5 Glucose Monitoring Tips

Know your target blood glucose range. Talk to your doctor about your personal glucose goals for pre- and post-meal readings. To get an idea for the range for which you should aim, click here.

Learn how to check your glucose. Always wash your hands with warm water prior to drawing a sample for the test. If you can't wash them, vigorously wipe the area with an alcohol swab, and then shake your hand a bit below your waist to bring blood to the area. Perform the fingerstick, and apply directly to testing strip.

Decide when to check your glucose levels. Talk with your healthcare team about when the best times are for you to test your glucose. It often makes sense to test before a meal, and then two hours after. Also try to check your glucose when you think you might be experiencing high or low glucose.

Identify glucose patterns. Testing your glucose shouldn't be viewed as an annoying task, but instead as a tool to figure out what the next step is in treating your diabetes. Think of glucose testing as a compass: when you figure out what your glucose is, it will be much easier to determine what direction to head in.

Determine what causes blood glucose changes. Do you miscalculate how much carbohydrate is in a particular food, and then find that your glucose (sugar) is either "too high" or "too low"? Log these observations and try to commit them to memory so you'll have an easier time in the future.

For more information, visit our online store and purchase our book, What You Need to Know About Diabetes - A Short Guide.