How Often To Check Blood Sugar Type 2 Diabetes

Tips On Managing Blood Sugar Levels

The good news is that lifestyle changes can be combined with modern medicine to produce better blood sugar control than ever in those that suffer from type 2 diabetes. Some people may be able to manage their diabetes completely with lifestyle changes alone, though others may require medical interventions to better control blood sugar levels.

Here are some of the most common ways that people can keep their blood sugars at healthy levels:

How To Test Your Blood Sugar At Home

Follow these steps:

Know Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar is the amount of sugar in your blood at a given time. It’s important to check your blood sugar level, because it will:

• determine if you have a high or low blood sugar level at a given time
• show you how your lifestyle and medication affect your blood sugar levels
• help you and your diabetes health-care team make lifestyle and medication changes to improve your blood sugar levels

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How Often Should You Check Your Blood Sugar With Type 2 Diabetes

As with Type 1 diabetes, your doctor will likely set up an individualized plan that is built specifically for your situation.

How many time a day you are asked to check your blood sugar level will depend on things like your overall health, your diet and the type of insulin you were prescribed. If you are taking multiple insulin injections each day, you will likely be asked to take your blood sugar before meals and before bed.

If you are taking long-term insulin solutions, such as a continuous glucose monitor, you may not have to take quite as many readings.

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When Should I Measure My Blood Glucose

Throughout the rest of your pregnancy, you will need to measure your blood glucose levels at various points through the day, to check that they are within the limits you have been given at each of those times:

When you get up You need to measure your blood glucose levels each morning when you get up, before you have anything to eat or drink. This blood glucose level is called your fasting blood glucose level because you will have an empty stomach. You must not have eaten or drunk anything apart from water overnight, for at least eight hours.

Your team should have discussed this with you and agreed the ideal morning blood glucose level for you to aim for.

Before or after every meal You will probably be asked to measure your blood glucose level around the time of a meal. Some services measure before eating while others measure one or two hours after a meal .

Again, you will have discussed and agreed an ideal blood glucose level after meals with your diabetes team. These levels will be higher than your fasting blood glucose levels, as you will just have eaten.

If you are taking insulin to help to control your blood glucose levels, you may need to do a separate test before you go to bed, or even during the night, although this is unusual.

When we did go out for a special meal or two, and Id have a little bit of cheesecake or something, it really affected my sugar levels. But that wouldve been just twice in the whole pregnancy.Gemma, mum of one

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When Is The Best Time To Check Blood Sugar With Type 2 Diabetes

Generally, healthcare professionals recommend checking blood sugar before meals and at bedtime. However, this can vary depending on a persons diabetes management plan.

When a person has type 2 diabetes, their body cannot regulate the volume of sugar, or glucose, in their blood. Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels can be a key tool for managing the condition.

Read on to learn about the benefits, how to check blood sugar levels, the best time to check, and more.

A person with type 2 diabetes may have too much sugar also called glucose in their blood. Glucose is the primary source of energy for all cells.

Type 2 diabetes causes problems with the production or use of insulin, a hormone that breaks down blood glucose. This means the glucose stays in the bloodstream.

If a person has too much glucose in their blood, they can experience complications such as:

• bladder problems

check their blood glucose levels using a blood glucose meter. To use a blood glucose meter, the American Diabetes Association recommends that a person do the following:

This shows the changes in their glucose levels over time.

Making A Schedule For Blood Sugar Testing

Making a blood sugar testing schedule can be beneficial if you have diabetes. It can help you identify potential patterns, assess blood sugar levels , and may even allow you to gain better control over your blood glucose. It can get very dangerous when your blood sugar is uncontrolled, so a schedule may help you stay on track.

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What Were The Results

At the end of the one-year study, there were no differences, on average, in blood sugar levels and quality of life between people who checked their blood sugar daily and those who didnt. People who tested their blood sugar levels daily had slightly lower blood sugar levels in the middle of the study than those who didnt test. But this difference didnt last until the end of the study. Among people who checked their blood sugar levels, there were no differences in blood sugar levels or quality of life between those who did and didnt receive text messages.

