Managing Your Diabetes
Guidelines For Controlling Blood Sugar
- Maintain normal blood sugar. Test your blood sugar regularly as recommended by your health care provider. Test your blood sugar more often when you are sick or your schedule changes. Keep your blood sugar levels in the range recommended by your health care provider at all times. Call your doctor if your numbers fall below or above what is recommended.
- Record your blood sugar results in a record-keeping log. Bring your logbook with you to all of your doctor's visits.
Screening Tips for Diabetes
- Keep your scheduled appointments with your diabetes health care providers. Many doctors will want to see you every 3 months. You may need to be seen more often if your blood sugar levels are not controlled or if you are having problems with your medicine. People whose diabetes is under good control or who do not need medicines for their diabetes may be able to see their doctor less frequently.
- Have a glycated hemoglobin blood test (HbA1c) every 3 months, or as recommended by your health care provider. Keeping this below 7% helps protect you from the complications of diabetes.
- Check your blood pressure regularly.
- Have an eye exam once a year, or more frequently, as recommended by your eye doctor. Make an appointment with your eye doctor sooner if you have blurred vision in one eye or are having "blind" spots in your vision.
- A comprehensive foot examination should be done yearly with a visual inspection of the feet at each doctor visit and regularly at home.
- An examination of nerves in your hands and feet should be done yearly.
- Check for microalbumin in the urine every year or as recommended by your doctor. This test measures the health of your kidneys. A blood creatinine, which also checks the health of your kidneys, should be done annually, regardless of the microalbumin level.
- Check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels (lipid profile test) once a year or as recommended by your doctor.
- Have a dental exam every six months.
- Maintain routine cancer screening. There is some evidence that diabetics may be a slightly increased risk for cancer. Don’t forget to have a colonoscopy, mammogram, prostate and other screening tests as recommended by your doctor for your age and gender.
WebMD Medical Reference
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Did You Know Your Lifestyle Choices
Affect Your Blood Sugar?
Use the Blood Glucose Tracker to monitor
how well you manage your blood sugar over time.
This tool is not intended for women who are pregnant.
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