It is vital that diabetics learn how to monitor their glucose levels on a regular basis so that they will know if their blood sugar is low or high or if it is within normal range. The results of monitoring will tell them how much insulin to administer if they are taking insulin and will also give important information to the doctor who is treating the diabetic.

Many factors can influence whether your blood sugar is low or high including the food you eat, your activity level, if you are stressed, the medications that you take and the amount of insulin in your system.

Learning how to correctly monitor your blood glucose levels can help you to stay healthy, and just may prevent or delay diabetic complications from occurring such as cardiac disease, blindness and kidney failure.

When newly diagnosed as diabetic your doctor or another member of your medical team will instruct you on how to monitor your blood glucose level, and how often you should monitor it. They will also explain the special situations in which you should do extra monitoring. The following guidelines are to assist you in remembering some of the finer points of glucose monitoring.

Supplies

The basic supplies you will need in order to monitor your blood glucose are:

A glucose meter
Alcohol pads
Sterile finger lancets
Test strips

Measuring:

There are different meters so please follow the specific instructions that you have been given with the particular one you are using. The following are basic instructions for most meters.

* Wash your hands before testing

* Use an alcohol pad to clean the area you will be pricking for the blood sample (fingertip, forearm, thigh, fleshy part of hand)

* Use sterile lancet to prick yourself. If using your finger use the side of the finger

* Place drop of blood on test strip

* Follow the instructions given with the meter

* Read the number and record it in your journal

How Often Should Monitoring Take Place?

You should monitor your blood glucose level on a regular basis. Your doctor will guide you on how often you should check and what time of day would be best. Usually you test more often when you are first diagnosed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have now approved several meters that do not require you to prick your fingers. These meters may not replace your regular glucose meter without your doctor’s approval. These meters are usually used for additional readings between the regular testing you do with the meters that use the pricking method.

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