CHECKING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
Blood Sugar
It's really important to check your blood sugar regularly to make sure it stays in a
healthy range. Because this gives you a lot of control over how diabetes affects your
health, today and in the future.
A1C
If you're already getting your A1C checked at your doctor's office, that's great. It's really
important to do that at least 2 times a year (and more often if your doctor tells you to). It
tells you how well your blood sugar was controlled over the past few months.
If you ever get a high A1C result (like a 7 or more), that's a sign to talk to your doctor
about making some changes. But the A1C test alone cannot tell you WHAT you need to
change.
Know your blood sugar
To make changes, you need to know exactly what your blood sugar is at specific times,
like:
•
•
When you wake up
Before or after you eat
When you check your own blood sugar, you get specific information you can use in daily
life. It can tell you things like:
•
•
•
What foods or amounts of food might not work for you.
If you need to take more of a medication or a different kind of medication.
If you take insulin, it can tell you and your doctor if you need to change the
amount or kind of insulin you take.
When to Check
When it comes to checking blood sugar, the first thing you and your doctor need to talk
about is your blood sugar targets for certain times, like:
•
•
•
•
Before meals
2 hours after you eat
Right before bedtime
During the middle of the night (which is important if you take insulin)
Sample starter schedule
Very few people check their blood sugar before and after every meal and every night
before bed. So once you have your blood sugar targets, you and your doctor should
come up with a schedule for checking that's right for you.
You may have already done this. But if you don't have a schedule yet, here's one way to
get started checking just 2 times a day:
•
•
•
•
Day 1 - Check your blood sugar before and after breakfast (then you're done for
the day)
Day 2 - Check before and after lunch (that's it)
Day 3 - Check before and after dinner
Day 4 - Start all over again with breakfast
After a month, you and your doctor will have a pretty good understanding of how most
of your favorite meals (and how much you eat) affect your blood sugar — all from
checking before and after just 1 meal a day. And you can always check more often. In
fact, if you have Type 1 diabetes or you inject insulin more than once a day, you'll
definitely need to check a few times every day.
You should always check more often when:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Any of your medications change
You take over-the-counter decongestants or diet pills
You're sick
You become more or less active
Your diet changes
You're under a lot of stress
All of these can affect your blood sugar. So you want to keep an especially close watch
at these times.
Tools You'll Use
The blood glucose meter
There are 2 things most meters have:
1. The slot where you insert the "test strips" - Test strips contain chemicals that
help the meter read the strip. And some meters take cartridges that hold many
strips, so you don't have to insert a
new strip each time.
2. The display - This is where the
results of your reading show up.
Beyond that, you can pick the meter that's
right for you based on a few options.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Meter size - Depending on where and when you'll test most often, you may want
a meter that's small and easy to carry.
Display size - Some displays show bigger numbers and text for people who
might not see as well.
Audio results - Some meters can read results out loud.
Reminders - An easy way to remember when to check your blood sugar.
Memory - Some meters can save results from a week up to several months.
Long-term results - Some of the meters that save results can take that
information and tell you how well your blood sugar was controlled over a week or
the past few months.
Download (send) results to computer - This makes it really easy to share your
results with your doctor.
Alternative-site testing - This just means you can do some blood sugar checks
in other places, like your palm or forearm.
Test strip size - If you find small strips hard to handle, you might want to choose
a meter that takes bigger strips or uses strip cartridges.
To make sure your results are as accurate as possible, use a meter that's less
than 2 years old.
Does your insurance cover the meter and testing strips you plan to use?
Find out, because it will save you money.
Lancing device
Along with your meter, you also
need a lancing device. These
sometimes look like pens. But
when you click this pen, a really
small needle (lancet) pops out
to prick your skin. This may
sound scary, but:
•
•
•
•
The lancet is really tiny.
It only goes in a little bit.
Since most meters only
need a very small drop of
blood, you can get even
smaller, shorter lancets.
Sometimes you can also
adjust how deep the
lancet goes.
You and your doctor can figure out what works best for you.
How to Check
Each time you start a new batch of test strips, you need to code and calibrate your
meter. This is to make sure the new strips will give you accurate results.
How to code your meter
It's basically a simple 2-step process.
1. Check the strip container for the
code number.
