Blood Glucose Monitoring: Tips To Monitor Your Blood Sugar Successfully
Blood sugar testing is an essential part of managing and controlling diabetes. Knowing your blood sugar level quickly can help alert you to when your level has fallen or risen outside the target range. In some cases, this will help prevent an emergency situation. You’ll also be able to record and track your blood glucose readings over time. This will show you how exercise, food, and medicine affect your levels. Conveniently enough, testing your blood glucose level can be done just about anywhere and at any time. In as little as a minute or two, you can test your blood and have a reading using an at-home blood sugar meter or blood glucose monitor. Learn more: Choosing a glucose meter » Whether you test several times a day or only once, following a testing routine will help you prevent infection, return true results, and better monitor your blood sugar. Here’s a step-by-step routine you can follow: Wash your hands with warm, soapy water. Then dry them well with a clean towel. If you use an alcohol swab, be sure to let the area dry completely before testing. Prepare a clean lancet device by inserting a clean needle. This spring-loaded device that holds the needle is what you will use to prick the end of your finger. Remove one test strip from your bottle or box of strips. Be sure to close the bottle or box completely to avoid contaminating the other strips with dirt or moisture. All modern meters now have you insert the strip into the meter before you collect blood, so you can add the blood sample to the strip when it is in the meter. With some older meters, you put the blood on the strip first, and then put the strip in the meter. Stick the side of your fingertip with the lancet. Some blood sugar machines allow for testing from different sites on your body, such as t Continue reading >>
The Best Time To Check Blood Glucose After A Meal
Q: I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Should I check my blood glucose two hours from when I start eating or after I finish eating my meal? A: Most of the food you consume will be digested and raises blood glucose in one to two hours. To capture the peak level of your blood glucose, it is best to test one to two hours after you start eating. The American Diabetes Association recommends a target of below 180 mg/dl two hours after a meal. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends a lower target: below 140 mg/dl two hours after a meal. Ask your doctor which target is right for you. Postmeal blood glucose monitoring (and record-keeping) is important because it helps you see how your body responds to carbohydrates in general and particular foods. Managing postmeal blood glucose can help reduce your risk of developing heart and circulation problems. Virginia Zamudio Lange, a member of Diabetic Living's editorial advisory board, is a founding partner of Alamo Diabetes Team, LLP in San Antonio. Continue reading >>
When To Test Blood Sugar | Accu-chek
Before physical activity, to see if you need a snack If you think your blood sugar might be too high, too low or falling Short-term, structured testing means checking your blood sugar at specific times over a few days. It can help you recognize patterns and problem-solve around how the things you do are connected to your blood sugar. You may want to consider structured testing, in addition to your routine or daily testing, if you: Begin a new medication unrelated to diabetes Change your activity level, meal plan or schedule There are different ways to perform structured testing, depending on your goals. The Accu-Chek 360 View tool is a simple paper tool that helps you track your blood sugar over 3 days, so you and your doctor can quickly identify patterns that can guide adjustments to your treatment plan. The Accu-Chek Testing in Pairs tool is an easy-to-use, printable tool that helps you see changes in your blood glucose with before-and-after testing. In just 7 days, you can see the effect of a specific meal, exercise or other event has on your blood sugar. Take your completed tool to your next appointment so your healthcare professional can help you fine-tune your diabetes management. Combining routine blood sugar testing and structured testing can give you a better view and a clearer picture of how your self-care program is working. You can then take one step at a time toward meeting your goals. 1American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes2016; Abridged for primary care providers [position statement]. Diabetes Care. 2016;34(1): 3-21. Available at: . Accessed March 11, 2016. 2Joslin Diabetes Center. Monitoring your blood glucose. Available at: . Accessed March 11, 2016. 3Mayo Clinic. Exercise is an important part of any diabetes treatment pla Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar Monitoring: When To Check And Why
Managing diabetes is one part investigation and two parts action. Unlike some other diseases that rely primarily on professional medical treatment, diabetes treatment requires active participation by the person who has it. Monitoring your blood sugar level on a regular basis and analyzing the results is believed by many to be a crucial part of the treatment equation. When someone is first diagnosed with diabetes, he is usually given a blood sugar meter (or told to go buy one) and told how and when to use it, as well as what numbers to shoot for. However, the advice a person receives on when to monitor and what the results should be generally depend on his type of diabetes, age, and state of overall health. It can also depend on a health-care provider’s philosophy of care and which set of diabetes care guidelines he follows. At least three major health organizations have published slightly different recommendations regarding goals for blood sugar levels. There is some common ground when it comes to blood sugar monitoring practices. For example, most people take a fasting reading before breakfast every morning. Some people also monitor before lunch, dinner, and bedtime; some monitor after each meal; and some monitor both before and after all meals. However, when monitoring after meals, some people do it two hours after the first bite of the meal, while others prefer to check one hour after the start of a meal. To help sort out the whys and when of monitoring, three diabetes experts weigh in with their opinions. While they don’t agree on all the details, they do agree on one thing: Regular monitoring is critical in diabetes care. Why monitor? Self-monitoring is an integral part of diabetes management because it puts you in charge. Regardless of how you manage your diab Continue reading >>
What Are The Ideal Levels Of Blood Sugar?
