If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes or a pre-diabetic, it may seem daunting at first when it comes to making good choices regarding food and exercise. You may not know what effect a particular food or exercise will have on your blood glucose(bg) level. At this stage, it is important to make use of all the resources and tools available to you. Glucometer is an invaluable tool for anyone with diabetes. It gives you instant feedback whether your blood glucose level is too low, too high or is within your target range.
Why test at home when my doctor already tests my blood glucose levels?
You will be given a general dietary guideline when you are first diagnosed with the condition. If you consult a dietician, he/she can help you in making wise food choices. However, most people don’t carry around the list given by their dietician when they go around shopping in supermarkets. They buy whatever catches their fancy, is on sale or even has a snazzy packaging. When these things go into your body, your bg levels may go up and down like crazy.
This is where the glucometer helps to set things right. You will definitely have target bg levels set by your physician. In order to be always in that range you need to know how a particular action of yours will affect your blood glucose. When you eat a food that is not familiar to you, test and see what it is doing to your bg levels. When you are not sure whether your comfort food is making your bg levels go through the roof, test. Testing helps you to learn about your body.
Using a glucometer:
A word of caution:
Has self-testing helped you in getting diabetes under control? You are welcome to share your experience through comments.
Why test at home when my doctor already tests my blood glucose levels?
You will be given a general dietary guideline when you are first diagnosed with the condition. If you consult a dietician, he/she can help you in making wise food choices. However, most people don’t carry around the list given by their dietician when they go around shopping in supermarkets. They buy whatever catches their fancy, is on sale or even has a snazzy packaging. When these things go into your body, your bg levels may go up and down like crazy.
This is where the glucometer helps to set things right. You will definitely have target bg levels set by your physician. In order to be always in that range you need to know how a particular action of yours will affect your blood glucose. When you eat a food that is not familiar to you, test and see what it is doing to your bg levels. When you are not sure whether your comfort food is making your bg levels go through the roof, test. Testing helps you to learn about your body.
Using a glucometer:
- Make it a practice to write down your blood glucose readings in a chart.
- Some people only check their levels first thing in the morning. Vary the time you test like, after breakfast, in the evening, so that your physician will get a better picture what your blood glucose levels were during different times of the day.
- Carry this chart the next time you visit your doctor.
- You can find out if a new dietary change is working or not by checking you glucose levels regularly.
- You can increase or decrease the intensity of your exercise routine based on your test bg levels.
- Whenever you are prescribed a new medicine, the glucometer’s feedback can help you to readjust your lifestyle.
A word of caution:
- Learn to use your glucometer correctly. Some glucometers need to be configured the first time you use a new box of test strips. The code on the glucometer and that on the test strip box must match.
- Whenever you’re testing make sure the test strips have not expired.
- Read the instructions carefully and ask for a demo when you buy it.
Has self-testing helped you in getting diabetes under control? You are welcome to share your experience through comments.
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