Drink Water And Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water could help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy ranges.

In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out any excess sugar through urine.

One review of observational studies showed that those who drank more water had a lower risk of developing high blood sugar levels (

34 ).

You can do so at home using a portable blood glucose meter, which is known as a glucometer. You can discuss this option with your doctor.

Keeping track allows you to determine whether you need to adjust your meals or medications. It also helps you learn how your body reacts to certain foods .

Try measuring your levels regularly every day and keeping track of the numbers in a log. Also, it may be more helpful to track your blood sugar in pairs for example, before and after exercise or before and 2 hours after a meal.

This can show you whether you need to make small changes to a meal if it spikes your blood sugar, rather than avoiding your favorite meals altogether. Some adjustments include swapping a starchy side for non-starchy veggies or limiting them to a handful.

Summary

Checking your blood glucose and maintaining a daily log enables you to adjust foods and medications when necessary to better manage your blood sugar levels.

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What Are The Recommended Targets For Blood Glucose Levels

Many people with diabetes aim to keep their blood glucose at these normal levels:

• Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL
• About 2 hours after a meal starts: less than 180 mg/dL

Talk with your health care team about the best target range for you. Be sure to tell your health care professional if your glucose levels often go above or below your target range.

What Time Of Day Should I Test

Recommendations for the best time of day to test your blood sugar depend on your medicine, mealtimes, and blood sugar control. Your doctor may provide a chart that outlines when to check your blood sugar and what level you should target. Your doctor may also suggest different goals, depending on your situation.

The chart may look something like this:

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What Is A Well

For some people, these blood sugars we talked about just above may not sound like well-controlled but Im talking about general purposes. Because our goal for diabetes depends on the patient. We individualize goals. Sometimes we are very strict with patients. Lets say a pregnant patient. We want to keep them less than 90 in the morning. A pregnant woman vs an 80-year-old frail woman does not have the same blood sugar goals. So, we dont tell An 80-year-old woman you have to wake up below 90 because we know that theyre going to be at risk of dropping their blood sugar in that age too low. It can be very hard on them and it can actually be very dangerous. So, what we try to do here trying to manage risk based on the patient so thats why your doctor should give you the Individual goals. You should know exactly what your goal should be . So, what your personal goal should be between you and your physician

Should I Test My Blood Glucose Levels

If you are on medication that puts you at risk of hypos, you should test your blood glucose levels. Medications that can cause hypos include:

• Prandial glucose regulators

This means that all people with type 1 diabetes need to regularly test their blood glucose levels.

If you have another type of diabetes and are not on any of the medication above, there is less necessity to test your blood sugar but there is still plenty of benefit to be had in testing your blood sugar.

• Read about the benefits of blood glucose testing

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Make A Note Of Your Readings

It may sound obvious, but you must record your readings. Note them down in a diary, a notebook or in your phone calendar. Some meters have software that lets you do this. You could try a diabetes app too.

You and your healthcare team can then look back over your results to see if you need to adjust your treatment.

How Often Should You Check Your Blood Sugar

Checking your blood glucose frequently is essential to proper diabetes management. Timing is key when it comes to understanding how certain foods affect your blood glucose levels, as well as other factors such as exercise and the kind of insulin youre using. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Diabetes Association and recommend the following on how often you should check your blood sugar. If you:

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How Often Should You Test Your Blood Sugar

How often you test your blood sugar depends on which type of diabetes you have, your blood sugar range and what kind of treatment your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will provide guidance on how often you should test it. If you have type 2 diabetes and take insulin to manage it, your doctor may suggest you test your blood sugar two or more times per day, usually before meals and sometimes before you go to bed. If you use noninsulin medications or manage your type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise, you may not need to test it as often.

