• Diabetes
• Diabetes Management
• Health Topics

Manage Your Diabetes For Life

If you have diabetes, you already know how important it is to monitor your blood glucose (or sugar) levels. When your glucose levels rise too high or dip too low, the effect can be dangerous — and even life-threatening. That’s why you should carefully monitor and maintain blood glucose levels so they stay as normal as possible.

Taking steps to control your diabetes will make you feel more in charge of your life, today and well into the future.

Depending on your situation, you can influence your blood sugar levels in several ways: diet, exercise, insulin, and oral medication. People with type 1 diabetes, whose bodies no longer produce insulin, must use insulin injections.

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may still be producing insulin, but your body can’t efficiently use it. In this case, you may be able to manage your condition with healthy eating and exercise — and dropping any extra pounds — which can often bring blood glucose levels down to normal.

Your doctor will recommend this approach – healthy eating and exercise – as your first course of action to lower high blood sugar to healthy levels. 

However, your doctor may also prescribe medications to help you lower blood glucose levels.

And maintaining good communication with your physician is another critical component of keeping your blood sugar at a healthy level.

Taking steps to control your diabetes will make you feel more in charge of your life, today and well into the future. When your blood glucose is normal, you will:

• Have more energy
• Be less tired and thirsty
• Need to urinate less
• Heal better
• Have fewer skin or bladder infections

You will also lessen the likelihood of having health problems caused by diabetes such as:

• Heart attack or stroke
• Eye problems that can lead to trouble seeing, or even going blind
• Pain, tingling, or numbness in your hands and feet, also called nerve damage
• Kidney problems that can cause your kidneys to stop working
• Teeth and gum problems

What Makes My Blood Glucose Rise?

• Too much food, like a meal or snack with more carbs than usual
• Not enough activity
• Not enough insulin or oral diabetes medications
• Side effects from other meds, like steroids or antipsychotics
• Illness — when you’re sick, your body releases hormones that raise blood glucose levels
• Stress, which can produce hormones that elevate blood glucose levels
• Short- or long-term pain, like a sunburn, because your body releases hormones that raise glucose levels
• Menstrual periods, which can cause hormone level changes
• Dehydration

What Makes My Blood Glucose Fall?

• Not enough food
• Alcohol, especially on an empty stomach
• Too much insulin or oral diabetes medications
• Side effects from other medications
• More activity or exercise than usual

How To Track Blood Glucose

You have two ways to keep track of blood glucose levels:

• Blood glucose meter
  Use a blood glucose meter to measure your current blood glucose level.
• A1C
  Get an A1C test at least twice a year to find out your average blood glucose for the past two to three months. A1C is a blood test used by people with diabetes to measure how well they are controlling their blood sugar and to guide treatment decisions over time.

Source: American Diabetes Association; American Heart Association; Harvard Health Publications, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases