Best Time to Check Blood Sugar

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Monitoring Blood Sugar- What is The Best Time to Check Blood Sugar?

Keeping track of your blood sugar balance levels is one of the important aspects of keeping your blood sugar levels under check.

Different people use different methods of tracking or monitoring blood sugar levels. The main thing is the type of diabetes you suffer from and the line of treatment that you follow.

The question is, why is it important to monitor blood sugar levels and what are the methods for doing it?

Let us take a look at some of the effective methods necessary for keeping track of your blood sugar levels and their importance.

Monitoring Blood Sugar- Why is it important?

In people with diabetes, the levels of blood sugar can spike at any time. High blood sugar levels can be problematic as it affects several aspects of health and well-being.

The problem with high blood sugar is that it can cause side effects on your health. These include vision issues, neuropathy, and much more.

Hence, keeping a check on the blood sugar levels is the best thing that individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can do.

For instance, you can do a blood sugar test after having your meals to see if the food you eat causes blood sugar spikes and manage your dietary habits accordingly.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels is one of the most important parts of managing your blood sugar.

Apart from taking your medications on time and following a healthy diet, taking glucose support pills and monitoring blood sugar is the next best thing that you can do.

Hence, keeping track of different habits that trigger a rise in your blood sugar, making sure that your blood sugar is in the normal range, and several other things make monitoring your blood sugar levels extremely important.

Different methods of monitoring blood sugar levels

There are different ways of monitoring blood glucose levels. The two main methods of monitoring blood glucose include a simple at-home or a CGM device that is inserted into your skin for continuous monitoring.

Let’s take a look at the different methods of blood glucose monitoring:

Blood Sugar Testing at Home

These tests are usually done to determine the ability of your body to in processing blood sugar and maintain healthy levels.

Several home glucose kits are available for this purpose which are extremely easy to use.

The at-home blood sugar tests usually consist of a strip on which individuals are supposed to put a drop of their blood on the strip that has been provided.

Usually, the best place to draw a drop of blood is from the fingertips as they are best for measuring rapidly changing blood sugar levels.

Once you add a drop of your blood on the strip, you must enter the strip into the meter that has been provided and get the reading of the blood sugar levels within a few seconds.

It has been recommended to handle these tests while maintaining sanitary habits. These tests are one of the best ways of keeping a check on your blood sugar levels.

Regular Blood Tests

Usually, individuals who have been diagnosed with high blood sugar or any type of diabetes are asked to do different tests to understand the patterns of their blood sugar levels.

These are usually for helping your healthcare team understand the different patterns of blood sugars. There are two kinds of tests that you may be asked to do. The first one is to understand your blood sugar levels when you are fasting.

This helps the healthcare teams to understand how the body processes blood sugar when there is no food in the system.

Next, they may also ask you to perform a blood test after 2 hours of having a meal. This helps to understand the ability of your body to process blood sugar when you eat.

These blood tests aren’t supposed to be done daily, however, it is a great way to understand different patterns of your body in processing blood sugar levels.

A1C Test

A1C is a blood test that gives you an average count of blood sugar levels over an average of three months. This test is also known as the Hemoglobin A1C test or HbA1c test.

This test is usually used to determine individuals who may be at risk of getting prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. This test is recommended for individuals who are over the age of 45 and may have risk factors.

It measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is coated by sugar and helps you determine what your blood sugar levels have been up to over the past three months.

However, this test is not a test that can monitor your blood sugar levels daily.

Hence, most people are recommended to get these tests done at least once a year, and is great to determine the risks associated with the high blood sugar readings that you may have.

CGM Devices

CGM, also known as continuous glucose monitoring is a blood glucose monitoring system that is typically used by individuals with Type 1 diabetes.

This type of monitoring system measures the levels of blood sugar every few minutes. The devices use a sensor that is inserted under the skin which then measures the levels of blood sugar under the skin.

Previously these devices lasted for a week and needed to be changed within a week or a little more, however, new systems and development in the medical sector have made it possible for these devices to last for a minimum of three months.

These devices are best for keeping track of your blood sugar levels at all times. However, you may still need to pair this with a home testing kit to keep track of the blood sugar levels more accurately.

Thus, different tests can help you monitor blood sugar in different ways. However, it is best to use tests that can monitor your blood glucose levels daily.

This helps you understand the kind of foods that affect the blood sugar levels in your body and make changes accordingly.

CONCLUDING The Best Time to Check Blood Sugar

The answer to this question is simple. To understand the patterns of your blood sugar, you can perform tests on an empty stomach, that is, check your fasting sugar.

Next, you can check the blood sugar post your lunch, which is usually done 2 hours post your meal.

Thus, these things help you to understand the types of foods that alleviate your blood sugar levels and the kinds of foods that are suitable for your body.

Additionally, keeping track of your blood glucose levels before and after meals is the best way to help your healthcare team to understand the trends of your blood sugar levels and help you manage them accordingly.

Finally, make sure to talk to your healthcare provider before taking any steps, and keep a check on your health and well-being by making regular visits to the doctor.

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