How Do I Monitor My Blood Sugar

Which Is Right For You

Finding the best glucose monitoring system that is right for you is about finding the choice that best suits your needs. By considering the benefits and limitations between the different systems that are available in Canada, you can find a system that meets your individual requirements while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your diabetes care routine.

Our glucose monitoring comparison chart provides a summary of CGM, Flash glucose monitoring devices and test strips and meters.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

When visiting your doctor, you might keep these questions in mind to ask during your appointment.

• What is my target blood sugar range?
• How often should I check my blood sugar?
• What do these numbers mean?
• Are there patterns that show I need to change my diabetes treatment?
• What changes need to be made to my diabetes care plan?

If you have other questions about your numbers or your ability to manage your diabetes, make sure to work closely with your doctor or health care team.

Wheres The Health Benefit In This

Is there any evidence of benefit if people without diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels with CGMs? Theres little published research to help answer this question.

The best study I could find found nothing particularly surprising: among 153 people who didnt have diabetes, about 96% of the time blood sugar levels were normal or nearly so. In fact, many of the abnormal levels were considered implausible or a mistake. Another small study looked at sedentary individuals without diabetes who were overweight or obese. Participants completed a counseling session about the effects of physical activity on blood sugar and used a CGM device and an activity tracker for 10 days. Afterward, they reported feeling more motivated to exercise.

But I could find no published study suggesting that monitoring translates into improved health. Well, wait: one maker of a CGM device posted a study on its website reporting better blood sugar results among healthy people using their product. However, the study wasnt published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, it lacked details that would allow critical evaluation, and it examined what seem to be arbitrary ranges of blood sugar values, not actual health outcomes such as heart disease, nerve damage, or hospitalizations.

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What Is Hba1c Do I Need To Monitor My Hba1c Too

While a glucometer or CGM gives you the at-the-moment sugar level, HbA1c tells you the average blood sugar level over three months. This is typically measured every 3 – 6 months at your regular check-up with your doctor.

Why is it important to check your HbA1c regularly?

The HbA1c gives an indication of how well controlled your diabetes is. As your blood sugar level can fluctuate minute to minute, the HbA1c gives you and your doctor an idea of what your blood sugar level is on average. This allows you and your doctor to monitor the control of your diabetes at each review , and make adjustments to your treatment plan.

Lowering your HbA1c can bring long term benefits. Two large-scale studies the UK Prospective Diabetes Study and the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial demonstrated that improving HbA1c by 1% for people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes cuts the risk of microvascular complications by 25%.Microvascular complications include:

• Diabetic nephropathy

Research has also shown that people with type 2 diabetes who reduce their HbA1c level by 1% are:

• 19% less likely to suffer cataracts

• 16% less likely to suffer heart failure

• 43% less likely to suffer amputation or death due to peripheral vascular disease

What should my HbA1c level be?

How Can I Treat Low Blood Sugar

If youve had low blood sugar without feeling or noticing symptoms , you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if its low and treat it. Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel.

Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry or have other symptoms, check your blood sugar. Even if you dont have symptoms but think you may have low blood sugar, check it. If your blood sugar is lower than 70 mg/dL, do one of the following immediately:

• Take four glucose tablets.
• Drink four ounces of fruit juice.
• Drink four ounces of regular soda, not diet soda.
• Eat four pieces of hard candy.

Wait for 15 minutes and then check your blood sugar again. Do one of the above treatments again until your blood sugar is 70 mg/dL or above and eat a snack if your next meal is an hour or more away. If you have problems with low blood sugar, ask your doctor if your treatment plan needs to be changed.

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Tips On Blood Sugar Testing

For BGMs, you should:

• Pay attention to expiration dates for test strips.
• Use a big enough drop of blood.
• Check the batteries of your meter.
• Be sure your meter is set correctly.
• Keep your meter clean.

• Follow the instructions for the test carefully.
• Write down the results and show them to your doctor.

How Do Diabetic Service Dogs Help People With Diabetes

âIf you have diabetes, your body has trouble processing the food you eat and turning it into energy. This means that diabetes can cause your blood sugar levels to build up and reach dangerous levels. This is called hyperglycemia, and it can lead to serious complications, like eye diseases, kidney damage, heart attacks, and strokes.

To treat diabetes, a medicine called insulin can help keep your blood sugar levels from rising too high. But, a common side effect of insulin is hypoglycemia. This means your blood sugar level drops too low. Hypoglycemia can cause seizures and coma, so itâs important to treat it as soon as possible.â

Dizziness, confusion, and drowsiness are symptoms of both severe hyperglycemia and severe hypoglycemia. A diabetic alert dog is trained to alert you of a blood sugar drop or spike while youâre still awake enough to treat your blood sugar levels or get help.

