Blood sugar tracking -
Medically reviewed by: Cheryl Patterson, RD, LDN, CDCES. Listen Play Stop Volume mp3 Settings Close Player. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.
Why Check Blood Sugars? Checking blood sugars regularly can help you and your child: Feel more in control of diabetes. Find out how food, exercise, and diabetes medicine affect the blood sugar. Know when you need to make any changes to food, exercise, and diabetes medicines.
Manage sick days. Prevent health problems that can happen now or in the future. Most kids and teens need to test: before each meal at bedtime before, during, and after exercise Sometimes you may need to test more often, even while your child sleeps. For example, if: Your child was recently diagnosed with diabetes.
Your child is sick. Your child is having a lot of high or low blood sugars. What Do I Use to Check the Blood Sugar? Blood glucose meters vary by: Cost. Ask your insurance company which blood glucose meters they cover. Choose a meter that is easy to use and take care of.
Special features. Meters come in different sizes. Some can store extra information like dates, times, food intake, and exercise.
Others can download readings so your provider can easily see this information. Or you may need blood sugar testing several times a day. The exact number of times depends on the type and amount of insulin you use. Often, testing is advised before meals and at bedtime if you take more than one shot of insulin a day.
You may need to test only before breakfast and sometimes before dinner or at bedtime if you use an intermediate- or a long-acting insulin. You might not need to test your blood sugar every day if you manage type 2 diabetes with medicines that are not insulin.
You also might not need to test daily if you manage the condition with diet and exercise alone. A continuous glucose monitor, on the left, is a device that measures your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor inserted under the skin.
An insulin pump, attached to the pocket, is a device that's worn outside of the body with a tube that connects the reservoir of insulin to a catheter inserted under the skin of the abdomen.
Insulin pumps are programmed to deliver specific amounts of insulin automatically and when you eat. People living with diabetes may choose to use CGMs , especially people who have type 1 diabetes.
CGMs measure blood sugar every few minutes. They use a device placed on the skin along with a sensor placed under the skin. These disposable sensors last for 10 days to two weeks before they need to be changed.
Other types of implanted sensors can last up to 6 months. CGMs include a wireless device worn on the body called a transmitter. The transmitter sends information from the sensor to a program that lets you view your blood sugar level.
The program is viewed on a receiver, a smartphone or an insulin pump. Some CGMs show your blood sugar reading at all times. They often include an alarm that goes off if your blood sugar goes up or down too quickly.
Other CGMs require that you check your blood sugar by running the receiver over the sensor. You may need to do this every few hours. Some people have to do it more often. With some CGMs , you still need to do finger-stick blood tests. These tests set the CGM. This is called calibration. The finger-stick blood tests also help keep the CGM readings precise.
Check your device's user's guide to learn if you need to do finger-stick blood tests, and if so, how often. Wine might make some CGM readings less precise.
Some medicines also can have an effect on the readings, especially when used with older CGMs. Medicines that may affect blood sugar readings include:. Readings on newer CGMs don't seem to be affected by standard doses of acetaminophen — up to 1, milligrams for an adult.
Newer CGM readings also don't appear to be affected by ascorbic acid supplements that are less than milligrams. If you need to take medicines that may affect the accuracy of the readings, check the package insert that comes with the sensor.
Or talk to your healthcare professional. You may be told to double-check your CGM results with a standard blood sugar meter. Check with your healthcare professional about using a CGM if you are:. These conditions may affect the blood sugar readings from a CGM. Ask your healthcare team what the right blood sugar range is for you.
Your healthcare professional works with you to set target blood-sugar test results based on factors that include:. The American Diabetes Association ADA tends to recommend the following target blood sugar levels.
These targets are for most of the healthy people with diabetes who take medicines:. But the ADA notes that these goals often vary.
Your goals depend on your age and your health. Tell your healthcare professional if your blood sugar is often higher or lower than your target range. A blood sugar meter is used to test blood sugar. The meter measures the amount of sugar in a small sample of blood. Most often, the blood comes from the side of the fingertip.
Then the blood is placed on a disposable test strip. With certain CGMs , you still may need a blood sugar meter to set your CGM device daily. Your healthcare professional or a certified diabetes care and education specialist can recommend a CGM device for you.
They also can help you learn how to use your meter. Follow the instructions that come with your blood sugar meter.
In general, here's how the process works:. Some meters can test blood taken from another body part such as the forearm or palm. But these readings may not be as accurate as readings from the fingertips, especially after a meal or during exercise.
Blood sugar levels change more often at these times. Using a body part other than the fingertips is not recommended when you set a CGM. That process also is called calibrating.
Talk with your healthcare professional about how often you need to record your blood sugar results. The readings given by many devices can be sent to a computer or smart device.
Bring your record of results with you to checkups with your healthcare professional. Ask what steps to take if you often get results that don't fall within the range of your target goals.
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Request Appointment. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how. Products and services. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how Blood sugar testing is an important part of diabetes care. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Enlarge image Close. Continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump A continuous glucose monitor, on the left, is a device that measures your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor inserted under the skin.
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Show references American Diabetes Association. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care. Managing diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Accessed Aug. Weinstock RS. Glucose monitoring in the ambulatory management of nonpregnant adults with diabetes mellitus. Accessed Aug 24, The big picture: Checking your blood glucose.
American Diabetes Association. Diabetes technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Continuous glucose monitoring. Galindo RJ, et al.
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