Type 2 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 you are doing managing your diabetes. Without knowing where you are, how can you make choices to achieve your target goals?
Testing your blood sugar is easy. You poke your finger to get a drop of blood. This blood goes on a “test strip” and is analyzed by a special glucose meter. Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance plans may help pay for monitoring equipment and supplies. Check with your insurance to find out what kind of meter and glucose strips they will pay for.
When should I monitor?
The more you test your blood sugar, the more you will know about how your body responds to food, exercise and medication. Each person is different. Talk to your health-care team about when and how often you should test your blood sugar. Some ideas are:
- If you only check once a day, do it at different times, before breakfast one day, 2 hours after breakfast the next, before lunch the next day etc. That gives you a broader picture of how your blood sugar changes throughout the day.
- If you check 2 or more times a day you might want to check before and 2 hours after a particular meal or a particular type of meal, pizza for instance.
- Some people need to check before each meal to know how much insulin to give themselves.
- It's a good idea to check your blood sugar if you just don't feel right:
- Is it because of a low blood sugar?
- Is it because of a high blood sugar?
- If your blood sugar is in your usual range, then chances it's not 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.
- Show your logbook to your doctor at every visit.
- Remember, the goal is to have a blood sugar average of 140mg/dl or less.
