How To Check Your Blood Sugar

What Are The Target Ranges

How to Test Your Blood Sugar

Blood glucose targets are individualized based on:

duration of diabetes
conditions a person may have
cardiovascular disease or diabetes complications
hypoglycemia unawareness
individual patient considerations

The American Diabetes Association suggests the following targets for most nonpregnant adults with diabetes. A1C targets differ based on age and health. Also, more or less stringent glycemic goals may be appropriate for each individual.

A1C: Less than 7%A1C may also be reported as eAG: Less than 154 mg/dL
Before a meal : 80130 mg/dL
1-2 hours after beginning of the meal *: Less than 180 mg/dL

Get Your Lancing Device Ready

Twist the white band on your lancing device to the right to unlock the endcap .

Figure 4. Twist the white band to the right

Pull the endcap straight off .

Figure 5. Pull the endcap straight off

Hold the lancet by the round tab. Firmly push it into the center of your lancing device until it cannot go in any more .

Figure 6. Push the lancet into your lancing device

Carefully twist the round tab 3 times. Be careful not to bend it. Pull the tab off and set it aside to use later . You should see a small needle where the tab was.

Figure 7. Pull the tab off the lancet

Put the endcap back on your lancing device in the unlocked position .

Figure 8. Put the endcap back on your lancing device

Twist the white band to the left to lock the endcap on .

Figure 9. Twist the white band to the left

Turn the black part of the endcap dial to set the puncture depth . Its best to start with level 1 or 2. You can set it to a higher level if you do not get a big enough blood drop.

Figure 10. Set the puncture depth

Your lancing device is now ready. Set it down. Pick up your blood glucose meter and test strip.

Touch The Blood Glucose Test Strip To The Blood Drop

Once you have a big enough blood drop, touch the tip of the test strip to the drop . The blood will be drawn into the test strip. Putting the blood on the top, bottom, or side of the strip will not work.

If there is not enough blood on the first try, your meter will beep twice, and a blood drop will flash on the display. You can apply more blood to the test strip within 60 seconds.

If you do not apply enough blood within 60 seconds, your meter will show an error code. If this happens, pull out the test strip and throw it away. Start again with a new test strip. Increase the puncture depth on your lancing device, if needed.

Figure 15. Touch the end of the test strip

When youve applied enough blood to the test strip, your meter will beep and count down from 5. Your blood sugar level will appear on the screen and youll see a color near the test strip port. This is called the Target Light or smartLIGHT. Youll see green if your result is in the target range, yellow if its too high, or red if its too low.

When you first get your Contour Next One blood glucose meter, the target blood glucose range will be 70 to 180 mg/dL.

If your diabetes provider gives you a different target range, you can change it using the Contour Diabetes app.

If you do not want to use the smartLIGHT feature, you can turn it off using the Contour Diabetes app.

It is important to look at the number on the screen, not just the color.

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How To Use A Blood Glucose Meter:

After washing your hands, insert a test strip into your meter.
Use your lancing device on the side of your fingertip to get a drop of blood.
Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood and wait for the result.
Your blood glucose level will appear on the meter’s display.

Note: All meters are slightly different, so always refer to your user’s manual for specific instructions.

Home Blood Sugar Monitoring Routine For Type 2 Diabetes

The procedure is straightforward. Once you repeat it several times, you can get used to every process.

The first step is to wash your hands.
When your hands are clean, you need to use a lancing tool on your fingertip. This way, you get some blood.
Now you need to take your test strip and dip it in the blood drop.
Sometime later, you will see the results on the meters display.

These steps are essential to manage the procedure correctly. The correctness of the testing process determines the results.

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Blood Sugar During A Random Test

About checking sugars on a regular, daily basis, if you are looking to understand how often I should check my blood sugar, that answer would depend on what the sugar level is during a random test during the day. For example, if your blood sugar is higher than 250 mg/dL or lower than 80 mg/dL at any point during the day, you need to ensure that you are checking your sugars after taking the correct steps to decrease or increase the sugars.

Throw Away The Test Strip And Used Lancet

Firmly pull the test strip out of your blood glucose meter . Throw it away in the trash can. Its OK to put it with your regular trash.

Figure 16. Pull the test strip out of your blood glucose meter

Twist the white band on your lancing device to the right to unlock the endcap. Pull the endcap straight off.

