| Testing Testing Testing: Why It Matters |
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| by Terri Clapsaddle, RD, LDN, CDE | |
| Friday, 24 March 2006 | |
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“Why should I check my blood sugar? I know what high and low blood sugar feels like.”
“I only check my blood sugar when I don’t feel right.”
“I only test it 3 times a week and it is normal, so I don’t check it more often.”
“My blood sugar was high every time I checked it, so I quit checking it.”
Does this sound familiar to you? Testing blood sugar (blood glucose) at home can be a chore, and let’s face it, downright painful. The benefits far outweigh the pain, however, and here are 4 good reasons why. Reason number 1: testing glucose is part of pattern management; in other words, what I call establishing cause and affect. By testing your glucose at least once a day, you will begin to learn more about what affects your glucose levels. Does exercise lower it? Does a stressful day raise it? Do the foods you eat have an affect? Reason number 2: once you have figured out what affects your glucose, then you can keep on top of needs for medication changes, keep your food choices in check, or find a reason to embrace the benefits of exercise. Instead of beating yourself up, you may find yourself making better choices. Reason number 3: as diabetes progresses, your body may become more used to fluctuations in glucose levels and you may be unable to identify highs and lows. The only way you know for sure is by testing it. If you aren’t testing, your diabetes may go untreated. Untreated diabetes leads to complications.Reason number 4: research has shown that people who test their blood glucose at home on a regular basis have less complications of diabetes because they tend to stick to the life style changes needed to manage diabetes. How often should you test? If you test once daily, alternate your times. For instance, if you checked your pre-breakfast glucose levels (fasting glucose levels) today, then tomorrow, test 2 hours after a meal. Ideally, it is best to check 2-3 times daily, before and after heavy activity, and any time you have symptoms of low glucose levels . If you are on insulin pre-meals, you will need to check with your doctor or diabetes educator about how often to test. What should your glucose levels be? On average, to prevent complications, glucose numbers should range from no greater than 120 to 135. Pre-meal numbers should range 80-120 and 2 hour post-meal numbers should range 80-140. If your glucose level is greater than 200 for greater than 2 days, contact your doctor or health care provider. If you have frequent episodes of unexplained low glucose levels, contact your doctor or health care provider as well. For more information on benefits of regular home blood glucose testing, go to www.diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).
Terri Clapsaddle, RD, LDN, CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator with 19 Years of Clinical and Wellness experience, currently practicing in Diabetes Self-Management and Consulting. Terri is currently at The Center for Diabetes Health at Caldwell Health Care System. www.caldwell-mem.org
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