2. Enter that number into your meter.
Just so you know, some newer meters code
automatically, which lets you skip coding.
How to calibrate (adjust) your meter
1. Put a test strip into the meter.
2. Instead of putting a drop of blood on
the strip, use a drop of control
solution (which comes with each set
of strips).
3. The number the meter shows should
be between the 2 numbers printed
on the strip container.
If your meter saves results, make sure it
does NOT keep this reading.
Coding and calibrating may seem like a
hassle. But remember:
•
•
The only time you need to code is when you start a new set of test strips.
Most of the time, the same goes for calibrating. (Your doctor can tell you other
times you might need to do this.)
Checking your blood sugar
1. Wash your hands - If you
wash them in warm water, it
helps get the blood flowing.
This makes it easier to get
that drop of blood. Another
trick to get more blood to your
fingertips: shake your hand at
the wrist. You can also
massage your finger to push
blood toward the tip.
2. Put a new test strip or strip
cartridge in the meter Then it's time to prepare the
lancing device.
3. Take the cap off the lancing device
4. Insert a new lancet into the device
5. Carefully remove the protective cover from the lancet - But keep it
handy. You'll need it again.
6. Put the cap back on the device
7. Check the depth setting for the lancet
8. Cock the device - This may have already happened when you inserted the
new lancet.
9. Prick your finger - No one
likes needles. But most likely
you'll discover that pricking
your fingers really isn't that
bad, especially if you do it on
the side of your finger (see
image). If the thought of
pricking yourself scares you
right now, soon it'll just be
another thing you do.
10. Once you have a drop of
blood, touch your finger to
the end of the test strip The test strip just pulls in the
blood.
11. Wipe your finger with a
cotton ball or a tissue
12. Take the cap off the lancing device - Watch out for the lancet's sharp tip.
13. Carefully stick the lancet into the protective cap
14. Eject the lancet from the device
15. Throw away the test strip
and the lancet - Do this after
each blood sugar check.
Never reuse lancets or strips.
It'll mess up your results. But
most important, it's just not
safe.
Throwing away lancets
Don't just throw lancets away in the trash. You need to use something called a sharps
container to hold your used lancets. You can usually get sharps containers at a drug
store or medical supply store. Some hospitals have programs that give them away for
free.
You can also use an empty laundry detergent or bleach bottle. Any kind of container
made out of heavy plastic should work. Just make sure you keep the lid on between
uses. Once you need to get rid of it, use duct tape to make sure the lid won't come off.
Also, mark the container as "Medical Waste."
No matter what kind of container you use, make sure you throw it out the right way, too.
Most communities will NOT let you throw sharps containers away with the regular trash.
So talk to your care provider or pharmacist, or contact your local public health
department to find out what to do with home medical waste. You can usually find them
online or in the "Government" section at the front of the White Pages. Also, the hospitals
that give out free sharps containers will usually take them back when they're full.
Record your results
This is really important. Your meter may do this for you, or you may need to write your
results in a notebook. But the number isn't the only thing you need to keep track of. You
also need to record:
•
•
•
•
What you ate before checking
If you exercised (and how much)
What medications you took (including insulin)
How you were feeling (like if you were stressed out)
These details are especially important if the results you get aren't what you were
expecting.
Why keep your results?
You need to share them with your doctor at each visit. It's how the 2 of you will make
decisions about your care. Based on how your numbers go up or down, you may need
to change some things, like:
•
•
•
The amount or kind of medication you take
What you eat (or how much)
How active you are
But the only way to know what changes to make is to check your blood sugar regularly.
It's also how to tell if the changes you make are working.
Doctor's appointments
Whenever you go to your doctor's office, take your meter with you. That way, they can
make sure you're doing everything right, and maybe even give you a few pointers.
Call your doctor right away if:
•
•
Your blood sugar is high a lot (don't wait until your next appointment to let your
doctor know)
You start getting low results (low blood sugar can quickly become an emergency)
Keep in mind
From time to time you're going to see numbers you won't like. The key is to not let 1 or 2
bad results every now and then get you angry or upset. And if you start to feel
overwhelmed, talk to your doctor or someone else on your diabetes care team. They
can help. And remember: every result, good or bad, is information. And that's always
good to have. Because when it comes to your health, information is power.