Blood glucose or sugar level is the important parameter to measure for proper diabetes management, regardless of the type of diabetes you belong.
What is blood-glucose test means?
Glucose is a sugar, an important energy source for our body. A healthy individual's body can regulate the amount of glucose in blood and maintain an equilibrium called glucose homeostasis. However, in the case of diabetes, the glucose homeostasis gets disturbed. Thus, they need special diets and medications to control lood glucose from rising or falling. Diabetics are required monitoring their blood-glucose level called BG or BS test.
As a diabetic, you should take the blood test to monitor your blood glucose (sugar) levels. This is a quantitative test to measure the amount of glucose present in your blood. The test results are useful to understand:
- How different diets and exercise can affect your blood glucose levels,
- Help treated the blood-sugar level highs & lows in time,
- Know how effective diabetes treatment is.
- Moreover, learn to adjust the treatment (drug dosage, timing, etc.).
How often should you take BS test?
If you are newly diagnosed diabetes, you may need to take BG test more often to learn how your body is responding to your diet, exercise, and medication. Once you are familiar with them, then you can limit the testing to suit you the most. Generally, people with diabetes type 1 have to test their BS three or more times a day. On the other hand, type-2 diabetes is less frequently testing their BS levels, maybe one or more times a day.
Blood-glucose monitoring devices
You can choose a suitable blood-glucose monitor as per your requirement or test your BS at the lab. Self-blood glucose monitoring is the preferred method by many diabetics.
Devices that are in use for BS monitoring are:
- Blood-glucose meter - support diabetics to keep track of their glucose levels, wherever and whenever they want. The results are required making appropriate medical and lifestyle choices; it helps avoid hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia episodes.
- Continuous Glucose Monitor – is a new generation of the blood-glucose monitoring system? It promises to change the way patients, and their care providers manage diabetes. It delivers blood-glucose readings every few minutes for 24/7. Many patients with type-1 diabetes, who is at risk towards non-symptomatic hypoglycemia, can use it to treat hypoglycemia in time before it turns dangerous.
- Ketone Testing Strips - Presence of ketones in the urine is an indication that the body start metabolizes fat. Both diabetics and persons on low-carbohydrate diets may test their urine for ketones daily.