Diabetes Test Strips Are Important

Diabetes test strips and meters are an integral part of the life of any diabetic. Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been diagnosed for years, your blood glucose meter and test strips should be within easy reach. Diabetes is all about blood glucose (blood sugar) control. If your fasting blood glucose is too high, over 126 mg/dl, then you have diabetes.

There are three main types of diabetes, type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease whereby the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and can cause complications for both mother and fetus. In type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to properly use the insulin it produces, resulting in higher blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all newly diagnosed cases of diabetes.

The risk factors for type 2 diabetes are: being overweight, being over 45 years of age, having a family history of diabetes, having high blood pressure, having high cholesterol levels, having a history of gestational diabetes, having polycystic ovary disease, having metabolic syndrome, having a sedentary lifestyle, and/or having a history of vascular disease (such as stroke).

Your doctor will usually request a fasting blood test to determine if you have diabetes. The most common diabetes symptoms are: frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability, and blurry vision. If you have any of these, please see your physician immediately. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.

If your fasting blood glucose comes in under 110, you are considered "normal" and your doctor will most likely tell you that you can continue as you are. Some doctors believe that a fasting blood glucose result over 95 indicates impaired glucose tolerance and recommend intervention at this stage. Lifestyle changes early on will likely prevent or at least delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

A fasting blood glucose result between 110 and 125 is generally considered to indicate impaired glucose tolerance, or pre-diabetes. At this stage of the disease, all physicians will recommend lifestyle changes such as exercise and eating better. Eating better can be as simple as increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and decreasing your intake of refined snacks. There is some scientific evidence that supports eating a more plant-based diet and reducing meat and dairy consumption. Also, you will want to increase your whole grain consumption and reduce your refined grains.

If all this sounds familiar, it should. This is standard advice for anyone looking to eat a healthier diet. Eating this way will not only decrease your risk for developing diabetes, but also for "lifestyle diseases" such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. So a diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance can actually help make you healthier over the long run, provided you make the lifestyle changes your doctor recommends.

Another thing to concern yourself with when you are looking to improve your diet is the glycemic index value of food. The glycemic index rates the speed at which sugar enters the bloodstream after eating a particular food item. Foods and beverages are rated from zero to one hundred. The higher the number, the more quickly the sugar hits your bloodstream. It is more desirable to eat foods that have a lower glycemic index value.

Exercise is very important.  These are probably the best weight loss tips anyone can offer you.  Most of us become more sedentary over time. As children, we are "forced" to exercise in school. Physical Education classes are mandatory in most schools. But once we graduate, our lives get infinitely more complicated. Exercise is often one of the things that gets shuffled to the side in the face of other obligations or even fun. However, exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you have diabetes or have the potential to develop diabetes. Exercise helps your body to better utilize insulin.

Your doctor will also prescribe a meter and test strips for you to test your blood glucose levels at home. This is an important part of enabling you to take better control of your health. By testing your blood regularly, over time you will learn which foods impact your blood most. You will learn how illness and stress affect your blood sugar levels. You will also gain an understanding of how exercise impacts your blood sugar levels. A meter can be one of the most important tools in your arsenal of weapons to combat diabetes.

Diabetes is a progressive disease. It is very likely that over time you will begin to need medication. You may even need to go on medication immediately, depending on how early diabetes is diagnosed. Most people are first prescribed diet and exercise. That is usually followed by oral medication. As the oral medication begins to become less effective, a second medication is often prescribed. Finally, insulin is prescribed. At each stage, most people feel a sense of failure as they require additional medications. This is not something you should allow yourself to feel. Diabetes is a progressive disease. This means that over time, it will most likely get worse. Therefore it is important to do whatever you can to delay that from happening.

Remember, although diabetes cannot be cured, you can still live a long-healthy life. The single most important thing you can do is to control your blood glucose levels is to use diabetes test strips and a blood glucose meter regularly. This will give you feedback so you will know what and how much to eat and exercise. Work with your doctor to come up with an action plan which includes a healthy diabetes diet, an exercise plan you can stick with, medications, as needed, and how often to test your blood using your blood glucose meter and diabetes test strips.