It can be frustrating to manage diabetes. Even though you work hard at managing your blood glucose, you may be disappointed that your numbers aren’t better. You can’t possibly do the work of your pancreas all the time. Don’t beat yourself up and do the best you can.
Here are some tips from the American Diabetes Association for improved blood glucose control:
- Meet with your diabetes team. You aren’t alone. Choose a healthcare provider who understands diabetes well and ask if you can also meet with a diabetes educator and a dietitian. Your team can help you come up with a plan for eating and exercising. If you’re on insulin, the diabetes educator can give you guidelines for dose adjustment depending on which insulin program you’re on.
- Test your blood sugar on a regular basis per your provider’s recommendation. If you’re beginning a new exercise program you may need to test more frequently to avoid low blood sugar. Your blood sugars aren’t going to always be perfect. If your blood glucose is frequently too high or too low, talk with your diabetes team. Low blood sugar can be dangerous and testing can help you avoid it.
- Write your blood sugars down. This can be a pain but the good news is, you can download most blood glucose meters to your computer and print a copy for your healthcare provider. A blood sugar log can help you spot patterns much easier. Those who keep the best records usually have better control. Adding food intake and exercise to your record will better help you see correlations between certain foods, or exercise, and your blood glucose.
- Take your diabetes medication. Missed doses, whether you are on oral diabetes medication or insulin, can lead to high blood glucose. If missing your insulin dose or oral diabetes medication is a problem for you, set up reminders.
- Diet is important to keeping your blood glucose under control. Eating regular, healthy meals will give you better blood glucose control. That doesn’t mean you can’t go out with friends occasionally or have some birthday cake. A dietitian can give you guidelines to healthier eating.
How many more tips can you come up with?
Adapted from: Peggy Moreland, R.N., C.D.E.
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