The way a diabetic service dog tells you that you need to check your blood sugar depends on their training. Some diabetic alert dogs are trained to paw, nudge, lick, or stare at you, while others are taught to jump, bark, or whine. Some dogs have been taught to bring a blood glucose monitor to their owner.

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How Long Should I Wait After Eating To Check My Blood Sugar

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All content on this website is for educational purposes only and does not replace the guidance of your healthcare practitioner. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

While each persons specific blood sugar monitoring schedule is personal, checking blood sugar throughout the day is one of the best ways to ensure that your levels are in a safe target range. Blood glucose tends to peak after meals. This may leave you wondering, how long should I wait after eating to check my blood sugar? Finding the answer can help you safeguard your health and better manage your diabetes.

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How Do I Monitor My Blood Sugar And Ketone Levels

Closely monitoring your blood sugar and ketone levels is easiest way to manage your diabetes. You may need to monitor your levels several times a day. Your doctor will talk to you about your specific needs.

How Do I Test My Blood Sugar?

Self-monitoring blood glucose is important to keep track of how much sugar is in your blood. To test your blood sugar:

• Prick your finger with a special needle or device
• Put a drop of blood on a testing strip
• Place the strip in a blood glucose monitor to measure your blood sugar levels
• Keep a record of your testing results

There are many types of monitors available and instructions on their use vary. Check with your insurance company to see if blood glucose monitoring equipment and testing supplies are covered under your plan.

How Do I Test My Ketones?

When your blood sugar gets too high, you may produce ketones. Ketones are the chemical result of the breakdown of fat so your body can use it for energy. This happens when the body is not using insulin the right way. Its normal to have some ketones in your blood and urine, but too many can be dangerous. To test your ketone level, collect your urine in a clean container and put a test strip in it. The strip will change color as it reacts to the ketones. Be sure to keep a record of your test results.

Check with your insurance company to see if ketone testing supplies are covered under your plan.

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Where To Buy Supplies

Talk with your diabetes healthcare provider to get a refill prescription for blood glucose test strips and lancets. You must get refills from your local pharmacy. MSKs outpatient pharmacy does not carry these supplies.

If your blood glucose meter is battery-powered, make sure to always have extra batteries. The Contour Next One blood glucose meter uses 2 CR-2032 batteries. You can buy these batteries online or at your local electronics store, hardware store, or supermarket.

Blood Sugar Monitoring For People With Diabetes Offers Undeniable Health Benefits

For people with diabetes, a major goal of therapy is to keep the blood sugar close to the normal range. This helps to prevent symptoms and complications, prolong life, and improve quality of life.

The development of CGM devices that can frequently and easily monitor blood sugar levels without finger sticks has revolutionized care for millions of people with diabetes. Besides providing results of blood sugar levels, some devices have alarm settings that alert the user, or other people, if blood sugar becomes dangerously low or high. And some systems can transmit results directly to the users doctor, if desired.

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At What Number Range Are You Considered Diabetic

Question Originally asked by Community Member teresa At What Number Range Are You Considered Diabetic what numbers must you have to be consider borderline and what number range to be considered to be diabetic such as type 2 diabectic and type 1 Answer Hello teresa, Diagnosis of diabetes is based on blood sugar measurements. The difference between type 1 and type 2 is not based on blood sugar levels, but in the mechanisms that raise blood sugar. Fasting glucose levels above 140 mg/dl on at least two occations are diagnosic for diabetes. Anything above 110mg/dl but less than 140mg/dl after fasting is considered impaired impaired glocose tolerence. There is a formal test, called a glucose tolerance test, that involves ingesting a specified amount of glucose and lthen measuring how the blood sugar levels increase and fall. Likely, anybody with a blood sugar level about 200 mg/dl on at least 2 occasions without fasting is likely diabetic and needs to be treated. To your health, Neil MD You should know Answers to your question are meant to provide general health information but should not replace medical advice you receive from a doctor. No answers should be viewed as a diagnosis or recommended treatment for a condition. Answered By: Neil MDContinue reading > >

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Choosing A Blood Glucose Monitor

A blood glucose monitor, testing strips, and a lancet to draw the blood are all necessary for testing. Some testing kits offer all three, while others require separate purchases for each piece.

People with diabetes use many testing strips, and so it may be wise to carefully consider the cost of the testing strips as well as the monitor.

