Testing your Blood Sugar Levels: How and When to Do It

Diabetes management is about blood sugar. Whether you have high or low blood sugar levels, you will experience a drastic change in your mood, well-being, and long-term health. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to monitor your blood sugar level. You can opt for self-glucose testing using a glucose meter with test strips and blood drawn from your fingertip for instant measurements. Regular testing can help you avoid getting long-term health issues that can stem from your condition. Because every person is different, your doctor will review your case and recommend the right solution to help monitor your blood sugar and manage diabetes effectively.

Read to know how and when to monitor your blood glucose levels:

How to Monitor your Blood Sugar Levels

• Conventional home glucose monitoring. This refers to the pricking of your finger with a small, sharp needle known as lancet, putting a drop of blood on a test strip, and placing the strip into a meter that shows your blood sugar levels. You can expect meters to vary in features, speed, portability, cost, size, and readability. While some devices can deliver results in seconds, others calculate on average blood sugar levels over a span of time.

• Continuous glucose monitoring system. These devices can be implanted in your body or attached to it. Some of them are combined with insulin pumps. These devices are not as accurate as finger-stick glucose results. However, they can help find patterns and trends in your sugar levels.

• Flash glucose meters. These devices can monitor blood glucose levels continuously and provide instant readings. They are worn under the skin. To find out your levels, scan the sensor whenever you want to.

When to Test Blood Sugar

It is important to test your blood sugar as recommended to see how your meals, activities, and medications impact your blood sugar. According to the American Diabetes Association, it is ideal to routinely test blood sugar levels to aid in diabetes management. Your doctor will tell you when and how often you must check your levels. If you use insulin more than once per day or use an insulin pump, you need to check your levels at least three times every day.

What can Impact your Results?

Your blood pressure readings may not be accurate if you have gout or anemia. Your results can also be interfered with if it is hot and humid or you are at a high altitude. Vitamin C can also affect your results. If you tend to consistently see unexpected results, recalibrate your meter and check the strips.