What is a Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart?

A diabetes blood sugar chart is a management tool for diabetic patients to help them track and monitor their blood sugar levels. Patients record readings when they take them, taking note of special circumstances, and use the chart to see if their treatment plans need to be adjusted to address changing conditions and developing issues. A number of companies make forms designed for this purpose, and people can also maintain charts electronically using diabetes software.

When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, one of the topics covered in medical appointments is the target blood sugar range. Doctor and patient work together to develop a range, and the patient takes steps to hit that range by controlling the diet and possibly using other measures such as taking insulin injections, depending on the type of diabetes. The goal is to keep blood sugar as stable as possible to avoid spikes and to keep levels low, as prolonged hyperglycemia can lead to serious medical complications.

On a diabetes blood sugar chart, the patient has a number of blanks for different times of day. In healthy patients, some fluctuation is expected, and the target goal shifts over the course of the day in response to time of day, meal planning, and exercise. Every time the patient takes a reading, the result is noted in the chart. With electronic blood sugar monitoring, the patient's electronic device does the recording and can relay data to a diabetes blood sugar chart at the end of the day or whenever a patient synchs up with another device, making it easy to monitor.

Using the chart, the patient can identify good and bad days in terms of diabetes management, and make lifestyle adjustments to hit more appropriate blood sugar levels. A doctor can also review and discuss a diabetes blood sugar chart with a patient to talk about specific concerns. If the chart shows consistently high or dangerously low levels, it shows that the current management plan is not working and needs to be gradually changed to push the patient back into the target range.

Management of diabetes has been made substantially easier for patients with tools like electronic diabetes blood sugar chart software. This allows patients to go about their daily business with minimal interruption while still taking and recording readings. Patients interested in options like electronic monitoring can discuss them with a physician or other diabetic patients to learn more about the available equipment and to get recommendations on the best products for their needs.