Where Can You Get Blood Sugar Checked

Does Everyone Have Symptoms From Hypoglycemia

Some people dont have symptoms or dont notice them. Healthcare providers call that situation hypoglycemia unawareness. People with such a challenge arent aware when they need to do something about their blood sugar. Theyre then more likely to have severe episodes and need medical help. People with hypoglycemia unawareness should check their blood sugar more often.

How Often Should I Test My Blood Sugar Level

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.

What Is Blood Glucose

Blood glucose is a sugar that moves through the bloodstream and provides energy to all the cells in the body. It is one of your babys most important sources of energy.

Babies with normal blood glucose levels have all the energy they need for healthy growth and development. However, in rare cases, blood glucose levels can fall too low and cause a baby to become sick.

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Who Is Blood Glucose Testing Suitable For

Many people with diabetes benefit from blood glucose testing if they are provided with education on how to interpret their results and take appropriate action to improve their control.

All people who take insulin should regularly test their blood glucose levels and people on certain tablets, such as sulfonylureas, should also test their blood glucose levels to identify any periods of low blood glucose levels.

People on other medications that do not cause hypoglycemia may not need to test their blood glucose levels, however, many people will wish to check their blood sugar levels in order to help them make decisions to maintain and improve their diabetes control

Tips For Checking Your Blood Sugar With Less Pain

Fingertips have more nerve endings, so this part of the finger tends to be the most sensitive.

If you use a finger prick to check your blood sugar level, a few techniques can make the process less painful whether youre using a glucometer or a continuous glucose monitor.

Blood sugar testing is crucial to diabetes management because high or low blood sugar can cause severe complications. If too much blood sugar accumulates in your bloodstream, you can experience major complications such as:

• nerve damage

• difficulty speaking
• shaking

Blood sugar can fluctuate throughout the day especially after meals, after exercising, and during stressful events. So its important to carefully monitor your blood sugar and keep it within a healthy range.

A blood sugar level less than 140 milligrams per deciliter , but greater than 70 mg/dL is typically considered in the target range.

You should check your blood sugar regularly, even if you arent experiencing symptoms of a high or low glucose level. Some people with high and low blood sugar dont have any symptoms.

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Can You Check Blood Sugar Without Pricking Finger

Can you check blood sugar without pricking finger? Flash glucose monitoring is sensor technology that enables you to test your glucose levels without pricking your finger. This technology is available in FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre 2.

How do I check my blood sugar without a needle? Abbotts new FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, approved Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration, uses a small sensor attached to the upper arm. Patients wave a reader device over it to see the current blood sugar level and changes over the past eight hours.

How can you tell if your diabetic without pricking your finger? Upon its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 , the FreeStyle Libre was the first CGM on the market for adults with diabetes that didnt require blood samples from finger pricks. Instead, this meter reads glucose from interstitial fluids just underneath the skin.

Do you have to use your finger to test blood sugar? Prick your finger with the lancing device at the sides of the finger as there are less nerve ending here than at the tips or the pads. Recommended finger: the World Health Organisation recommends the middle or ring fingers are used for blood glucose tests .

Why Get A Free Diabetes Screening

The purpose of this type of screening is to serve as an early alert, hopefully cutting down on the damage done by type 2 diabetes by uncovering it and addressing it early, before you have any complications of high blood sugar. Also, “These screenings have the potential to catch other types of diabetes,” adds Knapp. Since more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and another 86 million are at risk for the disease, early diagnosis is more important than ever.

Here are more reasons for getting a screening:

• You can find out whether you might have a type of diabetes called prediabetes, which almost always starts before full-blown type 2 diabetes.
• Early diagnosis enables you to start self-care with healthy lifestyle changes, like increasing exercise and losing weight.
• For some people with prediabetes, early treatment can actually return blood glucose levels to the normal range.

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What If The 15

If you dont feel better after three tries, or if your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider or 911. Healthcare providers can use a medication called glucagon. They inject it with a needle or squirt it up your nose. Glucagon is also available for home use. Your healthcare provider can prescribe it and teach a family member or friend how to use it in the event of severe hypoglycemia.

