One of the many inconveniences of diabetes is the need to prick yourself daily to find out your blood sugar levels. Those who are recently diagnosed may wonder how often they should do this and what machine is the best one to use for testing blood sugar levels.
Why monitoring is important
Testing your blood sugar levels is critical to understanding your ups and downs caused by blood sugar spikes and drops. It can also help you determine which foods affect your blood sugar positively and which affect it negatively.
Doctors advise those with type 1 diabetes to check their blood sugar four to 10 times a day. Those with type 2 can check their blood sugar two to three times a day. Crucial times for checking blood sugar is when you wake up, before and after meals and snacks, and before bed.
Getting a handle on blood sugar
Those who are recently diagnosed with diabetes should check their blood sugar more often than those who have been patients for a while. The reason is constant checking helps you gauge what normal blood sugar patterns are for you.
It’s important for you to understand the patterns your body creates and why they are patterns. This will help you make corrections to keep your blood sugar in check.
Picking a monitor
Many glucose monitors exist and the one you pick should be one you are willing to use every day. Some are more expensive but a monitor will do you no good if you don’t use it so find one you like..
Some of the more expensive glucose monitors have daily reminders for medication, planners, and diaries where you can take note of foods and exercise that affect blood sugar. However, a cheaper monitor will still offer accurate readings if you can’t afford a more expensive one. You can always write down your notes in a notepad or on the computer.
Conclusion
How often you prick should be something you discuss with your doctor. Once you understand more about your levels, you won’t need to test yourself so much. The key aspect is to monitor glucose daily.
