Self Blood GlucoseMonitoring: A lending hand
June 27th 2008 22:59
If there is anything in this world that anybody living with diabetes should know, it is blood glucose monitoring. Many of diabetes sufferers seem to check their blood glucose levels but their main problem lies in comprehending what the data derived from such religious act really meant and the effect of such data on their day-to-day living.
One of such problem is that blood glucose levels constantly fluctuate and are influenced by many factors. The other part of the problem is that no two people are alike. A blood glucose reading of 158 mg/dl in two different people might have two different explanations.
Talking of already- available information, people are aware of the fact that their bodies need glucose to fuel their activities and that certain foods or large quantities of almost any food will raise blood glucose. The body’s conversion is an uniquely balanced intricate enzyme- driven and energy- producing process.
Before any blood glucose reading has meaning, you need to know what you’re aiming for. Target goals for blood glucose set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) are 90–130 mg/dl before a meal and less than 180 mg/dl two hours after the start of a meal. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has defined stricter blood glucose target goals of less than 110 mg/dl before a meal and less than 140 mg/dl two hours after the start of a meal. Ask your health-care provider whether you should use the ADA or the AACE targets as your goal. Both guidelines are based on evidence showing the blood glucose readings that are needed to prevent the complications of diabetes.
The blood glucose goal is to aim for a target range, not an exact number each time. Before-meal blood glucose readings of 101 mg/dl, 114 mg/dl, 126 mg/dl, and 97 mg/dl may look like they are up and down, but they’re all within the target range defined by the ADA.
How often should I check?
Most people check their blood glucose level once a day, first thing in the morning. It’s a common time to check because it’s easy: You get up, check your blood glucose, take your medicines, and eat breakfast. Then you’re done with your diabetes for the day and don’t have to think about it anymore.
The problem with this routine is that it only tells you about your blood glucose pattern before breakfast. You don’t learn what is happening after meals or later in the day. To find meaningful patterns at other times of the day, you have to check at other times of day.
One option for finding more patterns is to check your blood glucose four times per day three days per week. Checking before breakfast, two hours after breakfast, before dinner, and two hours after dinner three times per week for a few weeks will help you identify your patterns throughout the day.
Try to make blood glucose monitoring a useful tool by checking your blood glucose at times that serve you. Blood glucose monitoring should help you make a decision, give you feedback about a decision, and help you learn about your usual patterns.
You also need to consider the cost of the test strips. For those who do not take insulin, Medicare pays for one strip per day, so you want to put those strips to good use. Instead of just checking before breakfast every morning, you might decide to check before and after breakfast on Monday, before and after lunch on Wednesday, and before and after dinner on Saturday. If you take insulin, Medicare and most health insurance plans will pay for the number of strips written by your health-care provider on the prescription.
There are many ways to keep track of your blood glucose readings so that you can evaluate the patterns. You can use a logbook in which you write down the readings along with any comments (such as what you had for lunch or how stressed you were feeling). Depending on what meter you use, you may be able to use computer software that displays the contents of your meter memory in graphic forms. Or you could use a meter with an electronic logbook, such as the OneTouch UltraSmart, Accu-Chek Complete, or FreeStyle Tracker.
One of such problem is that blood glucose levels constantly fluctuate and are influenced by many factors. The other part of the problem is that no two people are alike. A blood glucose reading of 158 mg/dl in two different people might have two different explanations.
Talking of already- available information, people are aware of the fact that their bodies need glucose to fuel their activities and that certain foods or large quantities of almost any food will raise blood glucose. The body’s conversion is an uniquely balanced intricate enzyme- driven and energy- producing process.
Before any blood glucose reading has meaning, you need to know what you’re aiming for. Target goals for blood glucose set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) are 90–130 mg/dl before a meal and less than 180 mg/dl two hours after the start of a meal. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has defined stricter blood glucose target goals of less than 110 mg/dl before a meal and less than 140 mg/dl two hours after the start of a meal. Ask your health-care provider whether you should use the ADA or the AACE targets as your goal. Both guidelines are based on evidence showing the blood glucose readings that are needed to prevent the complications of diabetes.
The blood glucose goal is to aim for a target range, not an exact number each time. Before-meal blood glucose readings of 101 mg/dl, 114 mg/dl, 126 mg/dl, and 97 mg/dl may look like they are up and down, but they’re all within the target range defined by the ADA.
How often should I check?
Most people check their blood glucose level once a day, first thing in the morning. It’s a common time to check because it’s easy: You get up, check your blood glucose, take your medicines, and eat breakfast. Then you’re done with your diabetes for the day and don’t have to think about it anymore.
The problem with this routine is that it only tells you about your blood glucose pattern before breakfast. You don’t learn what is happening after meals or later in the day. To find meaningful patterns at other times of the day, you have to check at other times of day.
One option for finding more patterns is to check your blood glucose four times per day three days per week. Checking before breakfast, two hours after breakfast, before dinner, and two hours after dinner three times per week for a few weeks will help you identify your patterns throughout the day.
Try to make blood glucose monitoring a useful tool by checking your blood glucose at times that serve you. Blood glucose monitoring should help you make a decision, give you feedback about a decision, and help you learn about your usual patterns.
You also need to consider the cost of the test strips. For those who do not take insulin, Medicare pays for one strip per day, so you want to put those strips to good use. Instead of just checking before breakfast every morning, you might decide to check before and after breakfast on Monday, before and after lunch on Wednesday, and before and after dinner on Saturday. If you take insulin, Medicare and most health insurance plans will pay for the number of strips written by your health-care provider on the prescription.
There are many ways to keep track of your blood glucose readings so that you can evaluate the patterns. You can use a logbook in which you write down the readings along with any comments (such as what you had for lunch or how stressed you were feeling). Depending on what meter you use, you may be able to use computer software that displays the contents of your meter memory in graphic forms. Or you could use a meter with an electronic logbook, such as the OneTouch UltraSmart, Accu-Chek Complete, or FreeStyle Tracker.
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