Blood Sugar Monitoring
You can check your blood glucose (sugar) levels at home using a glucose meter. The results tell you what your glucose levels are at certain times of the day. Your meal choices, activity, medications, and how you feel will affect the results.
There are many kinds of glucose meters. It is best to find out which meter is covered by your insurance. If you do not have a meter, call your provider to get one.
My Glucose Meter________________
Before testing, always wash your hands with soap and water. You will poke your clean finger for the blood sample. You will then apply the drop of blood on a test strip that fits into the meter. In 5 – 20 seconds you will have a result.
Be sure your meter is giving accurate results. Bring your meter with you and do a test when you are at the lab for a glucose check. Compare the two results. Your meter result should read within 15% of the lab glucose.
Your Glucose Goals
We suggest keeping your blood glucose levels between 70 – 130 mg/dL before meals. This will help to prevent complications. Some people check blood glucose levels two hours after starting a meal. These glucose levels should be less than 180 mg/dL.
Talk with your health care team about setting goals that make sense for you.
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Goals for People with Diabetes |
Your Goal |
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Before Meals: 70-130 mg/dL |
_______ to _______
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2 hours after starting a meal: less than 180 mg/dL |
Less than ________ |
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Bedtime/Before Driving: 100-140 mg/dL |
_______ to _______
|
My Self-Testing Plan
How often you test your blood glucose levels at home depends on your treatment plan. It makes sense for some to check as little as a few times per week. Others need to check four or more times per day. This may change over time.
My Usual Testing Schedule
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Timing |
Test (yes/no) |
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Before Meals |
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|
After Meals |
|
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Bedtime |
|
|
During the Night |
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Exercise |
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Record your results in a logbook. Bring your logbook and meter to every clinic visit for your health care team to review.
Testing on Sick Days
If you get sick with a cold or flu or if you have an infection, you may need to check your blood glucose levels as often as every two hours. stay in close contact with your health care team during these times.
What Do I Do with My Blood Sugar Results
- Keep a log of your blood sugar tests. With a written record, it is easy to see patterns and determine if your blood sugar is within your goal range.
- Contact your nurse or doctor for help if you are having trouble keeping your blood sugar within your goal range.
- Always bring your meter and/or written results to your clinic visit. Most meters are able to download blood sugar results from the memory to a computer. Printed charts and graphs of your blood sugars will provide more detail about your blood sugar control.
Purpose of Quality Control
- Meters need to be checked against the lab every year to ensure accuracy. It is best to compare your meter when you are fasting. If you are not fasting, it should be at least 2 hours since you've last eaten.
- Bring your meter to the lab. Puncture your finger and check the blood sugar on your meter while you are at the lab. The lab will also measure the blood sugar on their equipment. Compare the two results.
- Your meter result should read within 15% of the lab glucose. To figure out how close your meter reads to the lab, use the formula below.
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Lab - Meter X 100 = % difference Lab |
The Spanish version of this Health Facts for You is #5833.
Reference
American Diabetes Association: Clinical Practice Recommendations 2010. www.diabetes.org/disabetescare Accessed January 14, 2010.
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 07/19/2010
Copyright © 04/15/2010 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#4509
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