Put the round plastic tab you removed from the top of the lancet earlier on a flat surface. Push the end of the lancet firmly into the plastic tab . The tab will cover the lancet so you will not accidentally prick yourself.

Figure 17. Push the end of the lancet into the plastic tab

Hold the lancet over your plastic sharps container. Slide the lancet ejector forward until the lancet falls into the plastic sharps container .

Do not pull the lancet out with your fingers. The plastic tab can easily come off. If it does, you may prick yourself with the needle.

Figure 18. Eject the lancet into the sharps container

Slide the lancet ejector back into place. Put the endcap back on your lancing device. Twist the white band to the left to lock on the endcap.

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How To Test Your Blood Sugar At Home

Follow these steps:

Wash and dry your hands well.

Insert a test strip into your meter.

Prick the side of your fingertip with the lancet provided with your test kit.

Gently squeeze or massage your finger until a drop of blood forms.

Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood.

The meter will display your blood glucose level on a screen after a few seconds.

How Often Should I Test My Blood Sugar Level

How to Test Your Blood Sugar

Your family doctor will recommend how often you should test. Testing times are based on the kind of medicine you take and on how well your blood sugar levels are controlled. Youll probably need to check your blood sugar more often at first. Youll also check it more often when you feel sick or stressed, when you change your medicine, or if youre pregnant.

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How To Do A Finger

Your healthcare team will show you how to do it the first time, but these are the key steps:

Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dont use wet wipes as the glycerine in them can affect the test result. Make sure your hands are warm so its easier to get blood and wont hurt as much.
Take a test strip and slot it into the meter to turn it on. Some meters will have tests strips built in.
Remove the cap from your finger prick device and put in a new lancet. Then put the cap back on and set the device by pulling or clicking the plunger.
Choose which finger to prick but avoid your thumb or index finger . And dont prick the middle, or too close to a nail. Place the device against the side of your finger and press the plunger. Use a different finger each time and a different area.
Take your meter with the test strip and hold it against the drop of blood. Itll tell you if the test strip is filled, usually by beeping.
Before you look at your reading, check your finger. Use a tissue to stop bleeding, then use it to take out the lancet and throw it away in your sharps bin.
You can use the same tissue to take out the test strip and throw that away too. Taking out the strip will usually turn the meter off.

How To Reduce The Pain Of Blood Sugar Checks

Nobody gets excited about pricking their fingertip. In fact, studies have shown that it’s one of the main reasons people refrain from regularly checking their blood glucose.6,7 So how can you make this less of a hurdle in your self-care?

Select a less-painful lancing device

Naturally, one factor that can contribute to the pain is your lancing device. That’s why we’ve worked hard to ensure that Accu-Chek lancing devices keep discomfort to a minimum. For example, our lancing devices feature:

Technology that minimizes side-to-side motion, so there’s less skin tearing
11 customizable depth settings to help match your skin type
Precisely manufactured, beveled, thin-gauge lancets to ensure smoother entry

You can reduce pain by using a fresh lancet for every test. Today’s lancets are so tiny that just a single use can bend or dull the tips. This can make them hurt more as you reuse them.

5 tips for reducing fingertip pain

You can make testing more comfortable and help ensure that you get a good sample on the first try by following these 5 easy steps.

Make sure that your hands are clean and dry. Washing your hands with warm water and hanging your hand at your side for a few minutes may increase blood flow.3

Lance on the side of the fingertip rather than the pad. The pad of your fingertipwhere your fingerprints are most visibleare some of the most sensitive parts of your body.8

Keep the skin taut by pressing the lancing device firmly against the skin.

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How Can I Pay For Tests And Diabetes Supplies

Medicareexternal icon, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans pay for the A1C test and fasting blood sugar test as well as some diabetes supplies. Check your plan or ask your health care team for help finding low-cost or free supplies, and see How to Save Money on Diabetes Care for more resources.

Why Measure Blood Glucose

It can be used as a screening tool for diabetes mellitus .
It is an important tool in the assessment of the unwell patient, especially in the young or old.
Potentially life-threatening extremes of blood glucose can be detected to enable the patient, carer or health worker to respond to high and low blood glucose by adjusting the diet or using insulin.

Why Check Blood Sugar

Whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, checking your blood sugar lets you see what makes your blood sugar go up or down. For example, some factors that can make blood sugar rise are:

Too much food, especially carbohydrates
Inactivity

Some medications
More physical activity than usual

Understanding your bodys patterns can help you and your healthcare provider know how to manage your diabetes best. For example, monitoring your blood sugar levels and keeping your blood sugar within your target range reduce the risk of diabetes complications.

