This week's focus: Diabetes: Monitoring Glucose Levels

Note: This brochure discusses self-care steps that published research has shown may support blood sugar management in people with certain diabetes. Ask your healthcare provider to learn more about your options and before making changes to your everyday nutrition and self-care practices.

Overview

People with diabetes are unable to produce enough insulin or to or use it properly, which prevents them from processing glucose, a sugar the body uses for energy. Without insulin, glucose stays in the blood, causing blood sugar to rise to unhealthy levels (hyperglycemia). At the same time, the cells of the body may be starved for glucose, which contributes to further health problems.

There are two types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2. Gestational diabetes (a form of type 2 diabetes) may affect pregnant women. According to the American Diabetes Association, self-monitoring of blood glucose may enable people with diabetes more freedom to pursue their life goals. Success depends on the self-monitoring being performed carefully and accurately, so it is important that people with diabetes receive instruction from their healthcare providers.

Diabetes puts people at high risk for heart disease, atherosclerosis, cataracts, retinopathy, stroke, poor wound healing, infections, and damage to the kidneys and nerves. Careful blood sugar monitoring helps the cells get the nourishment they need, and lowers the risk of these diabetes-related complications. For the best overall health and well-being, diabetes should be managed with a combination of blood glucose monitoring, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and prescribed medications, as advised by a doctor.

Watching Your Levels

If you have diabetes, your doctor may have you monitor your own blood sugar levels to know when you should take insulin and in what amounts. Self-monitoring is usually done several times daily or several times weekly.

What causes changes in blood sugar? Any substance ingested by the body - including food, medicines, and supplements - that affects blood sugar levels will directly or indirectly affect the amount of insulin you require. For example, eating a high-fiber diet and supplementing with certain nutrients may improve diabetic blood sugar control. In such cases, the amount of insulin may need to be reduced in order to avoid a hypoglycemic reaction in which the sugar drops too low. Changes in exercise habits may also affect insulin requirements.

Anyone taking insulin should consult the prescribing physician before making dietary changes, taking supplements, or beginning an exercise program as adjunct treatment to lower blood sugar levels.

What equipment do people use to monitor their blood sugar? 

People who self-monitor usually use:

• A battery-operated blood glucose meter
• Corresponding test strips
• Lancets
• A "sharps container" for safe disposal

Each meter uses a specific test strip that is good for one test and no other strips will work with that meter. Lancets are used to draw the blood drop used in the test and should be discarded in a sharps container after use.

How do people self-monitor? Monitoring usually involves people placing a small drop of blood (typically drawn from a fingertip) on a test strip that is inserted into the glucose meter. The meter measures how much sugar is in the blood and displays the result on its screen. Self-monitoring may be done anywhere, anytime. How often depends on a variety of factors and is best decided by talking with a doctor or a certified diabetes educator. How often do people self-monitor? How often depends on a variety of factors and is best decided by talking with a doctor or a certified diabetes educator. For example, the type of diabetes and type of insulin being used affect a person's monitoring schedule, which may range from several times a day to as seldom as once per week. Fasting blood sugar is usually lower than after a meal, so many people check their blood glucose levels after eating. However, because different people require different treatment options, the American Diabetes Association does not recommend a specific number of tests per day.

What types of blood glucose meters are on the market? Many types of meters are available, all of which accurately measure blood sugar. Basic meters are inexpensive and have limited memory and few other features. More expensive models have additional features, which may include using a smaller drop of blood, allowing the blood to be drawn from sites in addition to fingertips, giving test results faster, having memory to store test results, and allowing the meter to download test results to a personal computer.

Meters vary in shape and size, with some as small as a pen for convenience and others with an extra large display screen to more easily see the results.

Do self-monitoring supplies require maintenance? It is important to maintain glucose meters according to the manufacturer's directions. Store open boxes of test strips in the container provided by the manufacturer and check that each new batch of test strips is well within the expiration date before using.

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Disclaimer: The information in this page was prepared by Aisle7 for educational purposes only; it is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Health claims are based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications, diet, or exercise habits. Aisle7, Walmart, and Pierce Promotions make no representations concerning the information contained in this article and disclaim any liability for such information and the decisions you make based on such information.