Testing your blood glucose with a blood glucose meter allows you manage your diabetes. Watch a video guide on how to test your blood glucose (sugar) levels. Show
For people new to diabetes, this guide to testing your blood glucose levels should get you started. Testing your blood sugar levels helps you to make informed decisions about your diet, activity and, if self-adjusting insulin, dosing requirements. Bear in mind that not all blood glucose meters are the samen, so you may need to slightly the modify the method here. What do I need to test my blood sugar?In order to test your blood sugar levels, you will need:
Some blood glucose meters may come with test strips and/or lancing devices. If in doubt, ask your healthcare professional. How to test your blood glucose
Most diabetics agree that blood glucose testing can be a pain, but it is an essential part of diabetes management Become a member - it's free! 👋 Join for free! Find support, share experiences and get exclusive member cookbooks, giveaways and freebies. Sign up → USED BY 475,000 PEOPLE 🔥 Lose weight with Low Carb Program NHS certified education, meal plans and coaching to lose weight, reduce medications and improve your HbA1c. Blood sugar levels give you information about how well your diabetes is under control. They also tell you how well your plan of diet, exercise, and medicine is working. Keeping your blood sugar levels near normal may reduce or prevent your risk for problems (complications).  How can blood sugar levels be checked?Checking blood sugar levels regularly is very important in good diabetes management. Most methods of blood sugar monitoring need a blood sample. Blood sugar monitoring can be done at home with a variety of devices. They take the blood sample by pricking your skin with a small tool. A small device called a glucose meter or glucometer measures how much sugar is in the blood sample. The drop of blood you get with a finger prick is often enough to use on a test strip. A finger prick can be done with a special needle (lancet) or with a spring-loaded device that quickly pricks the fingertip. You place the drop of blood on the test strip. Depending on the type of meter used, you may put the strip into the meter before or after you put the drop of blood on the test strip. The meter then reads the blood sugar level. Most meters are made to be used with the finger prick blood drop. But some meters can also be used with blood taken from the forearm or other site. You can choose from many types of monitors. They range in price, ease of use, size, portability, and length of testing time. Each monitor needs its own type of test strip. Most blood sugar monitors give accurate results if used correctly. Most give results within seconds. Some blood sugar monitors can also "talk." They give instructions and results that you can hear if you have vision problems. Or if you have physical problems that make it hard for you to see the results. Some monitors can give oral instructions in Spanish and other languages. Some monitoring devices can monitor blood sugar continuously for several days at a time. You may be able to set an alarm on the device so you can be warned if you blood sugar gets too low or too high. You may have to check your blood sugar levels 4 or more times a day. Blood sugar levels can be affected by several things. These include:
Certain blood sugar monitors can store your results. You may be able to send this information to your healthcare provider's office electronically. You can also send this information to your home computer or mobile device. One advantage of this type of monitor is that it can show you your blood sugar levels as a graph. Mobile blood sugar monitoring apps are also available for tracking and sharing blood sugar results. What are noninvasive blood sugar monitors?A finger prick can become painful and difficult if you need to do this on a regular basis. Several devices that don't need a blood sample are being developed. But most of these have not been approved by the FDA. Some of these devices use one of the following ways to measure blood sugar:
To find out if a monitor is approved for use, check the FDA website's section on blood glucose monitoring devices. Continuous glucose monitoringContinuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may be an option for checking blood sugar levels. It tracks your blood sugar level throughout the day and night. This can help you make better choices about food, physical activities, and taking medicines. It can also find trends and patterns that can help your healthcare provider better manage your diabetes. Besides giving you your blood sugar at any one moment, CGM also gives you the percentage of time your blood sugar has been in the normal range (or too high or too low.) This normal range is adjustable according to your age and other conditions. Ask your healthcare provider if CGM is right for you. Several CGM devices are available. They are approved by the FDA with a prescription from a healthcare provider. It includes a sensor, transmitter, and a receiver or monitor. The sensor is a small device placed under the skin. It will measure your blood sugar several times a minute. A transmitter sends the information to a receiver. This may be a part of an insulin pump or a separate device. Your blood sugar will still need to be checked a few times a day with a regular glucose meter to check for accuracy. The sensor under the skin needs to be replaced every 7 to 14 days. What are healthy blood sugar level ranges?Blood sugar levels over 180 mg/dL (mg/dL = milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood) or under 70 mg/dL are considered unhealthy. High blood sugar levels (above 180 mg/dL) may be a sign of not enough insulin, caused by overeating, lack of exercise, or other factors. Low blood sugar levels (below 70 mg/dL) may be caused by taking too much insulin or other diabetes medicines, skipping or delaying a meal, over exercising, drinking too much alcohol, or other factors. > 180 mg/dL Too high; considered unhealthy 80 - 130 mg/dL Good range for most people < 70 mg/dL Too low; considered unhealthy The American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises a before-meal (preprandial) plasma glucose level of 80mg/dL to130 mg/dL. The ADA has set the after-meal (postprandial) plasma glucose level of less than 180 mg/dL. These are the most common symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). But there may be no symptoms, and each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
These are the most common symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). But each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
Sometimes none of these warning symptoms appear before a person loses consciousness from low blood glucose. The loss of the ability to sense low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia unawareness. Insurance and blood glucose monitoringCheck with your insurance company to find out if blood glucose monitoring equipment and testing supplies are covered under your plan. If not, many suppliers offer rebates or discounted prices on trade-ins. In addition, when selecting a glucose meter, the ADA reminds consumers to factor in the ongoing cost of test strips. Test strips can cost between 50 cents and $1 per strip. Insurance providers vary on how many strips and how much of the test strip cost they will cover. How much blood does a glucometer need?Accuracy Tip: Your meter should state the required blood sample size, like 0.5 microliters, so you have an understanding of how much blood is needed for testing. Avoid squeezing directly around the lanced area when forming a blood drop.
Does squeezing finger affect blood sugar reading?On average, blood sugar readings were lower when people put pressure on the finger. The finding, according to the researchers, is in line with advice to avoid firm squeezing of the tested finger.
How blood sugar is measured by glucometer?The level of glucose in the blood can be measured by applying a drop of blood to a chemically treated, disposable 'test-strip', which is then inserted into an electronic blood glucose meter. The reaction between the test strip and the blood is detected by the meter and displayed in units of mg/dL or mmol/L.
How much glucometer is accurate?Results that are within 15% of the lab reading are considered accurate.
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