Why You Should Monitor Your Blood Sugar

You are a diabetic and everywhere you turn, you hear that you should monitor your blood sugar. Why should you be checking your blood sugar? Is it just so that your doctor can put numbers down in your chart?

Monitoring your blood sugar is essential in managing your diabetes. Pretend that your blood sugar monitor is the speedometer on a car. You need to check the number on your speedometer to know whether you are going the right speed.

Too fast - High blood sugar results
(Over 10 mmol/L Canadian)
(Over 180 mg/dL American)

Too slow - Low blood sugar results
(4 mmol/L or lower Canadian)
(70 mg/dL or lower American)

Within target:
Canadian: 4.0 -7.0 mmol/L before meals; 5 - 10 mmol/L 2 hours after meals
American: 90-140 mg/dL before meals; Less than 180 mg/dL 2 hours after meals

The reason why you want to test your blood sugar on a regular basis and keep your blood sugar within a targeted range is so that you lessen the chance of developing complications from diabetes. These complications may include:

Retinopathy: Damage to the small blood vessels in the eyes that can lead to vision problems. If left without treatment, blindness can occur.

Nephropathy: Damage to or disease of the kidney. If left untreated, this can lead to dialysis or kidney transplant.

Neuropathy: An abnormal and usually degenerative state of the nervous system or nerve that can lead to a loss of feeling in the feet or hands.

Erectile Dysfunction: The loss of a man's ability to have an erection. Some men may become impotent after having diabetes for a long time because the nerves or blood vessels have become damaged.

When you monitor your blood sugars and make the needed adjustments to keep your blood sugar within a targeted range, you will discover that you feel well. When you feel well, you will be more active and you will have the energy to do the things that you love doing.