Monitoring Your Blood Sugar at Home
Overview
Checking your blood sugar regularly with a glucose meter is very important when you have diabetes. Meters are easy to use and you can check your blood sugar anywhere. A glucose meter saves your results for future reference.
Your doctor will order a hemoglobin A1C blood test every 3 months. This test measures your average blood sugar during the past 2 to 3 months. This tells us if your diabetes is well controlled over a period of time. Using a glucose meter gives you immediate feedback to achieve better control.
Blood sugar levels change frequently. Daily activities affect blood sugar. By monitoring, you can see how your blood sugar is affected by:
- What and how much you eat
- Physical activity
- Stress
- Sickness or infection
- Your diabetes medication
What Monitoring Tells You
Monitoring tells you if your blood sugar level is too high or too low. You can then decide what action to take.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia). High blood sugar develops when your blood sugar is consistently above 180 mg/dL or above your target range. It can develop because of:
- Too much carbohydrate
- Illness or infection
- Stress
- Not enough diabetes medication
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). For most people who take diabetes pills or insulin, blood sugar that is less than 70 mg/dL is too low. Learn the symptoms of low blood sugar. Know how to prevent and treat it.
Low blood sugar can develop because of:
- Skipped or delayed meals
- Not eating enough
- Drinking alcohol without eating
- Too much activity
- Too much diabetes medication
Blood Sugar Targets
We'll talk to you about your personal blood sugar targets. For many people, the blood sugar targets are:
| Goal for A1C | ||
|---|---|---|
| Before a meal
| 80–130 mg/dL
| 100–160 mg/dL
|
| Bedtime
| 100–160 mg/dL
| 100–200 mg/dL
|
Checking Your Blood Sugar
Follow the directions included with your glucose meter. Here are general guidelines:
- Wash your hands well.
- Slide a test strip into your meter.
- Lightly prick the side of your finger with the lancet device (needle) to obtain a small drop of blood.
- Place the blood drop on the test strip.
- Check the reading, which will display in about 5 seconds.
When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, we will:
- Prescribe a glucose meter, test strips, and lancets.
- Show you how to use them.
- Tell you how often to check your blood sugar.
Our Health Education Department has information about classes and other tools to help you learn more about using your glucose meter. Also, consult your owner's manual or the meter manufacturer's website. If your meter is not working properly, call the customer service number on the back of the meter.
When to Check Your Blood Sugar
Talk with us about when to check your blood sugar. Our recommendation will depend on:
- Your type of diabetes: type 1, type 2, or gestational
- Your diabetes medication plan
- If your blood sugar levels are frequently high or low
- If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- How often you want to monitor your blood sugar
We also recommend checking your blood sugar when you are:
- Feeling symptoms of low blood sugar
- Engaging in physical activity
- Sick or have an infection
- Taking steroid medications for another condition
Sickness and infection cause blood sugar levels to increase. Steroid medications and cortisone injections also cause blood sugar levels to increase.
Tips for Blood Sugar Monitoring
Prevent sore fingers:
- Prick the sides of your fingers.
- Avoid fingertips and pads.
- Alternate the fingers used for checking so you prick a different finger and site each time.
- Use the lightest possible setting on your lancet device.
- Change the lancet after each use.
Get enough blood. Shake your hand up and down or run warm water over it before you prick your finger.
Use lancets safely. Do not share your lancets with others. Check with your city or municipality for the safest way to dispose of used lancets. Do not dispose of lancets in garbage or recycling bins.
Recording Your Blood Sugar Readings
We recommend keeping a blood sugar record. This is especially important when you are first diagnosed with diabetes. It's also helpful when you start a new medication, eating plan, or activity.
Modern meters may allow you to download your blood sugar readings to your personal computer. Many people use a notebook or the logbook included with the meter to record:
- Date and time
- Blood sugar readings
- Comments about medication, food, activity, sickness, or stress
Your blood sugar record can reveal patterns or trends. This can help us make changes to your treatment plan. You can also use blood sugar records to guide lifestyle changes. Your record may indicate that you need to adjust your diet or exercise.
Make sure your meter is working properly by:
- Calibrating your meter following the manufacturer's instructions
- Checking the battery
Additional References
Disclaimer
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.