When Your Blood Sugar is Too High

If you have been monitoring your blood sugar you will know that blood sugar is tricky. Yes, you will definitely receive a high reading if you throw caution to the wind and eat several slices of cake at your birthday party. Unfortunately, you can also have a high reading if you only eat a low carb, high protein diet and participate in an excellent exercise program.

What you may not know is that it is not just food that affects blood sugar. Things such as stress or a virus can affect your it. A high reading might also simply be a wrong meter reading or the fact that your medication is no longer working. A single high reading is nothing to stress about. However, if you notice a pattern of high readings you may want to speak with your doctor.

As a diabetic it is your responsibility to monitor your blood sugar. Unfortunately this is a two-edged sword since studies have shown that continual  monitoring often amplifies feelings of being a “success” or “failure” at diabetes, and when readings are consistently showing your levels are too high, it can trigger feelings of anxiety or self-blame.

Understandably these feelings can lead some people to give up on testing completely. What is important is to try not to think of blood sugar monitoring as a “test” but simply a tool that is used to fight this disease.

If you have a high reading you should:

Test immediately before you eat and two hours after you finish. The results should show you how well your medication is controlling your blood sugar. It might also help you understand what food is boosting your sugar too high-and thus should be avoided. Watch for definite patterns. If your levels are high in the morning on one day, no big deal. If it continues you should have it checked out by your physician. Take small baby steps. You may want try to exercise more or limit carbs at your next meal, but don’t go overboard. If  you notice a pattern for two to three days or more, you must let yourPhysician know. Relax. It’s not just food that can turn your blood sugar into a roller coaster…. if your blood sugar is too high you now have a concrete number that’s telling you it’s time to relax. Let your doctor be your friend. If you have been doing all you can to keep your blood sugar in control, but are still receiving high readings, it might be time to switch medications. Unfortunately diabetes is a progressive disease, and over time, the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin can stop making the hormone. Your doctor will look at the big picture and do additional testing to find out if there is a bigger problem.