Living with diabetes means navigating the daily highs and lows of blood glucose levels. It’s a condition that turns the simple act of eating into a careful calculation. But why do these levels fluctuate, and how can monitoring help maintain the delicate balance?

Today, we will talk about the factors influencing blood glucose levels, the importance of regular monitoring to manage diabetes effectively, and many more.

Factors Influencing Fluctuations in Blood Glucose Level

Before you had diabetes, your blood sugar was fine, no matter your diet or activity level. But with diabetes, your blood sugar can go too high, and treatments might make it too low. Understanding what affects blood sugar helps you control it.

What can raise blood sugar?

• Eating too much, especially more carbs than usual.
• Not moving enough.
• Not taking enough diabetes medicine.
• Side effects from other medicines, like antipsychotics or steroids.
• Illness because your body fights it by raising blood sugar.
• Stress can also make blood sugar go up.
• Pain or discomfort, even from a sunburn, can increase blood sugar.
• Menstrual periods change hormone levels and can affect blood sugar.
• Not drinking enough water.

What can lower blood sugar?

• Not eating enough, like missing meals or eating fewer carbs.
• Drinking alcohol, especially on an empty stomach.
• Taking too much insulin or diabetes medicine.
• Side effects from other medicines.
• More exercise or physical activity than normal can lower blood sugar and make your body more sensitive to insulin.

Importance of Blood Glucose Monitoring

Monitoring your blood glucose is vital, especially if you have diabetes. It’s a way to check how well your treatment is working. Regular checks help you manage your condition daily.

If you’re on insulin, watching your glucose levels is even more important. The results help you make smart choices about your diet, exercise, and insulin dosage.

Many things can affect your blood sugar. Some are hard to predict, but you’ll get better at understanding them over time. If your doctor says to keep a close eye on your levels, it’s important to follow their advice.

Remember, staying on top of your blood glucose helps you stay in control of your diabetes. It’s a key part of staying healthy and managing your condition effectively. So, make it a part of your routine and listen to your healthcare team’s guidance.

Interpreting Blood Glucose Test Results

To confirm if you have diabetes, your doctor might ask for several blood tests:

A1C Test

This test measures your average blood sugar over the past two to three months. Normal A1C values are 5.7% or less. If it’s between 5.7% and 6.4%, it suggests prediabetes. A value of 6.5% or more indicates diabetes.

Fasting Blood Glucose Test

This test checks your blood glucose or sugar after an overnight fast. If your fasting blood glucose is between 100 to 125 mg/dL, it indicates prediabetes. A reading of 126 mg/dL or more suggests diabetes. A normal fasting blood sugar level is 99 mg/dL or less.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

OGTT tracks your blood glucose levels before and after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. You’ll fast overnight, then drink the beverage. Your blood glucose will be measured one, two, and possibly three hours later.

Normal blood sugar levels at two hours are 140 mg/dL or less. Prediabetes is suggested by levels between 140 to 199 mg/dL, and diabetes by levels of 200 mg/dL or more.

Random Blood Sugar Test

This test measures your blood sugar level at the time of testing. You don’t need to fast for this test. A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more means diabetes.

However, if your doctor suspects type 1 diabetes, they may check your blood for autoantibodies. These chemicals indicate your body is attacking itself and are often present in type 1 but not in type 2.

You might also have a urine test for ketones, substances your body produces when it burns fat for energy. These are more indicative of type 1 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Tests

Blood tests can detect gestational diabetes. You’ll likely be tested between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy.

If you have more risk factors for gestational diabetes, your doctor may test you earlier. Higher than usual blood glucose levels early in your pregnancy might indicate type 1 or type 2 diabetes, not gestational diabetes.

Managing Blood Glucose Fluctuations

Managing blood glucose levels is essential for individuals with diabetes. Here are some practical tips to help you better manage blood sugar fluctuations:

1. Choose whole grains

Barley, rye, and oat bran are high-fiber foods that contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that can help delay blood sugar spikes and slow down the digestion process.

However, it’s important to remember that whole grains are still carbohydrates and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.

2. Incorporate healthy fats

Nuts like walnuts, pistachios, and almonds contain healthy fats that can help reduce the body’s absorption of sugar. It’s important to consume nuts in moderation due to their calorie content.

