Question of the Week: How Often To Check Blood Glucose?

A reader submitted the following question for discussion on my blog, "How often should I check my glucose if I have type 2 diabetes?"

Blood glucose monitoring is an essential part of proper diabetes care. If you take insulin to manage your type 2 diabetes, your medical professional may recommend blood sugar testing one to three times daily , depending on the number of doses you take.

Ideal times for testing are usually before and after meals and before bedtime.

If you manage type 2 diabetes with other medications or with diet and exercise alone, you may be able to test your blood sugar level less often.

Most importantly, keep a log with the results of your testing so that you can track how well your current diabetes plan is working with your doctor or Certified Diabetes Educator.

Discuss blood glucose testing with your medical professional to see what is best for your plan.

Question of the Week: What are "good" blood sugar numbers?

The following question was posed by one of my readers, "I have diabetes and my blood sugar is all over the map. Could you please tell me the ideal blood sugar level?"

Your "ideal" blood sugar level is dependent on when you have taken the test:

Before a meal(no food/liquids other than water for several hours): 70-130 mg/dl

After a meal 1 - 2 hours after you have started eating): <180 mg/dl

After you finish testing your blood glucose, log your results in a journal or notebook to review and see how the food you are consuming, your activity and stress levels have affected your blood glucose. If your blood glucose record levels are too high or too low several days in a row around the same time, you may need to make some changes to your care plan. You can work with your diabetes educator, registered dietitian or medical practitioner to find what works best with you. Don't be discouraged as it may take some time to find what works.


Source: American Diabetes Association