Diabetes Blood Sugar Testing

Diabetes blood sugar testing is a major core in a diabetic’s life. It is important for patients with diabetes to know blood sugar testing themselves and make necessary actions thereafter.

Diabetes blood sugar testing is a major core in a diabetic’s life. It is important for patients with diabetes to know blood sugar testing themselves and make necessary actions thereafter.

Why should diabetics do the testing?

Patients with diabetes need to do blood sugar levels in order to do actions needed to correct the levels if they are not in the safe range. Likewise, they want to check how their precautionary routines are doing. Results of the testing ultimately tells the patient if they are doing the right thing or not.

The target range of blood sugar level for diabetics that are safe are as follows:

* Before meals = in between 70 & 130 mg/dL (4 & 7 mmol/L)
* 1 to 2 hours after meals = below 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L)
* Fasting at least eight hours (fasting blood sugar level) = in between 90 & 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 5 & 7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)

Target range changes when you have diabetes and are pregnant or get older. Blood sugar testing is an important thing a diabetic can to feel good and prevent long-term complications.

How often should you test?

The frequency of testing blood sugar levels depends on a lot of factors, including the type of diabetes, treatment and how well the blood sugar is controlled.

For type 1 diabetes, doctors recommend 3 sugar testing at least 3 times a day, maybe before or after certain meals, before or after exercise or before bed. Frequency increases when the patient is ill.

For type 2 diabetes, 1 to 3 times a day if the person with diabetes is taking insulin depending on the dosage. Frequency of blood sugar testing may lessen if some medications are taken, or if diet and exercise alone are practiced.

Testing

Checking the glucose can be done by the patient himself. While doing the testing, he must remember these few points: clean the meter often, store strips so they do not deteriorate, check the meter battery, check the strips date, cleaning your hands and double checking on a different meter if the result is dubious.

Whatever it is, blood testing is indeed a part of a diabetics life. It is not difficult. They just have to get used to it.