[acb-diabetics] Ten reasons for checking your blood sugar

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

Ten Reasons to Test Your Blood Sugar

Rachel Garlinghouse

Aug 3, 2010 

 

We can all come up with plenty of excuses not to test our 

blood sugar

. For one, yeah, it stings a little (No pain, no gain, the angel on my
shoulder whispers in my ear). For another, testing isn't convenient, no
matter how

quickly the meter works or how small it is. While seemingly everyone else is
carelessly enjoying a meal or leaping into the swimming pool, you are on the

sidelines trying to ignore your 

diabetes

. And of course, sometimes, we just do not want to know what the number will
be. It's easier to ignore the ugly truth than face it.

 

There are, however, plenty of reasons to test.  Good reasons. Let's examine
them:

 

list of 10 items

1. You are hungry. If you are hungry, it's possible your blood sugar is on
the low side or you are in an official state of 

hypoglycemia

. It's better to know your number before treating versus eating, without
testing, based on hunger. Sometimes I'm ravenous because it's 

lunch

time, but other times my body is trying to tell me my blood sugar is low and
I need an immediate source of 

carbohydrate. 

2. You are thirsty. Sure, you might just be dehydrated. But thirst is one of
the symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Again, it's always better

to test than to assume you just need a glass of water. Testing can reveal a
high blood sugar that requires your attention. If you are high, drinking
plenty

of fluids is important to rehydrate. 

3. You are tired. I can become tired when I am high or low, so if I'm
feeling especially exhausted, I check my blood sugar. A low can run me down
for a

few hours, so after a 

low blood sugar

, I have to check frequently. A high can have me in a fog, and it's easier
for me to not be inconvenienced by checking again a few hours later, but I
usually

test anyway.  I set my alarm and make sure I'm not still running high or
that I haven't roller coastered into a low.  

4. You are going to drive. Getting behind the wheel with a high or low blood
sugar not only endangers you and your passengers, but other people on the
roads

and sidewalks as well.  Consider driving to be a privilege and a great
responsibility. If you are too low to drive, it is best to treat your low,
check

fifteen minutes later to see where you stand.  Another option is to ask
someone else to drive even after you've treated, especially if your blood
sugar

is unstable that day.  

5. You are going to bed. Some people are incredibly deep sleepers, and a
high or a low blood sugar (called 

hypoglycemia unawareness

) will not awake them. I have to remind myself that eight hours is a long
time to not check my blood sugar, so I need to be sure to have a good number
before

I hit the sack.  On many occasions, I have set my alarm and tested in the
middle of the night.    

6. You are irritated. One of the tall tale signs that I am low is if my
alter-personality comes out. And be warned; she is angry!  The beauty of
hypoglycemia,

if there is such a thing, is that our bodies do a pretty good job warning us
that we need carbohydrates. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include irritability

or nervousness, shaking, a racing heart, sweating, hunger, and more.   Each
patient is different, so it's wise to reflect on what your symptoms are and

review with your doctor how to treat a low. 

7. You are stressed. I remember going through periods of high blood sugars.
Frustrated, I called my dietitian and diabetes educator and asked her what
the

possible cause could be.   She asked me about what was going on in my life.
If you are feeling stressed over family, job, or other personal matters,
consider

how that is impacting your blood sugars.  You might need to make some
serious changes in your life and seek professional help. 

8. You are busy. Ahhh, aren't we all? Some days I am rushing from classroom
to classroom, and then I drive home from work and realize that I didn't
check

my blood sugar for five hours.   This results in high sugars staying high
for too long or me skipping my afternoon snack which almost always leads to
an

evening low.   I have found that setting an alarm or writing down a reminder
and placing it somewhere visible helps me remember keep tabs on my diabetes.

 

9. You are going to 

exercise. 

Exercise is both a beauty and a beast of diabetes.  Initially, exercise does
increase blood sugars, but the after effects of exercise generally lower
blood

sugars, sometimes for days afterward.   Talk to your doctor about what an
acceptable pre-exercise blood sugar number should be.  You also need to
figure

exercise into your meal planning.  Always wear your medical identification,
carry an emergency source of carbohydrate, and have a partner or a cell
phone

nearby when exercising. 

10. You just do not feel right. Everyone, 

diabetic

 or not, has days when they just feel off.   However, people with diabetes
must be ultra-sensitive to their bodies cues and not blow off a strange or
unfamiliar

feeling. Oftentimes I begin to feel anxious up to an hour before I have a
low blood sugar, and other times, my hypoglycemia comes on quickly and
without

much warning. Because I do not have a pattern of common symptoms, I know to
check my sugar at the first sign of discomfort or uneasiness.  

list end

 

There are many other reasons to test your blood sugar, and I'm sure you can
come up with equally as many excuses not to test.  However, you hold most of

the power in your diabetes management, and of course a key component of
living well with diabetes is testing, testing, and testing more.   May you
find

the conviction and motivation to keep your meter handy.

 

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Categories: 

Blood Sugar,

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