What Are the Purposes and Significance of Monitoring Blood Sugar?

The purpose and significance of monitoring blood sugar is to understand the level of blood sugar control and fluctuations, monitor changes in condition, and assist doctors in formulating and adjusting treatment plans. Currently, there is no curative treatment for diabetes, and it can only be improved through medication. At the same time, it is necessary to control one's diet and maintain blood sugar within a normal range. Diabetic patients need to monitor their blood sugar every day to check their glycemic control. If blood sugar control is not ideal, insulin may be necessary to control blood sugar levels.

1. What is the purpose and significance of monitoring blood sugar? Firstly, for diabetic patients, blood sugar monitoring is of great significance. Through blood sugar monitoring, patients can effectively understand their glycemic control level and the influencing factors of blood sugar changes. Moreover, monitoring blood sugar can help monitor changes in condition and assist doctors in formulating and adjusting treatment plans. It also helps understand the impact of diet on blood sugar, identify foods that cause large blood sugar fluctuations, and facilitate dietary adjustments. Additionally, it is beneficial for regulating exercise therapy, which is a basic treatment for diabetes. For example, monitoring blood sugar before and after exercise can intuitively understand the changes in blood sugar brought by exercise, allowing adjustments to the type and duration of exercise based on blood sugar levels. Monitoring blood sugar also helps adjust the dosage of hypoglycemic drugs. For instance, if blood sugar levels are low, the dosage of medication may need to be reduced. By monitoring whether blood sugar levels are high before or after meals, adjustments can be made to the dosage of hypoglycemic drugs based on different situations. Monitoring blood sugar can also help enhance patients' confidence in overcoming the disease. For instance, if blood sugar monitoring consistently shows good results, it can boost patients' confidence in the effectiveness of diabetes treatment, thereby effectively preventing or delaying the occurrence and progression of complications.

2. What are the methods of blood sugar monitoring? Blood sugar monitoring is suitable for patients with good and stable glycemic control. Generally, it should be checked once every 1-2 weeks. The tests can be conducted either by checking fasting blood sugar before any meal or by checking blood sugar 2 hours after a meal. Fasting blood sugar mainly reflects the regression of blood sugar from the previous meal to the time of blood draw, while postprandial blood sugar mainly reflects changes in blood sugar after a meal, the effectiveness of medication, or the match between diet and medication. If blood sugar levels are normal or within the preset range, the original treatment can be continued. If blood sugar levels are too low, the dosage of medication from the previous meal may need to be reduced. If blood sugar levels are too high, the reasons should be analyzed and appropriate measures should be taken.