazy with hygiene: Always sterilize your skin and equipment before testing, even if you've escaped problems in the past. Staph and other serious infections can result from unclean testing conditions.
Don't try to make do: Testing strips and other kinds of equipment are designed to work with certain makes and models of blood glucose monitors. Don't try to save money by using old test strips with a new device, for example. The results may not be accurate, and you'd be putting your health at unnecessary risk.
Don't play ostrich: Sometimes checking your blood glucose level can be emotionally difficult, especially when the results are not what you know they should be. But denial is not a solution. Remember, your blood glucose levels are not a reflection of your worth. They're simply critical information you need to manage your health.
Don't be afraid to check in: If your blood glucose test results are too high (over 180 mg/dl) or too low (under 70 mg/dl) more often than once a week, call your doctor to discuss why this is occurring and what can be done to correct it.
In short, while you can't change the fact that you have diabetes, your health is still in your hands. Regular blood glucose testing, done properly, is one of the best tools you have to make sure diabetes stays in its place.
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