You can get the meter and supplies in a drug store or by mail. Read the directions that come with your meter to learn how to check your blood sugar. Your health care team also can show you how to use your meter. Write the date, time, and result of the test in your blood sugar record. Take your blood sugar record and meter to each visit and talk about your results with your health care team. A target is something that you aim for or try to reach.
Your health care team may also use the term goal. People with diabetes have blood sugar targets that they try to reach at different times of the day. These targets are:. The number of times that you check your blood sugar will depend on the type of diabetes that you have and the type of medicine you take to treat your diabetes.
For example, people who take insulin may need to check more often than people who do not take insulin. Talk with your health care team about how often to check your blood sugar. The common times for checking your blood sugar are when you first wake up fasting , before a meal, 2 hours after a meal, and at bedtime.
Talk with your health care team about what times are best for you to check your blood sugar. High blood sugar is also called hyperglycemia pronounced hye-per-gly-see-mee-uh. It means that your blood sugar level is higher than your target level or over 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 With this information, you can work with your health care team to make decisions about your best diabetes care plan.
These decisions can help delay or prevent diabetes complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation. Your doctor will tell you when and how often to check your blood sugar levels. Most blood sugar meters allow you to save your results and you can use an app on your cell phone to track your levels. You should bring your meter, phone, or paper record with you each time you visit your health care provider.
But numbers are just numbers. Think of them instead as information. Did a certain food or activity make your levels go up or down? Some examples of these activities can be found on page 2 in the green box. Are there times when I should test more often? There are, however, important times you may want to test more often. However you manage your diabetes, stay in the know about your blood sugar levels. If you take certain medication, like insulin or sulphonylureas, checking your blood sugars is a vital part of living with diabetes.
It can help you work out when you need to take more medication, when you need to eat something or for when you want to get up and move around more. Routine checks can help you know when you might be starting to go too low called a hypo or too high called a hyper. It can help you and your healthcare team spot patterns too.
Do you write your results down? You might find that helpful. 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.
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