BLOOD SUGAR MONITORING
Checking your blood sugars every day will help you monitor how well your blood sugars are controlled.
Target Blood sugars
Fasting: 90-130 mg/dl
Before meals: 90-130 mg/dl
Two hours after meals: less than 180 mg/dl
Bedtime: Less than 150 mg/dl
Why do I need to keep my blood sugars in range?
Keeping your blood sugars in range will lower your risk of diabetes complications such as blindness, nerve damage, sexual dysfunction, heart disease and kidney disease.
In addition to good blood sugar control, you can lower your risk of diabetes complications through
Blood pressure control
Blood lipid control (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides)
Preventive care practices for eyes, kidneys, and feet
Smoking cessation
Why do I need to check my blood sugar daily?
Checking your blood sugars daily can help you and your doctor
Evaluate how well your medications are working
Determine how exercise and different foods affect your blood sugars
Analyze patterns of high and low blood sugars.
How often and when should I check my blood sugars:
How often and when you check your blood sugars depends on what you are doing to manage your diabetes. If you are managing your diabetes with diet, exercise and/or pills, checking your blood sugars 1-2 times a day is good. You need to check your blood sugars at different times of the day.
Check before meals, two hours after meals, and at bedtime. To prevent complications your blood sugars need to "behave themselves" all day and not only at a certain time of the day. If you are on insulin, you need to check your blood sugars 3 or more times every day. Individuals using
Lantus and Humalog (Novolog) need to check blood sugars before meals.
Individuals on other types of insulin like NPH or 70/30 need to check at a variety of times.

How about low blood sugar?
Always check your blood sugars when you suspect a low. A blood sugar reading is considered low when it is less than 70 mg/dl.
Symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) include the following:
Shaking
Sweating
Nervousness
Feeling irritable and/or tired
Blurry vision and/or headache
No symptoms
How do I treat low blood sugar?
Have 4 oz fruit juice, 3 glucose tablets, or 1 tablespoon sugar or honey.
Wait 15 minutes and recheck blood sugar.
If blood sugar is still less than 70 repeat the above treatment.
If blood sugar is 70 or more eat a snack (half sandwich or 4 cheese crackers) or a meal within 1 hour.
Avoid using cookies, chocolate, pizza, or peanut butter to treat hypoglycemia. These foods either do not have much sugar like peanut butter or are high in fat. High fat foods take longer to digest and consequently longer to release the sugar into your blood.
When you have hypoglycemia you need a fast source of sugar. If you suffer from frequent episodes of hypoglycemia (more than 2 times a week) you need to discuss the matter with your doctor. This is especially important if your blood sugars drop below
60 and/or you feel no symptoms.
What makes my blood sugars go up?
Food (large amounts of regular pop, fruit juice, sweets, starches, milk/yogurt, and fruits)
Not enough diabetes pills/insulin
Certain medicines like steroids
Infection/illness/surgery
Stress
Menstrual period
What makes my blood sugars go down?
- Diabetes pills/insulin
- Exercise
The Center for Diabetes Education
Ree Kaplan, RN, CDE 599-1092
Anna Reinwand, RD, CDE 599-5823
Sami Wood, RD, CDE 599-5744