In addition, managing your diabetes can help prevent severely high blood sugar and severely low blood sugar .

What Do I Do With The Results

You need to keep track of your results. There are a few ways you can do this. You can write them down in a record book. Use a small notebook or ask your doctor for a blood testing record book. Depending on the type of monitor you have, you may be able to keep track of the results on your computer or smartphone. Whatever method you use, you may also want to keep track of what you have eaten, when you took medicine or insulin, and how active youve been during the day. This will help you see how these things affect your blood sugar. Talk with your doctor about what is a good range for your blood sugar level and what to do if your blood sugar is not within that range.

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Are You Newly Diagnosed

How often to check blood sugar type 2 diabetes for newly diagnosed? The number of glucose records depends on the health condition. If the doctor has a particular plan for you, its better to follow the frequency of records at the early type 2 diabetes stages. Otherwise, the situation can get worse without proper monitoring.

How To Stay In Target

How to check your blood sugar

Eating healthy, exercising and taking medication, if necessary, will help you keep your blood sugar levels within their target range. Target ranges for blood sugar can vary depending on your age, medical condition and other risk factors.

Targets are different for pregnant women, older adults and children 12 years of age and under.

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What Should My Blood Sugar Goals Be

Blood sugar goals may be different for each person, and can change throughout the day. The American Diabetes Association recommends these blood sugar goals:

Before meals: 80 to 130 mg/dL
Two hours after the start of a meal: less than 180 mg/dL
Before bedtime: 100-150 mg/dL. If the level is less than 100 mg/dL, have a snack.

Keeping Track Of Your Results

Your healthcare provider will tell you how to keep track of your blood sugar levels and medication doses. Follow their instructions.
Bring your blood sugar log to all your appointments. This information will help your healthcare provider decide if they should change your current treatment plan. If you have questions about checking your blood sugar, ask your healthcare provider.

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Other Meters Being Developed

Besides the above four CGMs, other meters are being developed that dont require blood samples. One such CGM is called GlucoTrack by Integrity Applications, which measures blood glucose via your earlobe. However, it hasnt yet been approved by the FDA.

Other types of technologies may be seen soon to help improve diabetes management without the need for finger pricks. However, standalone smartwatches, contact lenses, and other buzzworthy devices havent yet proven to accurately measure blood glucose.

Why It Is Done

How Often Should You Check Your Blood Sugar?

A home blood glucose test is an accurate way to measure your blood sugar level at the time of testing. If you have diabetes, testing your blood glucose levels at home provides information about:

Your blood sugar level. It is important to know when your blood sugar is high or low, to prevent emergency situations from developing. It is also important to treat consistently high blood sugar levels so you can decrease your chances of developing heart, blood vessel, and nerve complications from diabetes.
How much insulin to take before each meal. If you take rapid-acting or short-acting insulin before meals, the blood sugar test results can help you determine how much insulin to take before each meal. If your blood sugar level is high, you may need extra insulin. If your blood sugar level is low, you may need to eat before you take any insulin.
How exercise, diet, stress, and being ill affect your blood sugar levels. Testing your blood sugar can help you learn how your body responds to these things. Where possible, you can adjust your lifestyle to improve your blood sugar level.

Home blood sugar testing also may be used to:

Test blood sugar levels in people who have symptoms of high blood sugar or low blood sugar .

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What To Do With Your Results

Whether you check once or multiple times a day, you may wonder what to do with those results. The first thing you should do is make sure you record your numbers each time you check. Looking at these numbers can provide you with a lot of information.

So what can your results tell you?3

Checking after you wake up may tell your care team if you need to adjust your insulin.
Checking before and after eating helps you to see how meals affect your blood sugar levels.

Together, you and your care team can use your collective results to tailor the best diabetes management plan for you and help you reach your blood sugar targets.Additional times to checkOutside of the normal times you check your blood sugar, you may also want to include3:

When you experience the symptoms of low blood sugar sweating, dizziness, confusion, chills, or shaking
When you have symptoms of high blood sugar blurry vision, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and sleepiness
When youre taking a new medication
When youve changed your activity level or exercise routine
When youre dealing with more stress than usual

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 . 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 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 .

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