What does the blood sugar test tell you?

By self-monitoring your blood sugar levels, you take control of managing your diabetes. A blood sugar test also gives you immediate feedback on the way the program is shaping up. This allows you to make choices without fear or worry. You also learn from your experience and you are motivated to improve your blood sugar levels.

By monitoring your blood sugar levels, you learn that what you're doing is either working well or not at all, so you get an opportunity to make changes to your program. You can also catch any new condition like low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) well in time and treat it without delay. If you're exercising, it helps show you the positive impact of exercise, which will motivate you further.

“Regular monitoring is especially helpful for showing the positive effects of exercise,” says Dale. “Say your readings have regularly been around 140 mg/dl, but you start taking a walk every day and you start getting more readings around 120 mg/dl. That will definitely boost your motivation.”

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