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Home > Healthy Living > Diabetes
Goals of Diabetes Treatment

Diabetes  

Testing Your Blood Sugar
Testing your blood sugar, using a glucometer, will let you know if the treatment is working. Your physician will tell you how often to test and what results to expect. If you are taking insulin, your blood sugar must be tested before each insulin shot. If you are taking pills, avoid skipping doses.

Low Blood Sugar

Sometimes you may have low blood sugar and feel the following:
•
 Shakiness
•
 Sweatiness
•
 Fatigue
•
 Fast heartbeat
•
 Numbness or Tingling in the mouth or lips
•
 Blurred vision
•
 Irritation or Confusion

 

Most common causes of low blood sugar
• Taking too much insulin or oral diabetes medicine
• Eating meals and snacks at the wrong times
• Skipping meals
• Over exertion

 

The treatment for low blood sugar is:
•
 Stop what you are doing
•
 Increase your blood sugar by:
-
 Eating a piece of fruit or two to three pieces of hard candy or two teaspoons of sugar,
 
-
 Drinking half a regular soda or a 4 oz. cup of juice or milk
•
 Call your physician if your blood sugar does not increase with treatment

 

High Blood Sugar

Sometimes you may have high blood sugar and notice the following:
•
 Increased thirst or hunger
•
 Increased urination (emptying of bladder)
•
 Increased fatigue or sleepiness
•
 Dry or itchy skin
•
 Blurred vision
•
 Infection
•
 Cuts or sores that heal slowly

 

Most common causes of high blood sugar
• Taking too much insulin or oral diabetes medicine
• Getting sick or having other kinds of stress
• Overeating
• Lack of normal physical activity

 

If you havehigh blood sugar and experience any of the above, ask yourself:
•
 What have I been doing?
•
 Have I followed my diet?
•
 Have I been exercising regularly?
•
 Do I have an unusual amount of stress?

Call your physician if you answer yes to one or more questions and if your high blood sugar continues after following treatment prescribed by your physician.

 
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