A blood sugar or blood glucose chart identifies ideal blood sugar levels throughout the day, including before and after meals. Doctors use blood sugar charts to set target goals and monitor diabetes treatment plans. Blood sugar charts also help those with diabetes assess and self-monitor blood sugar test results. What is a blood sugar chart? Blood sugar charts act as a reference guide for blood sugar test results. As such, blood sugar charts are important tools for diabetes management. Most diabetes treatment plans involve keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal or target goals as possible. This requires frequent at-home and doctor-ordered testing, along with an understanding of how results compare to target levels. To help interpret and assess blood sugar results, the charts outline normal and abnormal blood sugar levels for those with and without diabetes. In the United States, blood sugar charts typically report sugar levels in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). In the United Kingdom and many other countries, blood sugar is reported in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). A1C blood sugar recommendations are frequently included in blood sugar charts. A1C results are often described as both a percentage and an average blood sugar level in mg/dL. An A1C test measures the average sugar levels over a 3-month period, which gives a wider insight into a person's overall management of their blood sugar levels. Blood sugar chart guidelines Appropriate blood sugar levels vary throughout the day and from person to person. Blood sugars are often lowest before breakfast and in the lead up to meals. Blood sugars are often highest in the hours following meals. People with diabetes will often have higher blood sugar targets or acceptable ranges than those without the condition. These Continue reading >>
7 Blood Sugar Testing Mistakes To Avoid
1 / 8 Understand Diabetes Testing If you have diabetes, it's imperative that you learn to effectively self-test your blood sugar to keep your glucose levels in check. For example, results from a study of more than 5,000 people living with diabetes showed that even those people who don't take medication for diabetes have better blood sugar control if they test regularly. The study participants' risk of early kidney damage, strokes, and death from diabetes-related causes was also reduced by one-third. Of course, the accuracy of your results is tied to the accuracy of your checking — and to your understanding of what all the numbers mean. "The most important point to me is that people are learning something from checking their blood sugar," says Sacha Uelmen, RDN, CDE, director of nutrition for the American Diabetes Association. "Don't just look at those numbers, write them down, and move on. If you have diabetes, take an active role in your health." To get the most useful readings, learn these common blood sugar testing mistakes and how to avoid them. Continue reading >>
How And When To Test Your Blood Sugar With Diabetes
Most people with diabetes need to check their blood sugar (glucose) levels regularly. The results help you and your doctor manage those levels, which helps you avoid diabetes complications. There are several ways to test your blood sugar: From Your Fingertip: You prick your finger with a small, sharp needle (called a lancet) and put a drop of blood on a test strip. Then you put the test strip into a meter that shows your blood sugar level. You get results in less than 15 seconds and can store this information for future use. Some meters can tell you your average blood sugar level over a period of time and show you charts and graphs of your past test results. You can get blood sugar meters and strips at your local pharmacy. Meters That Test Other Sites: Newer meters let you test sites other than your fingertip, such as your upper arm, forearm, base of the thumb, and thigh. You may get different results than from your fingertip. Blood sugar levels in the fingertips show changes more quickly than those in other testing sites. This is especially true when your blood sugar is rapidly changing, like after a meal or after exercise. If you are checking your sugar when you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should use your fingertip if possible, because these readings will be more accurate. Continuous Glucose Monitoring System: These devices, also called interstitial glucose measuring devices, are combined with insulin pumps. They are similar to finger-stick glucose results and can show patterns and trends in your results over time. You may need to check your blood sugar several times a day, such as before meals or exercise, at bedtime, before driving, and when you think your blood sugar levels are low. Everyone is different, so ask your doctor when and how often you should chec Continue reading >>