Blood Sugar Levels Chart & Ranges

With the help of modern medicine and newly introduced at home treatments, common medical concerns such as blood sugar levels are now easier to manage than ever. The access to at home treatment and available sources has increased the ability to self-medicate and regularly check in with your health yourself.

There is still heightened concern for blood sugar levels due to the increase and ease of processed food and alcohol access across the world. But, with the right measures and plan, everyone can help avoid their blood sugar level from becoming abnormal.

According to the World Health Organisation , over 1.6 million deaths per year in America are due to diabetes. Fortunately, this figure can be decreased with the help of treatment and easy to manage at home testings.

Today, we will be discussing the top treatment methods, teaching you about blood sugar levels and how to manage them:

Contents

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Symptoms Of Diabetes That May Prompt An A1c Test

As mentioned by the , a doctor may recommend an A1C test if a person shows signs of poor glucose control, diabetes, or prediabetes.

Warning signs can include:

• increased urination, especially at night
• increased hunger
• numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
• slow healing sores

• more than 45 years of age
• family history of diabetes
• long-term use of glucocorticoids, antipsychotics, and certain medications for HIV

What If Your Glucose Levels Are Abnormal

Health conditions such as diabetes and hypoglycemia will obviously have a big impact on your blood sugar levels. Pregnancy can also affect your blood sugar, which sometimes results in gestational diabetes for the duration of the pregnancy.

The American Diabetes Association points out that every persons recommended blood sugar level is different and is based on several health factors. But, in general, the target range for glucose levels in diabetes is 80 to 130 milligrams/deciliter before eating and less than 180 mg/dl after a meal.

If your glucose levels dont fall within the normal range, you and your doctor will need to make a plan to determine the reason why. Additional testing for diabetes, hypoglycemia, certain medical conditions, and other endocrine issues may be necessary to identify why your blood sugar is too high or too low.

Continue to monitor your blood glucose levels while you wait on test appointments or test results. If you experience any of the following symptoms, let your doctor know right away:

• unexplained dizziness

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How Can I Prevent Low Blood Glucose In My Baby

The most natural way to feed your baby and to keep a normal blood glucose level is early and frequent breastfeeding. Talk to your health care provider before you start using breast milk substitutes .

Its also important to know if your baby is at risk for low blood glucose .

Do not smoke during pregnancy. Babies who are exposed to tobacco dont grow well.

How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia

There are simple ways to reduce your risk of severe or prolonged hyperglycaemia:

• Be careful what you eat be particularly aware of how snacking and eating sugary foods or carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level.
• Stick to your treatment plan remember to take your insulin or other diabetes medications as recommended by your care team.
• Be as active as possible getting regular exercise can help stop your blood sugar level rising, but you should check with your doctor first if you’re taking diabetes medication, as some medicines can lead to hypoglycaemia if you exercise too much
• Take extra care when you’re ill your care team can provide you with some “sick day rules” that outline what you can do to keep your blood sugar level under control during an illness.
• Monitor your blood sugar level your care team may suggest using a device to check your level at home, so you can spot an increase early and take steps to stop it.

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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 Are Blood Sugar Targets

A blood sugar target is the range you try to reach as much as possible. These are typical targets:

• Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL.
• Two hours after the start of a meal: Less than 180 mg/dL.

Your blood sugar targets may be different depending on your age, any additional health problems you have, and other factors. Be sure to talk to your health care team about which targets are best for you.

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Gaining Insights From Routine Blood Glucose Testing

Day-to-day blood sugar checks can give you a good idea of how you’re doing at this moment, and they can be reviewed overall to see trends. They can help answer questions such as:

• Are your medications working as they should?
• How does the type or amount of food you eat affect your blood sugar?
• How does activity or stress affect your blood sugar?

Create A Journal To Log Your Blood Sugar Each Time You Test It

There are also apps available that can help you track this information and keep a running tally of your average blood sugar. You may also want to record the time of day youre testing and how long its been since you last ate.

This information will help your doctor track your blood sugar and can be important when diagnosing whats causing your blood sugar to spike.

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What If I Cant Get A Drop Of Blood For A Fingerstick

If you want to get blood from your fingertip, try washing your hands in hot water to get the blood flowing. Then dangle your hand below your heart for a minute. Prick your finger quickly and then put your hand back down below your heart. You might also try slowly squeezing the finger from the base to the tip.