3. Eat non-starchy vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cucumber, and carrots are high in fiber and packed with nutrients that can help lower blood sugar spikes.

4. Be mindful of alcohol consumption

Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels, so it’s important to monitor your levels and avoid drinking on an empty stomach. It’s crucial not to mistake low blood sugar symptoms for intoxication.

5. Don’t skip meals

Dividing your daily food intake into three balanced meals and two healthy snacks can help maintain steady blood sugar levels and prevent dramatic fluctuations.

6. Plan ahead

Always be prepared for unexpected situations by carrying nutritious snacks or quick-acting glucose tablets to prevent blood sugar from dropping too low.

Role of Glucose Meters in Diabetes Management

For the 38 million Americans living with diabetes, monitoring blood sugar levels has become easier, thanks to technological advancements over the past few decades. Blood Glucose Meters (BGMs) play a crucial role in managing diabetes. Understanding how they work is key to effectively controlling your diabetes and preventing or delaying complications.

BGMs provide accurate measurements of blood sugar levels. BGMs are small, lightweight devices with screens that display results quickly. They use a test strip and a small sample of blood to measure blood sugar levels. Most people use the tip of their finger for testing, which provides an immediate reading.

BGMs can serve as a substitute for a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) or as your primary tool for monitoring your blood sugar levels. By making blood sugar monitoring easier and more accessible, BGMs are a vital tool in the fight against diabetes.

Impact of Blood Sugar Regulation on Health

Maintaining balanced blood sugar is key to overall health. Keeping a healthy blood sugar level is crucial as both low (hypoglycemia) and high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar can lead to health problems.

The Consequences of High Blood Sugar

Persistent high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, leading to serious health problems.

These include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve damage. Moreover, a high blood sugar-weakened immune system may struggle to fend off infections.

The Consequences of Low Blood Sugar

Symptoms of low blood sugar can include feelings of unease, sweating, light-headedness, dizziness, hunger, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. In severe cases, low blood sugar can lead to death, coma, or seizures.

Emerging Technologies and Advancements in Monitoring Glucose

In the past decade, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology has made significant strides. This progress includes the development of various devices such as connected insulin pens (CIPs), insulin pumps, virtual platforms, and automated insulin delivery (AID) systems.

 These advancements have consistently enhanced the control of blood sugar levels in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients who are on insulin therapy.

Studies have shown that combining CGM with patient education leads to better blood sugar control than using either approach separately. The CIP, equipped with a built-in calculator for insulin dosage, is seen as a promising future technology. Unlike insulin pumps, it doesn’t require continuous use.

Although only a few clinical studies have evaluated the effectiveness of CIPs, they have consistently been shown to reduce missed insulin doses and improve adherence, leading to better blood sugar control.

Managing low blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetes has always been a challenge. However, AID systems and digital platforms have made it possible to achieve target levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, a key indicator of long-term blood sugar control.

Currently, artificial intelligence-based tools for diabetes management and fully automated AID systems are being developed. These technological advancements could potentially ease the burden of managing diabetes with insulin therapy.

Conclusion

Understanding blood sugar testing is vital for people managing diabetes. It’s vital to keep blood glucose levels optimal. There are factors that cause changes in blood glucose.

So, it’s important to know these. Regular monitoring is crucial. It helps interpret test results and manage these changes. If you are a diabetic patient or have someone diabetic, sign up now to know more about our painless Continuous glucose monitoring system for better blood glucose management.

References:

• https://diabetesjournals.org/clinical/article/36/2/202/32929/Good-to-Know-Factors-Affecting-Blood-Glucose
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17956-blood-sugar-monitoring
• https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/getting-tested.html
• https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-live-better-guide/avoid-blood-sugar-rollercoaster/
• https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/devices-technology/blood-glucose-meters-important-role-in-diabetes-care#:~:text=Blood%20glucose%20meters%20%28BGMs%29%20continue%20to%20play%20an,BGMs%20provide%20accurate%20blood%20glucose%20%28blood%20sugar%29%20readings.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9925143/#:~:text=Continuous%20glucose%20monitoring%20(CGM)%20technology,)%20systems%2C%20and%20virtual%20platforms.