A High Sugar Level After A Meal
It's normal for your blood sugar level to rise after you eat, especially if you eat a meal high in refined carbohydrates. But if your blood sugar rises more than most people's, you might have diabetes or pre-diabetes, a condition that indicates a strong risk for developing diabetes in the future. If you already have diabetes, you doctor will recommend keeping your blood sugar within a prescribed range. A glucose tolerance test, done one to three hours after you eat a high-carbohydrate meal, can check your blood sugar levels. Why Does Your Blood Sugar Rise? When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks down the sugars they contain into glucose. Your body can't absorb most sugars without breaking them down first. Simple sugars such as refined sugar break down very quickly; you absorb them rapidly into your bloodstream, which raises your blood sugar. In healthy people, the levels don't rise very high and they drop back to normal quickly. If you have diabetes, your levels after a meal will rise higher and stay high longer than levels in other people. This occurs because your pancreas either don't release enough insulin, the hormone that helps cells absorb glucose, or because the cells don't respond properly to insulin release. Normal Levels If your doctor suspects that you have abnormal glucose levels, he might suggest doing a glucose tolerance test. You are given around 75 grams of carbohydrate after fasting for 12 hours. At one- to three-hour intervals, your doctor draws blood and analyzes your glucose levels. A normal fasting glucose is 60 to 100 milligrams per deciliter; your levels should rise no higher than 200 mg/dl one hour after eating and no more than 140 mg/dl two hours after finishing the snack. Most healthy people without diabetes have two-hour readings below 12 Continue reading >>
How Soon After I Wake Up Should I Check My Blood Sugar?
You should check your blood sugar within one hour of waking up, says Holly Anderson, Outpatient Diabetes Coordinator at Reston Hospital Center. Watch this video to learn why. Work with your doctor to come up with a schedule for testing your blood sugar. Factors for you and your doctor to consider in developing your schedule include the medicines you take, when you eat and how well-controlled your blood sugar is. Many people with diabetes find that it works well for them to check blood sugar first thing in the morning, but talk with your doctor to find out what's best for you. The ADA’s answer is great, but I want add one thing to it. First thing in the morning, before your feet even hit the floor, is “low tide” for your blood sugar. Unless you were to overdose on diabetes medications or get a guest spot on Dancing with the Stars, this will be your lowest blood sugar of the day. For all the reasons the ADA listed, this is an important check, so long as you keep it in perspective. It is only one minute in a day with 1,440 minutes in it. What’s happening the other 1,339 minutes? Carrying our nautical theme to a nauseating extreme, if you only check low tide you’ll miss the boat. The point of diabetes control is too keep your blood sugar under a given target number. But if you never check when your blood sugar is likely to be high, such as several hours after a meal, you really won’t know if you are succeeding. Bottom line: checking only first thing in the morning can lead to a dangerous sense of false security. The only way to know if your diabetes therapy is effective for you and your diabetes is to test at various times on various days. If your insurance only covers one test strip per day you can shake things up by testing at a different time every day of the Continue reading >>
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When Should I Check My Blood Sugar Levels?
