Blood sugar meters need to be used and maintained properly. Follow these tips to ensure proper usage:. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.
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This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how. Products and services. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how Blood sugar testing is an important part of diabetes care. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Open pop-up dialog box Close.
Continuous glucose monitor A continuous glucose monitor CGM is a device that measures your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor inserted under the skin. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references American Diabetes Association. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care. Know your blood sugar numbers: Use them to manage diabetes. Accessed Nov. Weinstock RS. Self-monitoring of glucose in management of nonpregnant adults with diabetes mellitus.
Having high blood sugar levels over time can lead to long-term, serious health problems. If you feel very tired, thirsty, have blurry vision, or need to pee more often, your blood sugar may be high. Check your blood sugar and see if it is above your target level or over If it is too high, one way to lower it is to drink a large glass of water and exercise by taking a brisk walk. Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia pronounced hye-poh-gly-see-mee-uh.
It means your blood sugar level drops below Having low blood sugar is dangerous and needs to be treated right away.
Anyone with diabetes can have low blood sugar. You have a greater chance of having low blood sugar if you take insulin or certain pills for diabetes. Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry, check your blood sugar. Even if you feel none of these things, but think you may have low blood sugar, check it.
If your meter shows that your blood sugar is lower than 70, do one of the following things right away:. After taking one of these treatments, wait for 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar again. Repeat these steps until your blood sugar is 70 or above. After your blood sugar gets back up to 70 or more, eat a snack if your next meal is 1 hour or more away. If you often have low blood sugar, check your blood sugar before driving and treat it if it is low. The A1C test tells you and your health care team your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months.
It also helps you and your team decide the type and amount of diabetes medicine you need. For many people with diabetes, the A1C goal is below 7. This number is different from the blood sugar numbers that you check each day. You and your health care team will decide on an A1C goal that is right for you.
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. Standards of medical care in diabetes—; Abridged for primary care providers [position statement]. Diabetes Care. Accessed April 26, 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.
Tips for more pain-free blood glucose monitoring. Effect of an experiential exercise in diabetes management on pharmacy students' fear and perceived pain of injection and fingertip lancing. Am J Pharm Educ. Accessed March 14, Lack of compliance with home blood glucose monitoring predicts hospitalization in diabetes. Fingertips and forehead are most sensitive to pain.
Home Management Tips How to test your blood sugar. How to test your blood sugar. When to test blood sugar Checking your blood glucose as recommended can help you see how your meals, medications and activities affect your blood sugar. They may suggest that you test your blood sugar at any of the following times: Before each meal 1 or 2 hours after a meal Before a bedtime snack In the middle of the night Before physical activity, to see if you need a snack During and after physical activity If you think your blood sugar might be too high, too low or falling When you're sick or under stress 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? But importantly, it will help you stay healthy and prevent serious diabetes complications now and in the future. By complications, we mean serious problems in places like your feet and your eyes.
This happens because too much sugar in the blood damages your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow around your body. This can lead to very serious problems like sight loss and needing an amputation. Knowing all the facts and speaking to other people can help — contact our helpline or chat to others with diabetes on our online forum.
Watch our video and follow our simple steps on how to test your blood sugars in the right way and safely. New meters come on the market all the time, so it can be tricky choosing the right one. If you have sight problems, you may not be able to use some meters so your healthcare team can suggest alternatives. Some people can get meters on prescription.
But if you choose to buy your own meter, you might not get a prescription for the test strips it uses. Chat to your healthcare team. If this happens to you, take it up with your GP practice. Finger-prick devices pierce the skin with a needle so that a drop of blood can be taken for testing. The needle is called a lancet. You can adjust the device to change how far it goes into the skin. Lancets come in different sizes and thicknesses or gauges.
A higher-gauge lancet is thinner so is normally less painful, but it might not always give you enough blood.
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