Type 2 Diabetes – Are Your Blood Sugar Levels Normal?
Monday, December 20th, 2010If you are a diabetic, monitoring your blood sugar levels regularly is essential in keeping you health problem in tight control. In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association, your reading is a reflection of your total health condition.
Diabetics who need regular blood sugar monitoring are the following:
Anyone who is:
* taking insulin injection therapy
* taking oral hypoglycemic drugs
* diabetic and pregnant
* experiencing uncontrolled blood sugar
* experiencing episodes of severe hypoglycemia
* known to have asymptomatic hypoglycemic episodes
There are several methods you can use:
1. Regular monitoring: Your glucose meter is a handy tool that you can use to regularly check your blood sugar levels. This will always give you an accurate reading anytime you want to. You can even record the readings and show them to your doctor to give him a total picture of how you manage your blood sugar levels at home. So, how do you know your blood glucose is under control by using your glucose meter? Taking your blood sugar before a meal must have a result of 70 to 130 mg/dL (3.89 to 7.2mmol/L). Having your level monitored after your regular meal must reflect a value of less than 180mg/dL (10mmol/L).
2. HbA1c: Whilst checking your blood sugar regularly is essential for your diabetes management, however, if you want to know how well you are doing with your diabetic management plan for the last two to three months, the best option for you to do is to check your HbA1c. And so, how does this A1C testing work? You see, red blood cells are carrying hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying component within each individual red blood cell. Anyone with uncontrolled diabetes has too much sugar in their blood stream. The excess sugar is absorbed by the red blood cells and this links up with the hemoglobin component of these blood cells. The excess blood sugars usually stay linked with hemoglobin for a couple of months. Thus, by measuring your HbA1c, your doctor can analyze your ability to stick to your diabetic diet plan for the last two to three months. The HbA1c test is currently one of the best ways to check your diabetes is under control. According to the American Diabetes Association, the accepted value for the HbA1c level must be below seven percent.
Knowing your blood sugar values is an essential component for the proper monitoring of your diabetes status. With proper control of these levels, the possible complications of Type 2 diabetes can be avoided.?