The biggest goal of people with diabetes is to maintain a steady, stable blood glucose (sugar) level. Without steady control over blood sugar levels, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that serious complications can occur and result in damage throughout the body. One of the best ways to help manage blood sugar levels is to know what they are through frequent monitoring. By checking your blood sugar levels regularly each day, you can catch any highs or lows and quickly bring them back under control.
Process
Diabetics can check blood sugar levels at home with a few simple tools--there's no need to go to the doctor. Testing blood glucose level is quick, easy and relatively painless. Diabetics need to check their blood sugar levels several times every day--as many as four times per day, states the University of Virginia Health System.
Checking your blood sugar levels requires a device called a blood glucose meter, which uses a tiny drop of your blood to measure blood sugar levels. Prick your finger with a tiny needle called a lancet, squeeze a drop of blood onto the test strip inserted in the blood glucose meter and wait for the machine to give you a reading.
Identification
You must then interpret your results. If you test your blood sugar levels before a meal, your blood sugar reading on the meter should be somewhere between 70 and 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). After you eat, a normal reading is less than 180 mg/dL.
Expert Insight
If your blood sugar readings are abnormally high, the condition is called hyperglycemia. To bring blood sugar levels back under control, the NLM suggests that you may need to take extra insulin. If your blood sugar readings are abnormally low, the condition is called hypoglycemia. Have a small meal or snack to help bring blood sugar levels back up to normal, suggests the NLM, Note, however, that you may need to adjust your next dosage of insulin to accommodate this low blood sugar reading.
Potential
Once you know your blood sugar level, write it down to help track your results, suggests the ADA. Note the foods that you ate that day and any activities to help you figure out what could have caused any highs or lows.
Time Frame
By checking your blood sugar levels frequently and recording the results, you can gain better control over your diabetes. You'll start to figure out how your body reacts to certain foods, and the impact those foods have on your blood sugar levels. You'll also figure out your body's own unique pattern, suggests the NLM, which can help you better plan your meals, medications and exercise. Regular blood sugar monitoring also shows you how important exercise is to managing your diabetes.
