Blood glucose monitoring – Necessities and impacts

It is not very easy for people to cope up with the fact that they have been diagnosed with diabetes. The initial disbelief will finally lead to shock. During this time, normally people tend to take extra precaution in order to control as well as monitor their blood glucose levels. But with time, the diabetic patient can get used to the whole fact and they might not take the required care which may lead to poor control over the blood glucose levels. However, recent studies have indicated that if proper care is taken (Blood glucose monitoring and controlling, proper diet, etc.), then people might be able to control the complication resulting from diabetes and will have to face lesser number of hospital trips.

If proper care is not taken and blood glucose is not monitored regularly, then, it may lead to various complications which include the following:

Neuropathy: Nerves get damaged due to excessive high levels of blood sugar. It has been noted that around 50% of the people who are suffering from diabetes have high chance to develop nerve problems. Due to neuropathy, you might face different problems like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, pain in feet and legs, difficulty in swallowing, numbness, muscle cramps, problems in swallowing, light-headedness, etc. It may even lead to diabetic foot.

Nephropathy: Diabetes nephropathy is actually a health problem where the kidney gets damaged. This complication may arise due to uncontrolled diabetes along with a combination of high blood pressure. High blood sugar can lead to damage in the structural units of kidneys which may lead to generalized itching, swollen legs, frothing of urine, poor appetite, protein in urine, etc. Thus, to stop this problem, it is essential to control BP and blood sugar. Proper diabetes medicines (branded or generic medicines) are now available easily throughout the country.

Hypoglycaemia: This is a condition where there is a low blood glucose in your body. If the blood glucose level drops in your body, then you will not get enough energy for the daily activities. Some of the major symptoms of this health issue include the likes of shakiness, hunger, perspiration, light-headedness, nervousness, sleepiness, anxiety, weakness, etc. Such a situation may even arise if you go for smaller quantity of meals or if you delay or skip your meals. Excessive intake of insulin can also lead to hypoglycemia. If you find such symptoms in your body, then you should immediately consult a doctor and take the required medicines (branded or generic medicines). You should also intake food which might help you in increasing your blood sugar levels like a teaspoon of glucose, a teaspoon of sugar or honey, etc.

Importance of blood glucose monitoring

Some of the major reasons for monitoring blood glucose levels are as follows:

• Get the confidence to deal with this health issue.
• Get to understand the relation between your blood glucose level and exercise, food and medication.
• It will also help you know your blood glucose levels which can help you judge whether you are suffering   from hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia.
• It alerts you to know when to consult a doctor.

So, you can well understand the importance of blood glucose monitoring.