Managing your diabetes requires making changes to your lifestyle to improve your health. Proper blood glucose (sugar) control is key for warding off potential diabetes complications. It’s not an easy task, but it can be done.
Every person with diabetes needs to know what their target blood glucose goal for diabetes control is. This goal is personal and is decided together with your doctor. You can use the Dario App to enter your goal and get help to reach it.
Monitoring and managing your diet as recommended, taking medications conscientiously, and exercising are all factors that affect your glucose level and control. But it is important to know that even if you follow all the above, there are other factors that can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar level and cause instability.
This list will help you identify these factors and understand how to adjust accordingly:
- Dehydration – when you are dehydrated the sugar in your bloodstream becomes more concentrated. High blood sugar causes you to urinate (pee) more, resulting in even more dehydration. If you have diabetes you should be especially vigilant about drinking plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Artificial sweeteners – the CDC advises to be wary of artificial sweeteners following recent studies that show they may contribute to increased blood sugar levels. In large quantities, artificial sweeteners may also cause diarrhea, which can contribute to dehydration. For this reason, choose to drink water rather than diet sodas and see if it influences your blood glucose.
- Caffeine – can affect people with diabetes differently. If you are a heavy consumer of caffeinated beverages, monitor your blood glucose level to see how caffeine affects you.
- Medications – such as steroids, psychiatric medicines, birth control pills and more can cause a dramatic increase in glucose levels. Other medications may lower the blood glucose level or make it difficult to detect signs of a drop in sugar levels. It is important to verify and consult with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking a new medicine to be sure that it will not interfere with your diabetes treatment. In addition, always check the expiration date of your medicine and that it has been stored correctly.
- Dawn phenomenon-if you see a trend of raised blood glucose levels in your morning readings – or they are very irregular from day to day it may be a result of the secretion of hormones in the early morning hours when the body prepares itself for awakening. For people with diabetes, blood sugar can spike at this time. Consult your doctor on how to adjust your treatment.
- Lack of sleep – not getting enough sleep causes chronic stress that increases glucose levels. You should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Consult your healthcare provider for guidance on managing your sleep.
- Extreme weather – can affect your diabetes, especially on very hot or very cold days, stay at home during the hottest/coldest part of the day, and closely monitor your blood sugar level.
- Special events – vacations, travelling, illnesses, and pain can all cause stress, a change in eating and drinking habits, and a change in your sleeping habits and activity. It is recommended to check your blood sugar level more frequently, make sure you always have a bottle of water and a healthy snack at hand, and consult with your healthcare provider about your treatment routine.
- Poor testing technique – can lead to a wrong result, always make sure to monitor your blood glucose according to your healthcare provider’s instructions, and maintain and store your testing equipment and supplies as instructed by the manufacturer.
As you can see, many different factors can cause fluctuations in your blood glucose levels. It is important to know these factors so that you can treat them in good time and avoid them where possible.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/spotlights/blood-sugar.html
https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/surprising-causes-of-blood-sugar-swings/
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