Tight Blood Sugar Control for Reduced Diabetes Complications
Tight blood glucose control is having levels of blood glucose almost the same as that of a non-diabetic. However, not everybody should aim for tight control as the possibility of weight gain and hypoglycemia will be greater. If you wish to practice tight control, the ADA (American Diabetes Association) states that the level of your blood sugar should be from 70 – 130mg/dL prior to consumption of food and less than180 mg/dL two hours post-meal, and your A1C level at the highest 7.
see ADA – ACE Recommended Blood Glucose Numbers.
Tight Control Benefits
In preventing hyperglycemia, the possibility of getting serious diabetes complications such as nerve damage, blindness, heart disease and kidney failure will be lessened. The ADA states that diabetics who do tight control are better at delaying, if not preventing, such health problems. Treatment for tight control is different, with changes in the dosage as well as the timing of insulin injections, requiring more checks on your sugar level besides giving more attention to your meal plan and the regularity of exercise.
OneTouch Verio IQ | Testing on your new meter – Video Guide
Intensive Therapy
Life with tight control will be more work as there is the need for two dissimilar methods to be employed in intensive insulin therapy. The first method needs an insulin pump which sends to your bloodstream the same amount throughout the day. Then, when you consume food, you can raise the amount of insulin or you give yourself a fast-acting insulin injection. The second method needs the use a minimum of three injections every day; pre-meal injections as well as just before sleep. You have to check your blood glucose many times each day, no matter which method you use.
see How To Test Your Blood Glucose?
Tight Control Risks
You keep your sugar levels the lowest it can safely go when tight control is employed. Of course, there is always the possibility of the sugar levels going exceedingly low to result in hypoglycemia. Should you do more exercise than usual or neglect to follow your meal schedules, it is possible that you feel hungry, irritable, anxious or shaky. Luckily, low blood glucose can be easily overcome with the consumption of 15 g of starchy food. The advantage of tight control is that more blood glucose can be absorbed by your cells. However, glucose which is not immediately used for fuel will be kept as stored fat and due to this, the practice of tight control can lead to an increase in weight.
see Hypoglycemia Vs Hyperglycemia Symptoms.
Is Tight Control Suitable For You?
Being committed to tight control is not recommended for everybody. It is certainly not suitable older adults or children, and obviously not to be recommended to diabetics who easily suffer from low blood glucose. In 2005, the NIH (National Institutes of Health) reported that the chance of developing stroke and heart disease can be lowered as much as 50 % among type 1 diabetics. On the other hand, there is a 2011 report which claim that tight control can worsen heart disease among type 2 diabetics who already has the disease. So, it is advisable to discuss with your medical practitioner to know whether tight control is suitable in your case.