Blood Sugar Testing

If you’re diagnosed with diabetes and told that you must begin regular insulin testing, you may be confused as to what type of testing you should have. You may have heard that blood tests are the only way to accurately determine whether you have diabetes or not. In fact, blood tests only indicate the level of glucose in your blood. There are other ways to find out if you have diabetes as well.

Generally, if you take glucose to treat diabetes, your physician may recommend blood sugar testing at least two times a day, ideally before breakfast and sometime after lunch. Testing is generally recommended once a day before meals, too. If you don’t feel well, don’t test at all; the results will not be accurate and may give your doctor a very incomplete picture of your condition. In some cases, your testing may be done only once or twice a week, but that’s still far better than none at all.

In addition to testing your blood sugar levels, your doctor will likely want to do an A1C testing (the reference sample for A1C testing) at your regular visits. Your doctor knows your condition better than anyone, so he can give you a very accurate estimate of how long it will take you to return to normal health by testing your progress. In the diabetes world, however, “normal” and “prevention” are two very different things. If you’ve been following a healthy eating and exercising regimen, and your doctor has recommended a regular and timely A1C testing, then the A1C will indicate whether or not you’re doing too well or not. If you’re extremely overweight or diabetic, your doctor will likely recommend that you undergo surgery or insulin pumps immediately.

How Do Food Consumption and Blood Sugar Testing Conspire?

For many diabetics, a continuous glucose monitor (cgm) is an absolute necessity. The reason why you need a continuous glucose monitor (age) is that it will tell your physician (or nurse) immediately if your blood sugar is too high or too low. For people with Type I and Type II diabetes, it’s especially critical that they have a continuous glucose monitor (cgm) as these patients must monitor their blood sugar levels closely, usually every morning before breakfast. Without a constant source of data on their glucose levels, these patients can go blind and die.

The best way to keep track of your food intake is to use a food frequency questionnaire or “CPF” (Consistency of Frequency). This is the type of questionnaires used when helping patients with diabetes control their disease. You simply fill out a one page form with specific information about your food intake each day. The information you provide will indicate the amount of carbohydrates (foods such as bread), fat, protein, and fiber you consume during a typical meal. You’ll be asked to rank your level of carbohydrate consumption on a scale from very low (zero sugar) to extremely low (zero sugar).

Your blood sugar levels are always different, regardless of what you’re doing, so you should test at least two times per week. However, it’s very important that your doctor is aware of your testing so he can monitor your progress. If your doctor is monitoring your progress, he can adjust your medication, make other changes in your diet, or prescribe other medication that can affect blood sugar levels. Don’t be afraid to tell your doctor you’re testing for diabetes, because he needs to know to properly adjust your dosage of your medications. A good doctor will take care of this for you, and it will also allow him to prescribe the right treatment for your condition.