Some other tips for buying a monitor include:

• Select one with automatic coding to avoid the need to code in results with every test.
• Check insurance plans to see if an insurer only covers certain monitors.
• Look at whether the unit stores previous data.
• Consider portability, since larger units can be difficult to carry around.
• Think about blood sample size, particularly for people who do not like pricking themselves.

Monitors that require a smaller blood sample may be more comfortable as the depth of the lancet can be less.

Many people with diabetes have no signs of the disease at all. However, the lack of symptoms does not necessarily mean the absence of diabetes.

When symptoms occur, many of the effects of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same since both affect blood sugar regulation in the body. Symptoms include:

• increased hunger and thirst

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Blood Glucose Monitor Or Glucometer

Blood glucose monitors or glucometers are handy devices that measure a persons blood sugar levels from a small sample, usually from a fingertip.

Glucometer kits come with lancets that people use to prick their fingers to obtain a blood sample. They run the test by inserting the strip into the monitor showing their current blood sugar level.

Why Check Blood Sugars

Checking your childs blood sugar tells you the amount of glucose in your childs blood and is a key part of daily care. Each time you check, you will know if your childs blood sugar is inside or outside the healthy range set by the care team.

Checking blood sugars regularly can help you and your child:

• Feel more in control of diabetes.
• Find out how food, exercise, and diabetes medicine affect the blood sugar.
• Know when you need to make any changes to food, exercise, and diabetes medicines.
• Prevent health problems that can happen now or in the future.

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How To Check Sugar Levels In Urine

Urine glucose tests can check the level of sugar in your urine. A urine glucose test is one method of screening for diabetes, including gestational diabetes. Your doctor may order this test at your office visit.

With normal glucose metabolism, there is no glucose in the urine. If there is glucose in your urine, you will need to follow up with a blood glucose check. A blood glucose test is a more accurate measure of diabetes management.

Doctors more often use urine tests to check the health of your kidneys, which can sustain damage with untreated diabetes,

and to check for ketones, high levels of which occur in diabetic ketoacidosis.

Why Do I Have To Monitor My Blood Sugar

Monitoring your blood sugar is the best way to find out how well your diabetes is being controlled, and gives you information on how to manage your diabetes on a daily basis. If your blood sugar is too low or too high, your healthcare provider might want to adjust your diet, exercise schedule, or the amount of medicine you are taking.

Many things, such as food, physical activity, medication and stress, can affect your blood sugar. The following can raise it:

• Eating too much
• Not taking your diabetes medication
• Illness, surgery, or stress

These things can lower your blood sugar:

• Missing meals, or just not eating very much
• Taking too much diabetes medication
• Drinking alcohol without eating
• Too much activity

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Follow Your Diabetes Meal Plan

Make a diabetes meal plan with help from your health care team. Following a meal plan will help you manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Choose fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, lean meats, and nonfat or low-fat milk and cheese. Drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. Choose foods that are lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt. Learn more about eating, diet, and nutrition with diabetes.

When Do You Use A Blood Glucose Meter

Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is a very good idea to get a glucometer to measure your sugar levels at home.

When it comes to standard glucose monitors, patients with type 2 diabetes should keep an eye on their glucose level, but the exact interval tends to depend on what your doctor recommends.

Patients who take insulin may need to check their glucose level before each meal, though depending on the type of insulin, some may only need to check before breakfast or bed. It all depends on your doctors recommendation.

However, those who just use oral hypoglycemic medications or make lifestyle changes may not even need to keep track of their glucose every day. You should make sure to follow whatever your healthcare professionals determine is best for you.

Patients with type 2 diabetes can opt for continuous monitoring, though there isnt much evidence that a CGM device provides great benefits for patients with this type of diabetes.

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How To Check Blood Sugar Without A Meter

Diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either doesnt make enough insulin or doesnt use insulin properly or both. This can lead to a higher than normal blood sugar level.

Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to complications, such as:

For these reasons, its important to monitor your blood sugar if you have diabetes.

Prior to using meters, people with diabetes would monitor their blood sugar by testing their urine. This method, however, wasnt as accurate, nor did it provide real-time results.

If you self-test your blood sugar several times a day using a glucometer, or meter, it requires that you prick your finger to draw blood to test. Due to the discomfort of this method, you might look for a way to monitor your level without this tool.

If finger pricks are very bothersome for you, dont worry theres hope. Advances in blood sugar monitoring technology could mean no more finger pricks in the future.

If you have diabetes, there are several portable devices you can use to check your blood sugar level and not all of them require a finger prick.