Why it’s important to keep track of your diabetes numbers
If you have diabetes, there are certain numbers that are important for keeping track of your health. They can help you see if what you are doing is working. If the numbers are either higher or lower than the guidelines, it can tell you what you are doing wrong or right so you can make changes.
Blood sugar
Having diabetes means you must check your blood sugar levels every day. Testing your blood sugar is the only way to know if it’s too high, too low or just right. You can check your own blood sugar with a finger-stick test using a blood sugar meter. This can help you manage your diabetes day-by-day or even every few hours.
Your blood sugar can change because of stress, exercise, what you ate and when you took your medicine. High blood sugar can cause damage to all parts of your body so it is important to treat it quickly and get your blood sugar levels down.
People with diabetes should have a blood sugar in the following ranges:
- Fasting or before a meal: 80 to 130
- Two hours after eating a meal: 180 or lower
- At bedtime: 100 to 140
Your healthcare provider may change these numbers to what is right for you. If your sugar stays higher than it should be, it can cause damage to many parts of your body. It’s important to get your blood sugar levels under control.
A1C
The blood test A1C shows how well your diabetes treatment is working. You should have an A1C test at least two times a year, according to the American Diabetes Association. Most people with Type 2 diabetes should keep A1C levels below 7 percent. If your levels are higher, you may need to talk to your doctor about your treatment.
Blood pressure
People with diabetes are much more likely to develop heart disease. If you have diabetes, try to keep your blood pressure below 140/80 mmHg. Taking blood pressure medications prescribed by your provider, staying at a healthy weight and eating healthy foods can help keep your blood pressure under control
Cholesterol
It’s important to watch your cholesterol when you have diabetes.
- Total cholesterol should be below 200
- LDL (bad) cholesterol should be below 100
- HDL (good) cholesterol should be higher than 40 for men and 50 for women
To keep your cholesterol levels at a healthy range, avoid fried foods and saturated fats, such as butter, lard and shortening.
Waistline and weight
People who are heavier and carry more fat around the waist are more likely to develop heart disease. Losing even just a little weight can help you reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.
Make an appointment with your healthcare provider to get your numbers checked and for help with developing a plan to keep you healthy. Keeping track of your numbers is an important part of staying healthy. Check out the video on Understanding Your Numbers at www.ParklandDiabetes.com/YourNumbers for more tips.
For more information on how to live healthy with diabetes, check out www.ParklandDiabetes.com.
