Blood Sugar Testing: Why, When, and How

There are many reasons why it is necessary to monitor your blood sugar levels, but, the most common one is to keep an eye on diabetes.

Whether you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, or are simply at risk of developing it, there are several good reasons why you should monitor your blood sugar levels.

It doesn’t matter how healthy you feel today, diet and genetics can pace you at risk of diabetes; it is better to monitor your blood sugar today and prevent this from happening than it is to wait and deal with the consequences.

Why You should test your blood sugar levels

You probably know diabetes is a condition where your body is unable to regulate your blood sugar level properly. This can result in excess blood sugar or too little.

The great news is that it is possible to adjust your diet and reduce your risk of getting diabetes, but only if you monitor your blood sugar level today.

Monitoring blood sugar levels means you can see if yours is often high or low and how quickly it returns to normal after you’ve eaten. This is a very effective method of spotting pre-diabetes and helping you to control it before it becomes an issue.

You’re not alone, it is estimated that 9.4% of the population have diabetes. But, you’ve only got to look at these celebrities to see that life and success are still possible.

If there is too much sugar in your blood then you may feel a burst of energy but it is more likely that you’ll feel sluggish as your body struggles to deal with the volume of sugar.

The excess sugar will be converted into fat by your body, increasing your weight and your risk of many age-related diseases, specifically cardiovascular issues and cancer.

But that’s not all. High blood sugar levels for an extended period of time can increase your risk of kidney disease, nerve damage, getting cataracts, bone problems, and even infections.

This doesn’t mean low blood sugar levels are any better. If they are too low you’ll feel sluggish, in extreme cases, your body can shut down and you can even die.

Low blood sugar levels also make you sweat, feel anxious, and make your body shake uncontrollably.

That’s why it is so important to monitor your blood sugar, staying in the normal range will help to keep you healthy for life.

Continuous Testing versus Occasional

There are two options when considering blood sugar testing; continuous and occasional.

Continuous testing involves attaching a small monitor to your body. If you choose a high-quality continuous glucose monitoring device from a reputable website that sells CGM supplies, you’ll find it is very discreet and easy to wear.

What this does is monitors your blood sugar levels 24 hours a day. The data is saved to an app on your cell phone or tablet for review whenever you want.

The alternative is to use a kit with a small needle-like syringe. You can then remove blood from your fingertip and test the blood sugar level yourself. You’ll need to do this at set times throughout the day. In fact, you’ll probably need an alarm to remind you as it is very easy to overlook it; without meaning too.

Occasional is probably good enough if you are worried about diabetes but don’t seem to have an issue yet.

However, if you already have diabetes the continuous system is far superior. You don’t need to remember to check your blood sugar level, it will warn you if it is getting too high, or too low, and, most importantly, you have plenty of data you can review at leisure.

Data can be saved indefinitely, this allows you to see a day, week, or even months and observe the trends; if there are any.

Ideally, you should keep a food and activity diet at the same time. Putting all this data together will allow you to identify the things you do or the items you eat that are negatively affecting your blood sugar levels.

In turn, this will allow you to adapt your lifestyle to live with diabetes without it being intrusive. In short, you can be like the celebrities living with diabetes; still achieving their goals and dreams.