How do you keep Blood Glucose at the right level?

Blood glucose monitoring is the main tool you have to check your diabetes control. This check tells you your blood glucose level at any one time. This is a critical part to maintaining you diabetes.

Logging you results from blood glucose monitoring is important to have to give to your doctor and see how your specific diabetes health care plan is working.  To help keep track of your levels, we have an online tool Diabetes 24/7 or a printable blood glucose log. There are also blood glucose logs that are smaller so you can carry it with you.

 

 This is a picture of a little device that will help you a lot. The meter can help you to make sure blood glucose is staying as low as possible. Below is a list of steps to help you use the meter device. Even though its very scary at first to have to prick your finger, you will get used to it and it will help you to live a longer healthier life.

 

1. After washing your hands, insert a test strip into your meter.
2. Use your lancing device on the side of your fingertip to get a drop of blood.
3. Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood, and wait for the result.
4. Your blood glucose level will appear on the meter's display.

A common test you will use to track your diabetes will be the A1C test. The A1C test gives you a picture of your average blood glucose (blood sugar) control for the past 2 to 3 months. The results will tell you if your diabetes plan is working for you as an individual. The A1C test can help you manage your diabetes by: confirming self-testing results or blood test results by a doctor, judging whether your diabetic plan is working or not, and to show how the healthy choices you make in life can make a difference in you diabetes control.

What Do My Results Mean?

When you finish the blood glucose check, record your results to see how activity and stress affect your blood glucose. Take a close look at your blood glucose record to see if your level is too high or too low several days in a row at about the same time. This repetition might mean it is time to change your diabetes plan.Talk to your diabetic doctor or educator of diabetes.
 Blood glucose results often trigger strong feelings. these numbers you get may make you upset or lose faith in yourself, but remember it is a way to track how well you diabetes plan is working. It is not a judge of you.

 Another way you can check your diabetes is with a Urine check. Urine checks for glucose are not as accurate as blood glucose checks and should only be used when blood testing is impossible or when doctor suggests it. Urine checks for ketones are also important for your diabetes when it is out of control or when you are sick. Everyone with diabetes should know a doctor to go to for help with the urine test. Checking for ketones can eliminate later problems with you diabetes.

I know this is a lot of information and will be hard to live with at first, but you will get used to it. All of these tests still are very important to stay healthy and to maintain you disease the best you can. There are tons of people ready to support you o this journey as a Type 1 Diabetic!