6 Things to Do If Your Blood Sugar Is Too High

The point is, it's the pattern that matters, not a single reading.

Whatever you do, don't feel bad or guilty if you have a high blood sugar reading. A 2004 study found that blood sugar monitoring often amplifies feelings of being a "success" or "failure" at diabetes, and when readings are consistently high, it can trigger feelings of anxiety or self-blame.

This can cause some people to give up on testing completely. Try not to think of blood sugar monitoring as a "test" administered by a sour-faced teacher lurking in your distant past. Blood sugar monitoring is simply a tool that you can use to fight the disease. Here, six things you should know about how to lower your blood sugar when it's way too high.

Test before you eat and two hours after

This will tell you how well your medication is controlling your blood sugar. It will also shed light on what food is boosting your sugar too high—and thus should be avoided. "You should consult your health-care provider to develop a plan that works for you," says Donna Rice, immediate past president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, who notes that the frequency and time of day you test will depend on how controlled your blood glucose is.

Look for patterns

If your blood sugar is high in the morning on one day, no big deal. If it keeps happening, though, it's more meaningful. "An isolated high and low you can brush off. Anyone can have a high or low, your body might have been compensating," says Rice. "If they're high every morning, that's important because it means that your liver is producing too much sugar during the night—that might require new or an additional medicine.

Make some small changes

You might try to get more exercise, or limit carbs at your next meal, but don't go crazy. "One blood sugar that's high doesn't indicate a need for major changes—that should only be done on a pattern," says Rice, such as "continuing highs despite following a doctor's instructions." If a pattern continues for two to three days or more, then you might want to let your health-care provider know.

Think about what’s going on

Irene Dunbar, 73, of Durham, N.C., woke up one morning recently to discover her blood sugar was at 119, which is high for her. "I had a cold and had had orange juice yesterday and I normally do not drink orange juice and I thought, 'I better not do that,' " she said. When she gets a high blood sugar reading, she tries to remember if she had anything recently—like bread—that she knows are triggers, and avoids them next time.

Relax

It's not just food that can turn your blood sugar into a roller coaster. "My blood sugar will get really wacky if I have a lot of stress," said Carol Mullen, 62, of Sandia Park, N.M. "I try to avoid situations that are stressful, like serving on committees. I like to do volunteer work, but I'll do something I can do by myself." Mullen is an artist, but she avoids doing artwork on commission because she knows the extra stress can be "aggravating." We all know stress is bad—now you have a concrete number that's telling you it's time to relax.