Reader question: I think my blood sugar is all over the place and I haven't really been testing it regularly. I need to get better control I think but when should I check my blood sugar levels because I'm not really sure how often or when is best? First, let's just recap normal blood sugar levels so you know what to aim for. You want to aim for 70-110 (4-6.1) fasting or before meals, and under 140 (7.8) after meals. Here are the charts and if you need a downloadble chart of your own, Click Here for our free downloadable chart. How Often To Test? Most diabetes organizations recommend you test at least 3-4 times per day. But it's even better if you test more, at least until you get good control of blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar is currently uncontrolled or you want to gain better control here is a testing strategy to get you moving in the right direction. This strategy was adpated from author Jenny Ruhls – Lower Your Blood Sugar book, and it's a method that has been used effectively by many people to successfully get better control of blood sugar…meaning THIS WORKS! So give it a try yourself and let us know how you go 1. Write down everything you eat in a food diary or log it in an app like MyFitnessPal 2. Test your blood sugar level upon waking, then test 1 hour after meals, and 2 hours after meals as well. Write down all your readings and make a note of when your highest reading comes and how long it takes for you to return to normal. This will differ for everyone so you want to know when your own individual high level comes. It's not typical to test 1 hour after meals but testing 1 hour after eating will give you the most accurate portrayal of how a food affects you. Although it is normal to ‘spike', not spiking is a goal for diabetics, or at least minim Continue reading >>
When To Test For Blood Sugar, How To Check Blood Sugar - Doctablet
Checking Blood Sugar , Doctablet Diabetes , Endocrinology , Medicine Maybe you have diabetes . It is not too uncommon nowadays. After informing you of this diagnosis, someone in the doctors office probably reviewed how to check your blood sugar : They showed you how to put the unused strip into the meter and stick your finger for a small amount of blood the basics are probably very clear. Sometimes the doctors assistant spends so much time talking about how to use the machine that they forget to tell the patient the correct time to check their sugar. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We will cover some general rules about the correct timing of fingerstick blood sugar checks. These apply to most people with diabetes. There are two times that are the most valuable to test for blood sugar: Immediately (or 15 minutes) before a meal Doctors often simplify this timing by instructing patients to check their sugar level in the blood before meals and at bed time. Why would your doctor prescribe these more simplified instructions? Checking before meals and at bedtime works well because: It is easier to remember. Most people stop what they are doing to eat a meal and are more likely to remember they need to check before than they are to remember 2 hours after eating. Bedtime is another time when things slow down and people tend to remember to check their sugar. The simplified meal and bedtime method offers the most information with the fewest number of fingerstick checks. The blood sugar check two hours after eating a meal is not really necessary because due to the timing, it would occur too close to the next meal. For example: if a patient checks their blood sugar before breakfast at 9AM, the next check would be due two hours later, at 11AM. If they plan to have Continue reading >>
How Soon After A Meal Should I Test?
Last February I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and so far have been able to control it without medication, just diet and exercise. I was told to get my peak blood sugar results, two hours after eating. Recently I decided to test one hour after eating, and was shocked at the 238 reading. At two hours, my blood sugar was 150. Should I be concerned, or just continue to check at two hours after eating? Thank you. Bill Koile Omaha, Nebraska Abnormal values of the fasting blood sugar reading (>126 mg/dl) and two-hour postprandial reading following a glucose load (>200) are associated with diabetic complications. The practical applications of a two-hour post-meal blood sugar, however, are limited. As in your case, the peak blood sugar may vary considerably within one or two hours after a meal. In fact, 50 percent of the insulin that your pancreas secretes occurs regardless of a meal. This leaves 50 percent to be secreted following a meal. The maximal post-meal insulin secretion occurs in the morning following breakfast. The insulin response diminishes with each subsequent meal. I would suggest that you continue to record your one-hour-post-meal blood sugar. I typically suggest that my patients check a fasting blood sugar and also check one to two hours following lunch. If your peak blood sugar is 238, I would suggest more intense intervention. Your physician may want to consider repaglanide (Prandin) along with diet and exercise. Prandin taken 15 minutes before meals augments insulin secretion by your pancreas. This may control the blood sugar elevation following meals. David Scott, MD St. Albans, New York Donna Schulz, a registered nurse from Lodi, California, offers this answer: After eating, food is broken down into sugar to give us energy. Our blood sugar is the highe Continue reading >>
Prediabetes (impaired Glucose Tolerance)
