You may have heard that blood sugar control is essential for diabetes. But how can you measure it? How do you know when you need to adjust your insulin dose or when you should change your diet?
Blood sugar is the concentration of glucose in the blood. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body, and the brain depends almost entirely on it. The normal level of blood sugar is about 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction that destroys the cells that make insulin, so no insulin is produced. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin, so the glucose cannot get into the cells to be used as fuel. People with type 2 diabetes have higher levels of glucose in their blood than people without diabetes.
The most common way to test your blood sugar is to take a small sample of blood and put it on a test strip. The test strip contains chemicals that react with glucose in the blood. As the chemical reaction occurs, a color change appears on the test strip. The color changes from red to blue, yellow, or purple depending on the concentration of glucose in the sample.
In addition to the test strip, there are many other ways to test your blood sugar. You can use a meter, which is a handheld device that reads the amount of glucose in your blood. A meter also gives you information about the rate at which your blood sugar is changing. Some meters give you information about your blood sugar every few minutes.
Your doctor can also test your blood sugar. He or she will use a blood test called a hemoglobin A1c test. This test measures the average blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. The hemoglobin A1c test shows whether your blood sugar is stable or if you are becoming more diabetic.
To treat diabetes, your doctor may prescribe pills that lower your blood sugar. Your doctor may also recommend that you eat fewer calories and exercise more. Your doctor may also suggest that you change the type of food that you eat, such as substituting whole grains for white bread.
If you have diabetes, you should follow your doctor’s advice carefully. If you do not, your blood sugar may increase to dangerous levels. When your blood sugar reaches very high levels, you may feel tired, shaky, thirsty, and hungry. If you have high blood sugar for long periods of time, you may develop a serious condition called ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.
