Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Check It?How Is It Measured?When to Check ItTarget RangeHow to Test ItFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Check It?
How Is It Measured?
When to Check It
Target Range
How to Test It
Frequently Asked Questions
Some people use acontinuous glucose monitor(CGM), a sensor under the skin that checks blood sugar every few minutes. People who use a CGM must also use a blood sugar meter daily to ensure their CGM is accurate.
When you have diabetes,monitoring blood sugarlevels is crucial because keeping blood sugar in a target range can help prevent complications, including:
When you check your blood sugar matters. There are several times throughout the day that health experts recommend checking your blood sugar.
This article explains the importance of monitoring your blood sugar, how blood sugar is measured, and how to check it.
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Why Check Blood Sugar?
Whether you havetype 1 diabetesortype 2 diabetes, checking your blood sugar lets you see what makes your blood sugar go up or down. For example, some factors that can makeblood sugar riseare:
In addition, the following factors may result in low blood sugar levels:
Understanding your body’s patterns can help you and your healthcare provider know how to manage your diabetes best. For example, monitoring your blood sugar levels and keeping your blood sugar within your target range reduce the risk ofdiabetes complications.
In addition, managing your diabetes can help prevent severely high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and severely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
How Is Blood Sugar Measured?
Blood sugar levels are measured differently depending on which device you use.
Blood Sugar Monitor
This signal then generates a number that correlates to the electrical signal. The more glucose in the blood, the higher the number.
Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)
You wear continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) under the skin on your belly or arm. Rather than measuring the glucose levels in blood, like the blood sugar meter, the CGM measures glucose levels in the fluid between your cells. The sensor then sends the information to a monitor.
When to Check Blood Sugar
How often you check your blood sugar may depend on several factors, including:
Those who have well-controlled diabetes and are not taking insulin may not need to check their blood sugar as often.However, it is crucial to work with your healthcare provider to determine the appropriate frequency.
Type 1 Diabetes
People with type 1 diabetes (also called “juvenile diabetes” because it appears in childhood) need to check their blood sugar frequently. Blood sugar monitoring for type 1 diabetes is centered around mealtimes and includes:
Type 2 Diabetes
People withtype 2 diabeteswho manage their diabetes with insulin must check their blood sugar levels regularly. Again, always work with your healthcare provider to determine the correct frequency for your circumstance. However, general guidelines suggest checking blood sugar four times a day at the following intervals:
People with type 2 diabetes whose condition is well controlled may not need to monitor their blood sugar as frequently.
Medication Type
There are many different types of drugs that work to lower blood sugar. The type of drug you take may influence how frequently your healthcare provider recommends you test your blood sugar levels.
For example, if you take insulin or medication that can cause hypoglycemia, your doctor will likely recommend more frequent blood sugar monitoring.
What Are the Symptoms of Uncontrolled Diabetes?
Target rangesfor blood glucose levels are personalized and based on many factors, including:
The American Diabetes Association recommends the following target ranges for most adults with diabetes who are not pregnant:
In addition to measuring your blood sugar levels at home, your healthcare provider will periodically order blood tests to monitor your blood sugar levels. TheA1Cmeasures your average blood sugar levels over the past two or three months. This level should be less than 7%. An alternate way of reporting A1C iseAG. In this case, it should be less than 154 mg/dL.
How to Test Blood Sugar
People with diabetes usually check their blood sugar levels themselves. However, it’s a good idea to have a roommate, friend, or family member also know how to do it if you are sick and can’t do it yourself.
To use a blood sugar meter, follow these steps:
If you are interested inCGM, you should talk to your healthcare provider since these are prescription devices. To use CGM, follow these steps:
You will also need to change the sensors on the CGM regularly, usually every one to two weeks.
Summary
Monitoring blood sugar levels is essential for people living with diabetes because keeping blood sugar within a target range can help prevent complications from the disease. People often do this with a blood sugar monitor, which involves pricking your finger so the machine can measure the sugar levels in your blood.
People with well-controlled type 2 diabetes may not need to check blood sugar levels very often. However, those with type 1 diabetes and those who use medication or insulin to manage their diabetes will need to check their blood sugar frequently, often before and after every meal.