What Are Blood Sugar Levels

Your blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels, are a measurement that show how much glucose you have in your blood. Glucose is a sugar that you get from food and drink. Your blood sugar levels go up and down throughout the day and for people living with diabetes these changes are larger and happen more often than in people who don’t have diabetes.

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How Do I Treat An Episode Of Hypoglycemia

The American Diabetes Association recommends the 15-15 rule for an episode of hypoglycemia:

• Eat or drink 15 grams of carbs to raise your blood sugar.
• After 15 minutes, check your blood sugar.
• If its still below 70 mg/dL, have another 15 grams of carbs.
• Repeat until your blood sugar is at least 70 mg/dL.

If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia but cant test your blood sugar, use the 15-15 rule until you feel better.

Note: Children need fewer grams of carbs. Check with your healthcare provider.

What Is The Normal Range For Blood Sugar

In general, the American Diabetes Association’s recommended blood sugar levels are9:

• Between 70 and 130 mg/dL before meals
• Less than 180 mg/dL after meals

Your range is yours alonebased on your health, age, level of activity and other factors. And remember that your target is a range you’d like to stay within, not a single number.

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Are Bananas Good For Diabetics

Bananas are a safe and nutritious fruit for people with diabetes to eat in moderation as part of a balanced, individualized diet plan. A person with diabetes should include fresh, plant food options in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables. Bananas provide plenty of nutrition without adding many calories.

How Is Hypoglycemia Diagnosed

The only way to know if you have hypoglycemia is to check your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter. Its a small machine that measures blood sugar. Most of these devices use a tiny prick of the finger to take a small amount of blood.

People with hypoglycemia unawareness may need a continuous glucose monitor. These wearable devices measure glucose every few minutes, day and night. An alarm sounds if blood sugar drops too low.

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Recommended Blood Sugar Targets For Most People With Diabetes*

Your targets may not be the same as the examples in this chart. Your targets are important and should be specific to you.

* This information is based on the Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada and is a guide.** A1C is a measurement of your average blood sugar control for the last two to three months and approximately 50 per cent of the value comes from the last 30 days.

High Blood Sugar Level Causes

Several types of diabetes and medical conditions are the primary cause of high blood sugar levels. Most of which are unpreventable issues but are the reason for a spike in high blood sugar. The causes for high blood sugar levels are as follows:

Causes of low blood sugar levels are very different and are as important to be aware of, as they are in fact easier to control.

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How To Use Blood Glucose Testing Results

It’s not unusual for your blood glucose results to be out of range now and then. But if you see a pattern of highs or lows outside your target range, you may want to ask yourself:

• Did I eat at an unusual time, have a larger or smaller portion, or try a new food?
• Did I have more or less physical activity than usual?
• Did I forget to take my medication, take it at the wrong time, take too little or too much?
• Am I taking a new medication?
• Am I stressed about something?
• Do I have an infection or an illness?
• Did I drink alcohol?

Any of these can have an impact on your blood glucose numbers. If you’re making changes to your lifestyle, or if you can’t figure out why you’ve been out of range, talk to your doctor, nurse or diabetes educator.

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1American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes2016 Abridged for primary care providers . Diabetes Care. 2016 34: 3-21. Available at: . Accessed April 26, 2019.

2Polonsky WH, et al. Structured self-monitoring of blood glucose significantly reduces A1C levels in poorly controlled, noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes: results from the Structured Testing Program study. Diabetes Care. 2011 34:262-267. Accessed April 26, 2019.

4Talk with your healthcare professional before deciding if alternate site testing is right for you.

What Should I Do With My Blood Glucose Results

Remember one blood glucose check in isolation will not tell you the whole story. Getting the results is one thing, but knowing what to do with them is key. Making the most of your data can help you to make better decisions, about your health, such as dietary choices and insulin doses.

Things you could look out for:

• low blood sugars
• high blood sugars before meals
• high blood sugars after meals

Logging your activity, food intake and other factors may help you spot patterns and give you a good basis to have a conversation with your healthcare professional about your therapy and lifestyle.

Learn more and watch our 5 part series that explains meaningful blood glucose monitoring for people living with type 2 diabetes by .

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