Maintenance of a healthy blood glucose can be confusing. There is a lot to know about foods, carbohydrates and sugars. If you think you need help, contact a registered dietitian or let your doctor know. A dietitian can help you plan meals and answer any questions you may have. Getting to know your blood glucose after eating or physical activity can help you keep better glycemic control.
How To Check
To check your blood glucose, start by washing your hands. Next, insert a test strip into your glucometer. Using your lancing instrument, obtain a small drop of blood to place on the test strip. To increase blood, you can massage or hold your finger down. After a few seconds, your blood glucose level should appear in the window of your glucometer.
Blood Glucose Norms
Blood glucose normal ranges differ according to the time that you test your blood sugar. If you take your blood glucose before you eat, it should be between 70 to 130 mg of glucose per deciliter of blood. If you take your blood glucose after you eat, any reading less than 180 mg of glucose per deciliter of blood is normal.
Eating and Blood Glucose
When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, it is good practice to get to know your blood glucose response to foods. The American Diabetes Association recommends keeping a daily log of blood glucose and what you've eaten. If you continue to see a trend of low or high blood glucose, you might need to change your routine. You want to eat foods that create a modest rise in blood glucose over a significant period of time. Becoming familiar with how foods affect your blood glucose will allow you to have good glycemic control.
Exercise and Blood Sugars
Regular exercise can help control your blood glucose, however, when you are first starting out, you must become familiar with how your body and blood glucose reacts to exercise. Hypoglycemia, or an unsafely low blood glucose, is the most common condition for diabetics who exercise. Hypoglycemia occurs if your blood glucose is too low when you begin exercising. Hyperglycemia, or a high blood glucose, can occur from exercise as well. If your blood glucose is high, there may be a problem getting glucose into your cells. When you exercise, this makes your body thinks that there is not enough glucose in your blood, so your body makes more glucose to put into your blood, resulting in hyperglycemia.
When to Test Blood Sugar
Once you have become familiar with your blood glucose response to food and physical activity, you can get into a daily routine of blood sugar testing. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, you should check your blood glucose seven times per day. Blood glucose tests should be done before and after meals and before bedtime. If you are on a new medication or pregnant, you need to monitor your blood sugar more often.
Signs and Symptoms
If you have diabetes, know the signs and symptoms of an unsafe blood glucose. Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose of less than 80 mg of glucose per deciliter of blood. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include crying, feeling drowsy, fainting, hand tremors, sweating, dizziness, fatigue, excessive hunger, mood changes, unsteadiness, blurred or double vision, convulsions, headache, slurred speech and poor coordination. Hyperglycemia is blood glucose greater than 300 mg per deciliter of blood. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include weakness, thirst, dry mouth, soft eyeballs, frequent urination, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal tenderness and acetone breath.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Checking Your Blood Glucose
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription",Whaley, Mithcell H., PhD, Brubaker, Peter H., Phd, Otto, Robert M., Phd (Eds.), 2006.
- United States Department of Health and Human Services; "If You Have Diabetes...Know Your Blood Sugar Numbers"; 2005
