How frequently should you test your blood sugar?
The number of times you should test your blood sugar depends on whether you are living with diabetes or not.
However, everyone is different. It's always good for your doctor to advice on when and how often you should check your blood sugar. If you're living with diabetes, you'll probably need to test your blood sugar more often
Checking the blood sugar levels can be done several times a day, such as before and after meals, at bedtime and when you think your blood sugar levels are high or low.
People with diabetes should test their blood sugar/glucose levels regularly as knowing the results lets you adjust your strategies for keeping the disease in check and preventing risks or development of conditions like:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Blindness
- Kidney disease
- Skin problems
Testing blood sugar can be done in very many ways but the most common are:
Blood sugar/glucose monitor: To test, you insert the test strip into the machine. You then prick your finger with a lancet (a small sharp needle) and put a drop of blood on a test strip. The meter will show your blood sugar level. You get results in soem few seconds 5 -15 seconds and can store this information for reference. Some meters can store these readings and even give your average readings over a period of time.
Continuous glucose monitoring system: A continuous glucose monitor is a wearable device that measures blood sugar/glucose levels. Because it is attached to your body, it takes measurements throughout the day and night, and you can view the results on a device.