A blood sugar test is considered an essential part of diabetes care. Self-testing the blood sugar level can be crucial in managing diabetes and preventing any complications in the patients.  

What is a Blood Sugar Test?

A blood sugar test is considered a procedure that helps determine or measure the amount of glucose or sugar present in your blood. The doctors usually prescribe this test to aid in diagnosing diabetes. People with diabetes also do blood sugar tests to manage the sugar level in their bodies. 

A blood sugar test helps to determine the following things:

• If your routine for the diet and exercise needs some changes.
• How well are your medications for diabetes and other treatments working? 
• Is the blood sugar level high or low in your body?
• Is your overall treatment goals for diabetes manageable? 
• To determine how certain factors such as stress and other illnesses affect the body’s blood sugar level. 

A doctor may also advise blood sugar tests for you as a part of your routine checkup. By doing such tests, the doctor tries to determine if you are suffering from any disease such as diabetes or prediabetes. These are the diseases that can lead to an increase in the blood sugar level of the body. 

What Is The Purpose of Doing the Blood Sugar Test?

In simple words, blood sugar tests help determine if a person is suffering from diseases such as diabetes or prediabetes. The test would help to measure the amount of glucose present in your blood. 

A human body intakes the carbohydrates found in various types of food, such as grains or fruits, and then converts them into glucose. Glucose is a sugar that is considered the primary source of energy for the body. 

People with diabetes can have a home test that would help them monitor their blood sugar level from their home itself. Low blood sugar levels can also create complications in the body. Low blood sugar is known as hypoglycemia which can lead to seizures or a coma if left untreated. At the same time, high blood sugar is known as hyperglycemia, leading to ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition. 

When To Test Your Blood Sugar Level In The Body?

Your doctor generally advises how often you need to test your blood sugar level in the body. The testing frequency usually depends on the type of diabetes you are suffering from, and it helps create the treatment plan. 

• Type 1 Diabetes

A doctor usually recommends a sugar test of about 4 to 10 times if you have type 1 diabetes. The testing routine you need to follow are as follows:

• Before snacks or meals
• Before doing exercise and after finishing doing exercise.
• Before going to bad
• Sometimes during the night
• If you are ill, then doing more often
• If you change your daily routine, then more often
• More often, if you are starting to take a new medicine

• Type 2 Diabetes

As mentioned by Mayo Clinic, If you are taking insulin as advised by the doctor to treat type 2 diabetes, the doctor may also recommend testing blood sugar levels several times a day. It also depends on the type and the amount of insulin that you take. The testing in type 2 diabetes may generally be recommended before meals or before going to bed. 

If you are treating type 2 diabetes with no insulin medications and diet control, it is recommended to test your blood sugar levels daily at least once a day. 

• Pregnant Women

Some women generally develop gestational diabetes at the time of their pregnancy. It is the period when there is the interference of the hormones with how your body uses insulin. It causes the sugar to accumulate in the blood. 

Doctors usually recommend blood sugar testing regularly in case you have gestational diabetes. Testing regularly would help you to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. 

How is a Blood Sugar Test Administered?

To take a sample, the healthcare professional inserts a needle into your vein and tries to draw a blood sample from it. As mentioned by Healthline, it is recommended to fast for 12 hours before doing the FBS test. In contrast, you don’t need fasting before doing an A1C test. 

• Home Test

Blood sugar tests can be done at home itself with the help of a glucometer. The steps of using the finger-stick glucometer may vary depending on the type of glucometer you are using. The home kit usually contains the instruction manual along with the product. 

The general procedure involves pricking up your finger and then putting the blood on the meter strip of the glucometer. The result then shows up on the screen of the glucometer within 10 or 20 seconds approximately. 

• Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

A diabetic patient may wear a device for CGM. The glucose sensor is usually inserted under your skin, which helps keep track of the blood sugar level continuously. It provides an alert whenever there is a hike or dip in the blood sugar level in the body. 

The sensor can be there in the body for several days or weeks before you need to change it. Despite CGM, you need to make sure that you measure your glucose level twice a day with a glucometer. It is because CGM devices are not entirely reliable. So for accurate results, it is always advisable to use a glucometer.