Type 1 Diabetes
Blood Glucose Monitoring
Why should I monitor my blood sugar?
If you were to drive to a location you were unfamiliar with, how would you get there? You probably would look at a map. A glucose meter is your roadmap on how well you are doing managing your diabetes. Without knowing where you are, how can you make choices to achieve your target goals? Glucose monitoring is vital when you have type 1 diabetes. It helps you prevent severe lows and highs. And it can prevent ER visits and hospitalizations.
When should I monitor?
The more you test your blood sugar, the more you will know how your body responds to food, exercise and medication.
- Most people with type 1 diabetes need to check their blood sugar before meals and bedtime. This gives a picture of how your blood sugar reacts to your insulin, food and exercise.
- Often people adjust their insulin dose based on what their blood sugar is and what they eat at each meal.
- Sometimes it's helpful to check 2 hours after a particular meal or a particular type of meal, pizza for instance to see the effect of certain foods on your blood sugar.
- You may occasionally need to check your blood sugars during the night:
- If you are newly diagnosed
- If your bedtime insulin changes
- If you are having symptoms of low blood sugars during the night or having high blood sugars &/or ketones in the early morning
- Another time to check is if you don't feel right:
- Is it because of a low blood sugar?
- Is it because of a high blood sugar?
- If your blood sugar in its usual range, then chances that you are not feeling that way because of your diabetes.
Keep a record of your blood sugars:
• Always record your blood sugars or use the computer software to download your meter
• Review these records regularly and see if there is a pattern of high or low blood sugars – if so your insulin and or food probably needs adjusting
• Show your log book to your doctor at every visit
• Remember, the goal is to have a blood sugar average of 140 mg/dl or less.
