Know what is the best time to check blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.
Here are a few ways to know when to check blood sugar levels if you have diabetes
1. Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition affecting children and young adults, results in the immune system killing pancreatic beta cells, necessitating insulin therapy for life.
2. Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, affects over 95% of individuals with the condition, typically developing in adults over 45, but is increasingly being diagnosed in younger individuals.
3. Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes, a condition involving insulin resistance during pregnancy, can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life in some pregnant women.
4. For Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Fasting blood sugar levels (prior to meals): 80–130 mg/dL Postprandial blood sugar levels (one to two hours following meals): Less than 180 mg/dL on the 2- to 3-month average of blood sugar, or HbA1c: less than 7%
5. For gestational diabetes
Blood sugar during fasting: less than 95 mg/dL
Less than 140 mg/dL of postprandial blood sugar one hour after meals
Less than 120 mg/dL was the postprandial blood sugar level two hours after meals.
6. Blood sugar monitoring importance
Frequent monitoring of blood sugar is essential because it aids in: preventing complications, modifying the course of treatment, and Lifestyle management.
7. How to check blood sugar level
Wash hands, dry blood glucose meter, test strips, and lancing device. Place strip in meter, load lancet, and touch fingertip blood. Meter analyzes and displays sugar level.