Wed, 11/17/2010 - 13:55 -- Richard Morris Pre-diabetes (previously called Impaired Glucose Tolerance IGT) was first named in 2003 and is designed to foster attention and action in people who receive this diagnosis. It is defined as having a blood glucose level that is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. The cutoff for pre-diabetes is a fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dl. Fasting levels between 100 and 126 mg/dl are diagnosed as pre-diabetes and a fasting level of 126 mg/dl and up is diabetes. The other determiner of pre-diabetes is a blood sugar level two hours after eating carbs of 140 to 199 mg/dl. A blood sugar under 140 mg/dl is considered normal and one 200mg/dl and over is considered diabetes. Early diagnosis is important. In the early years of pre-diabetes or diabetes, the beta cells are progressively damaged by high blood sugars.Usually by the time diabetes is diagnosed, half of the beta cells are nonfunctional. This can not be reversed so that the beta cells can go back to insulin production. When an early diagnosis of pre-diabetes is made, almost 100 percent of beta cells are functional. If lifestyle changes are made and some diabetes medications are used right away, many beta cells will stay healthy and make blood sugar control easier Criteria for Diagnosing Prediabetes and Diabetes An estimated 20 million people have pre-diabetes in the U.S. and this number is growing rapidly. 50 percent of the people who have pre-diabetes are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, however diet, exercise and glucose monitoring can greatly reduce the onset of diabetes altogether. People who have a higher risk of developing pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes are: those overweight, especially in the abdominal area. people with steroid induced hyperglyc Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar Testing: Why, When And How
Blood sugar testing is an important part of diabetes care. Find out when to test your blood sugar level, how to use a testing meter, and more. If you have diabetes, self-testing your blood sugar (blood glucose) can be an important tool in managing your treatment plan and preventing long-term complications of diabetes. You can test your blood sugar at home with a portable electronic device (glucose meter) that measures sugar level in a small drop of your blood. Why test your blood sugar Blood sugar testing — or self-monitoring blood glucose — provides useful information for diabetes management. It can help you: Judge how well you're reaching overall treatment goals Understand how diet and exercise affect blood sugar levels Understand how other factors, such as illness or stress, affect blood sugar levels Monitor the effect of diabetes medications on blood sugar levels Identify blood sugar levels that are high or low When to test your blood sugar Your doctor will advise you on how often you should check your blood sugar level. In general, the frequency of testing depends on the type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan. Type 1 diabetes. Your doctor may recommend blood sugar testing four to eight times a day if you have type 1 diabetes. You may need to test before meals and snacks, before and after exercise, before bed, and occasionally during the night. You may also need to check your blood sugar level more often if you are ill, change your daily routine or begin a new medication. Type 2 diabetes. If you take insulin to manage type 2 diabetes, your doctor may recommend blood sugar testing two or more times a day, depending on the type and amount of insulin you need. Testing is usually recommended before meals, and sometimes before bedtime. If you manage type 2 Continue reading >>
Test Right After Eating
Today I had lunch at 11:00 am , and ate some cookies and juice at 4:00 pm. My friend has an accu check and I asked her to check my blood sugar right after eating at 4:00 pm. It gave me the result of 96 mg/dl. I was wondering if this reading could be wrong given the fact that I had just eaten and I think you have to wait at least 2 hours after eating to check blood sugar. I am very concerned about having pre-diabetes. Could the fact that I had eaten affect the readings? Or can you check anytime and it doesn't affect anything? D.D. Family Getting much harder to control Today I had lunch at 11:00 am , and ate some cookies and juice at 4:00 pm. My friend has an accu check and I asked her to check my blood sugar right after eating at 4:00 pm. It gave me the result of 96 mg/dl. I was wondering if this reading could be wrong given the fact that I had just eaten and I think you have to wait at least 2 hours after eating to check blood sugar. I am very concerned about having pre-diabetes. Could the fact that I had eaten affect the readings? Or can you check anytime and it doesn't affect anything? You can check at anytime but if you had cookies and juice and a 96 I would say you are good. Now more testing would not hurt but would die for those results. I don't think you would eat cookies & juice at 4 and test at 4 and get an accurate result, I would think you would have to wait a bit (at least 1/2 hr.) to see a rise. D.D. Family type 2 since May 2011 A1C then was 13.2 If I checked my blood sugar right after I ate it would be about the same as if I had tested just before I ate. I peak at one hour after I finished eating. Some peak out an hour after their first bite. I know for some certain foods like pizza will not peak out until two hours after they have eaten. It comes down to Continue reading >>
