“Can frequent sugar testing cause any problems?”
My mother is highly diabetic with fluctuating sugar levels. The doctor has advised her sugar levels to be tested 3 times a day. Can this frequent sugar testing cause any complications for my mom?
6 Answers
No. But is very traumatic . Check her serum insulin level. She may be insulin resistant. What medications is she on ?
Having Diabetes will require that your blood glucose levels be checked at certain times of the day. A fasting blood sugar and 2 hrs. post postprandial sugar test is important. This postprandial test can be 2 hrs after the end of eating a breakfast lunch or dinner (supper). This will give a good indication to the Dr. how the blood sugar levels are doing with your meals and hence what to prescribe and how much. The problem might be soreness to the testing sites or possible infection and should be cleaned carefully before doing the test. Blood loss is minimal with these tests.
NO. Frequent testing allows a more accurate view of sugar levels and allows patients to adjust their food intake to keep levels in range. Also keeping track of the sugar levels and bringing a log or your glucometer to office visits can help the physician adjust medications.
That frequency should not cause any problems. Indeed if someone is taking insulin of any type, it is not unusual to advise 4-6 test a day. With fluctuations in blood sugars, I think your mother’s doctor has advised correctly
There is no reason that testing sugar levels multiple times causes any harm
Deepa Patel
Family Practitioner
For fluctuating sugars, it is recommended for levels to be checked frequently. The idea is to provide a physician with an average reading especially what time of the day the sugars drop or rise above average. The timing and dosage of the medication may be changed accordingly in order to bring the blood sugars in better range. There is no complication associated with frequent testing.
