How To Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Normal Tour

Blood Glucose Monitoring Monitoring your blood glucose levels or blood sugar is an important part of diabetes management. It’s important to know what affects your blood sugar and how, as in does your sugar go low or does your sugar go high.

The machine used to check your blood sugar is called a glucometer. There are several options out there and the choice is often determined by what your insurance will cover.

How to Use A Glucometer

You should check your blood sugar, at minimum, before meals and at bedtime.  When first diagnosed you may also need to check your blood sugar before becoming active, as times of high activity can drive down your blood sugar until you know how activity affects your blood sugar.

Another important part of monitoring your blood sugar is recording the readings.  With each recording, you will also want to record what you have been doing, what you ate, etc.  Take this record with you to your care provider to discuss the management of your care. Also check out our to see some smartphone apps that can be used to manage your care.

Insulin For Type 1 Diabetics, insulin is a must.  For Type 2 Diabetics some people only find blood sugar control with insulin.  The dosing of insulin is based on what’s called a “sliding scale.”  At home, this sliding scale incorporates your pre-meal blood sugar level and the amount of carbohydrates, or carb count, you will be eating.  Most sliding scales are individualized to the patient.  You’ll want to discuss with your care provider or a diabetes educator about your individual dosing.

Once you’ve calculated the what dose you’ll need, you will next need to get the dose ready.  There are two methods of administering insulin.  One is to withdraw the dose with an insulin syringe.  The other is to dial an insulin pen to the amount needed.  Dosages are measure in units (1 unit=.01 mL) and administering the correct amount is vital.  Too much insulin and your blood sugar can drop low; too little insulin and your blood sugar will become to high.

Insulin syringes

                                                  Insulin Pens

The final step is to administer the insulin.  This administration will mean injecting yourself with a needle in a subcutaneous, or fatty, area.  The easiest site to do this is in the belly; however, if administering insulin to others (or someone is doing it for you) the other sites may be used.  It’s very important to alternate where the injection is given to avoid creating scar tissue.  If you inject into scar tissue, the person is unlikely to get the dose and their blood sugar will remain high.

How to Inject

Diet Tracking and limiting the grams of carbohydrates per meal is an important part of managing diabetes at home.  American Diabetes Association recommends 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal to start, but can be adjusted as you learn how your blood sugar is maintained.  Many websites include lists of food that have 15 grams of carbohydrates. ADA lists:

• 1 small piece of fresh fruit (4 oz)
• 1/2 cup of canned or frozen fruit
• 1 slice of bread (1 oz) or 1 (6 inch) tortilla
• 1/2 cup of oatmeal
• 1/3 cup of pasta or rice
• 4-6 crackers
• 1/2 English muffin or hamburger bun
• 1/2 cup of black beans or starchy vegetable
• 1/4 of a large baked potato (3 oz)
• 2/3 cup of plain fat-free yogurt or sweetened with sugar substitutes
• 2 small cookies
• 2 inch square brownie or cake without frosting
• 1/2 cup ice cream or sherbet
• 1 Tbsp syrup, jam, jelly, sugar or honey
• 2 Tbsp light syrup
• 6 chicken nuggets
• 1/2 cup of casserole
• 1 cup of soup
• 1/4 serving of a medium french fry

The best way to find out the grams of carbohydrates is to look at the food label.  Make sure you check the serving size first and then look to see how many carbohydrates are in that serving size.

Also, you don’t want to just focus on getting carbohydrates.  Be sure to include a good source of protein and foods low in fats, especially saturated and trans fat.

Pills Diabetic pills are only used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetics.  They are not a cure. They work best with an appropriate diet and exercise.  Different pills work different ways. The classes of these pills and how they work include:

• Sulfonylureas- Increase pancreas insulin production.
• Meglitinides- Increase pancreas insulin production
• Biguanides- Decreases the amount of glucose made by the liver.
• Thiazolidinedionies- Decreases the amount of glucose made by the liver and increases cell sensitivity to insulin
• Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors- Decrease the amount of glucose taken in by the body from meals.

These medications may be used in various combinations to achieve optimal blood sugar control.

Know the Symptoms of Low and High Blood Sugar Knowing the symptoms of low and high blood sugar will help you correct what’s wrong before your blood sugar goes to an uncontrollable point. Low blood sugar is hypoglycemia; high blood sugar is hyperglycemia.

The hypoglycemia “What can you do?” is hard to read, so here’s what it says:

1. Drink 1/2 glass of juice or regular soft drink or 1 glass of milk with some soft candies (not chocolate). [Chocolate has fat, therefore takes longer to digest, which will delay your blood sugar returning to normal levels.]

2.Within 20 minutes, recheck your blood sugar. If symptoms don’t stop, call your healthcare provider.

3.Eat a light snack [that includes some protein]. (1/2 peanut butter or meat sandwich and 1/2 glass of milk.)