Do you understand your blood glucose numbers? The readings can be hard to comprehend, and the numbers may seem to go up and down for no apparent reason. At times it can be frustrating. But if you learn to understand what the numbers are telling you, it becomes valuable for you to test your blood glucose more often. Your blood glucose meter tells you how much glucose, measured in milligrams, is in a deciliter of blood at the moment you do the test. Your blood glucose levels change based on what, when and how much you eat, your diabetes medicines, physical activity and stress. To learn more about your meter, read the booklet that came with the meter, or call the manufacturers’ toll-free number. The American Diabetes Association recommends that your blood glucose levels before meals are in the range of 90-130 mg/dL. About two hours after the start of a meal, your blood glucose should be less than 180 mg/dL. These numbers can be a guide to help you work with your health care provider to choose your own goals.
SET YOUR GOALS
As you set blood glucose goals, it is useful to set a target range for both before and after meals. You may not always hit your target, but it is where you want to be most of the time. Your fasting (before breakfast) blood glucose sets the stage for the rest of the day. If your fasting blood glucose reading is high, it is harder to bring it into range once you eat. Your fasting blood glucose can be affected by what and how much you eat at night, your dose of bedtime insulin or diabetes medications, the glucose that your liver makes during the night and hormones that cause your blood glucose to go up during the night. If your fasting glucose levels are consistently high, ask your health care provider how you can get these closer to your target range.
You can find out what happens to your blood glucose after you eat by testing one or two hours following a meal. This reading is affected by the type and amount of carbohydrate you ate, the timing and type of exercise before your meal, the medication you took and the amount of stress on your body. To lower your after-meal blood glucose, you can eat fewer carbohydrates if you are eating too many, or work with your health care provider to adjust your medicine.
BEST TIMES TO TEST
Knowing your fasting blood glucose gives you part of the picture, but testing after you eat helps you to see the whole picture. A plan that many people use is to test their blood glucose before breakfast every day and then once again at different times each day. The frequency of testing will be based upon the type of diabetes you have and your level of control.
Write down the results of your blood glucose checks so you can look for patterns. Look at all of your readings at the same time of day for a week or two. Is your blood glucose usually in your target range or too high or low most days at that time? On days when it was different from usual, can you think of a reason? If your blood glucose level is often out of your target range, your medicine, meal plan, activity or schedule may need adjusting.
