Monitoring your glucose level may be the most important tool you have for controlling your diabetes. The food you eat, any medication you take, your stress level and the amount of energy you use exercising will all affect your blood sugar. Staying within normal ranges may help delay or prevent the serious health consequences of diabetes, such as kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage. Work with your doctor to determine what your optimal glucose levels are, how often you should check your blood sugar, and the symptoms of low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, and high blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia.
Step 1
Take your blood sugar reading soon after waking, before eating breakfast. Called a "fasting" blood sugar if you haven't eaten in 8 hours, any reading between 70 and 100 mg/dL is acceptable. A reading below 70 mg/dL is considered too low, and you may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as shakiness, dizziness, hunger and irritability.
Step 2
Take a preprandial glucose reading. "Preprandial" means before eating. Ideally your blood sugar level should be between 70 and 130 mg/dL, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Step 3
Take another glucose reading two hours after eating. Known as your postprandial reading, your glucose level should be below 180 mg/dL. If your glucose reading is higher than 180 mg/dL, it suggests you may have eaten too many carbohydrates or not taken enough insulin. Glucose readings may also be elevated if your are pregnant, ill or feeling stressed.
Step 4
Record all of your glucose levels in your journal. Look for patterns of either high or low blood sugar. Your doctor will use this information to make adjustments to your diabetes management plan, including changes in diet, exercise or medication.
Tips and Warnings
- Excessive sweating while you sleep and nightmares may be caused by low blood sugars at night. You may need to eat a small snack before bedtime.
- Diabetes raises your risk of heart attack and stroke, so it's important to carefully monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels if you have diabetes.
Things You'll Need
- Glucose meter
- Test strips
- Journal
