If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, do you know the best time to check your blood sugar levels? If not, this article can guide you on when you should check your blood sugar levels, what range blood sugar levels you need to maintain, and what factors can affect your blood sugar levels. It is essential for you because this is the main factor in managing diabetes and preventing hypoglycemia due to diabetes medication.
Learn all about blood sugar checks in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
When to check blood sugar?
Your doctor will guide you on how often you need to check your blood sugar levels depending on the type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan.
Type 1 diabetes
Most doctors recommend blood sugar testing 4 to 10 times a day if you have type 1 diabetes. It includes:
- Before meals and snacks.
- Before sleep time.
- Before and after exercise.
- During the night (if you wake up, sometimes).
- More often when you’re
- More often if you change your routine.
- More often if you start a new medication.
Type 2 diabetes
If a doctor prescribes insulin to manage type 2 diabetes, your doctor will also recommend blood sugar testing several times a day, depending on which blood sugar test you use and the amount of insulin you take. Blood sugar testing is usually recommended before meals and bedtime if you take multiple injections. Or you may only need to test before breakfast and sometimes before dinner or bedtime if you are using intermediate or long-acting insulin.
If you are managing your diabetes with non-insulin medications or with diet and exercise alone, then you may not need to test your blood sugar daily.
Blood sugar range
Your healthcare provider tells you what blood sugar range is ideal for you. These blood sugar ranges are set based on the type and severity of diabetes, age, pregnancy status, how long you have had diabetes, overall health, or the presence of any diabetes complications or other medical conditions.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), recommended target blood sugar levels are:
- 80 to 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) before meals.
- Less than 180 mg/dL after two hours of finishing the meals.
But keep in mind that these goals can vary depending on your age and personal health and should be different for every person.
Some people may have slightly higher blood sugar goals, such as:
- If your age is 60 or above.
- If you have other medical conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney disease.
- If your ability to sense low blood sugar levels is reduced (hypoglycemia unawareness).
What can affect your blood sugar levels?
Besides your diet and lifestyle, certain conditions like anemia, gout, or if you live in hot and humid weather, or high altitudes can affect your blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar test readings give unusual results, then recalibrate your meter and check the test strips.
The best time to check your blood sugar levels is usually before meals or snacks, 2 hours after finishing meals, and before and during the workout. It is particularly important to keep a check on blood sugar levels because it helps you manage your diabetes and prevent extremely low blood sugar levels.
If you need help with blood sugar testing, want to learn about more factors that keep you healthy despite your diabetes or if you have symptoms that indicate diabetes, visit our clinic. If you want to know more, you can talk to our endocrinologists for advice and/or a second opinion. To learn more about diabetes and its management visit our Endocrinology page. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org if you have any queries. Call us on +1-347-384-5690 to get answers to your queries or pay us a visit at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212. And if you have diabetes or have its symptoms, come to us for diagnosis and treatment, we have the best endocrinologists and diabetes specialists to help you throughout the process.
