Many of us are told that we should keep good control to prevent complications later in life.

Whilst this is perfectly true, it can seem like an abstract motivator to many of us but there are plenty of good short term reasons to test more and keep good control.

1. Avoid severe hypos and ketoacidosis

Anyone who has had either a severe hypo or ketoacidosis will know how scary these short term complications can be. Testing at least 4 times a day and whenever you could be high or low will help you to steer clear of them.

2. Beat tiredness

Too high and too low sugar levels can both lead to feelings of fatigue until sugar levels get back to normal levels. Too high and too low sugar levels during the night can also lead to a poorer quality of sleep

So, spending a bit of extra time on testing and making sense of the results can pay off, giving you more energy to make the most of your day.

3. Achieve more

Following on from the tiredness, if you can hold back some of the fatigue, you’ll be in a better position to achieve more – and this applies to school , sports, work or your hobbies.

It’s been well proven that keeping sugar levels within the target range helps improve both mental and physical performance.

4. Get direction in your control

Some of us see bad results as failure but others see those same bad results as an opportunity to improve. If you fall into the first category, try out looking at things from the other perspective and use those less good results to inspire changes towards better control.

5. Banish mood swings

Most of us know that hypers and hypos can both lead to amplified emotions, such as frustration, irritation and anger The trouble is, even when we want to control these feelings, sometimes it’s easier thought then done.

Keep regularly testing and reviewing your results and with better control, there’ll be less times you’ll need to grapple with these undesirably intense emotions.

6. Freedom to socialise

Don’t let high or low levels take the edge off your day or night out with friends. It’s tempting to use a day or night out as a break from diabetes but taking a break from testing can up the risk of hypos and perhaps rising ketone levels

Ultimately it’s best to bring testing into your social life. Taking a couple of minutes to take a test every couple of hours and keep control of your sugar levels will carry a lot more respect from your mates than if they have to bail you out of trouble one day if a bad high or low suddenly takes you and them by surprise

7. Plan for raising a family

If you’re looking to raise a family it’s important to have control over your sugar levels. For women, it is strongly encouraged to achieve tight control of sugar levels prior to becoming pregnant to minimise the risks of complications to you and your baby through pregnancy

For men the need for tight control is less pronounced but that’s not to say good control is not important.

Having good control, for both men and women with diabetes, will mean less worry for your partner and puts you in a better position to look after your children both now and years into the future.

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