A Word From Verywell
If you have diabetes, you may be wondering when you should check your blood sugar levels. Since there are many types of diabetes and levels of severity, you will need to work closely with your healthcare provider to develop a plan that is best for your situation. If you are worried about checking frequently or have difficulty using a blood glucose monitor, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider about CGM.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMany things can cause blood sugar to spike or drop. Regularly checking blood sugar levels is one way to notice patterns that make that happen for you. As you begin to determine which foods and activities lead to unstable levels, you can modify your diet and behavior as needed.Learn MoreWhat Are Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia?If your blood sugar is below 70 mg/dL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you dooneof the following: take four glucose tablets or drink four ounces of juice or regular (not diet) soda or eat four pieces of hard candy.Learn MoreWhat Is a Blood Sugar Crash?If your blood sugar levels are too high, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication or adjust your current medication and recommend that you get more exercise, follow a diabetes meal plan, and check your blood sugar levels more frequently.Learn MoreHigh Blood Sugar at Night
Many things can cause blood sugar to spike or drop. Regularly checking blood sugar levels is one way to notice patterns that make that happen for you. As you begin to determine which foods and activities lead to unstable levels, you can modify your diet and behavior as needed.Learn MoreWhat Are Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia?
Many things can cause blood sugar to spike or drop. Regularly checking blood sugar levels is one way to notice patterns that make that happen for you. As you begin to determine which foods and activities lead to unstable levels, you can modify your diet and behavior as needed.
Learn MoreWhat Are Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia?
If your blood sugar is below 70 mg/dL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you dooneof the following: take four glucose tablets or drink four ounces of juice or regular (not diet) soda or eat four pieces of hard candy.Learn MoreWhat Is a Blood Sugar Crash?
If your blood sugar is below 70 mg/dL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you dooneof the following: take four glucose tablets or drink four ounces of juice or regular (not diet) soda or eat four pieces of hard candy.
Learn MoreWhat Is a Blood Sugar Crash?
If your blood sugar levels are too high, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication or adjust your current medication and recommend that you get more exercise, follow a diabetes meal plan, and check your blood sugar levels more frequently.Learn MoreHigh Blood Sugar at Night
If your blood sugar levels are too high, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication or adjust your current medication and recommend that you get more exercise, follow a diabetes meal plan, and check your blood sugar levels more frequently.
Learn MoreHigh Blood Sugar at Night
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Good to know: factors affecting blood glucose.Clin Diabetes. 2018;36(2):202-202. Doi: 10.2337/cd18-0012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring your blood sugar.Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering.How do glucometers work?.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Glucose monitoring.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.Self-monitoring of blood glucose.Clinical Diabetes. 2002;20(1):48-48. Doi: 10.2337/diaclin.20.1.48Weinstock, R.Patient education: Blood glucose monitoring in diabetes (beyond the basics).American Diabetes Association.The big picture: Checking your blood sugar.Cleveland Clinic.Continuous glucose monitoring.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Good to know: factors affecting blood glucose.Clin Diabetes. 2018;36(2):202-202. Doi: 10.2337/cd18-0012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring your blood sugar.Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering.How do glucometers work?.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Glucose monitoring.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.Self-monitoring of blood glucose.Clinical Diabetes. 2002;20(1):48-48. Doi: 10.2337/diaclin.20.1.48Weinstock, R.Patient education: Blood glucose monitoring in diabetes (beyond the basics).American Diabetes Association.The big picture: Checking your blood sugar.Cleveland Clinic.Continuous glucose monitoring.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Good to know: factors affecting blood glucose.Clin Diabetes. 2018;36(2):202-202. Doi: 10.2337/cd18-0012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring your blood sugar.Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering.How do glucometers work?.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Glucose monitoring.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.Self-monitoring of blood glucose.Clinical Diabetes. 2002;20(1):48-48. Doi: 10.2337/diaclin.20.1.48Weinstock, R.Patient education: Blood glucose monitoring in diabetes (beyond the basics).American Diabetes Association.The big picture: Checking your blood sugar.Cleveland Clinic.Continuous glucose monitoring.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.
Good to know: factors affecting blood glucose.Clin Diabetes. 2018;36(2):202-202. Doi: 10.2337/cd18-0012
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring your blood sugar.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering.How do glucometers work?.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Glucose monitoring.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.
Self-monitoring of blood glucose.Clinical Diabetes. 2002;20(1):48-48. Doi: 10.2337/diaclin.20.1.48
Weinstock, R.Patient education: Blood glucose monitoring in diabetes (beyond the basics).
American Diabetes Association.The big picture: Checking your blood sugar.
Cleveland Clinic.Continuous glucose monitoring.
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