National Guidelines For Testing

NICE Guidelines for testing3

1.3.5 Advise pregnant women with any form of diabetes to maintain their capillary plasma glucose below the following target levels, if these are achievable without causing problematic hypoglycaemia:fasting: 5.3 mmol/litre and

SIGN Guidelines for testing2

Postprandial glucose monitoring should be carried out in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and may be considered in pregnant women with type 1 or 2 diabetes.

aim to achieve blood glucose: between 4 and 6 mmol/l preprandially, and < 8 mmol/l one hour postprandially, or < 7 mmol/l two hours postprandially > 6 mmol/l before bed.

HSE Guidelines for testing4

5.3.6 Blood glucose targets during pregnancy

The following target values are recommended for optimum maternal and fetal outcome: Fasting capillary glucose level: 3.5-5.0mmol/L 1 hour post-prandial capillary glucose level: < 7.0mmol/L

It is worth noting that not one National guideline recommends only preprandial testing, or alternative days of preprandial and postprandial testing. They all recommend fasting and postprandial testing, with additional preprandial testing recommended for those using insulin therapy

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Type 2 Diabetes And Blood Sugar Levels

Type 2 diabetes prevents glucose sugar from entering your body’s cells to properly use for energy. Insulin is a hormone released by your pancreas , which helps glucose get into your cells to carry out body functions.

However, in those with type 2 diabetes, the cells become resistant to insulin. This makes it more difficult for the glucose in your bloodstream to get into the cells to provide your body with the energy it needs for many of its functions. This can lead to high levels of sugar in your blood that can’t get into your cells, which over time may result in dangerous health consequences.

How Can I Check My Blood Sugar

Use a blood sugar meter or a continuous glucose monitor to check your blood sugar. A blood sugar meter measures the amount of sugar in a small sample of blood, usually from your fingertip. A CGM uses a sensor inserted under the skin to measure your blood sugar every few minutes. If you use a CGM, youll still need to test daily with a blood sugar meter to make sure your CGM readings are accurate.

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What Was The Research About

With type 2 diabetes, a persons blood sugar levels become higher than normal because the body doesnt make or use the hormone insulin correctly. Keeping blood sugar levels normal can help prevent health problems that affect the heart, brain, eyes, limbs, and kidneys. Many people with type 2 diabetes use diet, exercise, and medicine to manage their blood sugar levels. They may also prick their fingers and measure their blood sugar levels with personal monitors daily. People can then adjust their diets and exercise in response to the blood sugar levels. But checking takes time, the supplies can be costly, and the health benefits are not clear.

This study focused on people with type 2 diabetes who dont take insulin. The study compared people who did and didnt check their blood sugar levels daily to see which group did a better job keeping their blood sugar at good levels. The study looked at what happened if patients who checked their blood sugar levels also received text messages explaining their blood sugar levels. The study also looked at the effects of checking blood sugar levels daily on the peoples quality of life.

When Should I Check My Blood Sugar

How often you check your blood sugar depends on the type of diabetes you have and if you take any diabetes medicines.

Typical times to check your blood sugar include:

• When you first wake up, before you eat or drink anything.
• Two hours after a meal.

If you have type 1 diabetes, have type 2 diabetes and take insulin, or often have low blood sugar, your doctor may want you to check your blood sugar more often, such as before and after youre physically active.

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What Are The Different Types Of Diabetes

The types of diabetes are:

• Type 1 diabetes: This type is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks itself. In this case, the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas are destroyed. Up to 10% of people who have diabetes have Type 1. Its usually diagnosed in children and young adults . It was once better known as juvenile diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. This is why it is also called insulin-dependent diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or your bodys cells dont respond normally to the insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes. Up to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. Other common names for Type 2 include adult-onset diabetes and insulin-resistant diabetes. Your parents or grandparents may have called it having a touch of sugar.
• Prediabetes: This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
• Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some women during their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy. However, if you have gestational diabetes youre at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later on in life.

Less common types of diabetes include:

Diabetes insipidus is a distinct rare condition that causes your kidneys to produce a large amount of urine.