Checking your blood sugar
Checking your blood sugar yourself is often the best way to be sure your diabetes is under control. Checking often will tell you:
- If your insulin or other diabetes medicine is working
- How physical activity and the foods you eat affect your blood sugar
You’ll usually feel better and have more energy when your blood sugar stays at or near normal. Managing your blood sugar can also reduce your risk of developing problems from diabetes.
When to check your blood sugar
You and your diabetes care team will decide when and how often you will check your blood sugar. Here are some times when you may want to check:
- When you wake up, to see if your blood sugar is staying under control while you’re asleep
- Before meals or large snacks, to know what your blood sugar is before you eat
- One to two hours after meals or large snacks, to see how the food you eat affects your blood sugar
- Before and 15 minutes after physical activity, to see how being active affects your blood sugar
Setting your blood sugar goals
You and your diabetes care team will set blood sugar goals based on your diabetes care plan. The table below lists blood sugar goals that many doctors suggest for people with diabetes. You can print this page and write your goals in the last column.
| Goals for People With Diabetes | Your Goals | |
|---|---|---|
| Before meals | 70 - 130 mg/dL | |
| 1 to 2 hours after meals | Less than 180 mg/dL | |
| A1C | Less than 7% | |
| Adapted from the American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2010. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(suppl 1):S11-S61. | ||
When to call your diabetes care team
Ask your diabetes care team when you should call the office with your blood sugar results. For example, your team might say that you should call if your blood sugar is over 240 mg/dL for three days in a row, you have ketones, or your blood sugar levels are higher than your goal for three days and you do not know why.
Knowing your A1C
The A1C test measures your average blood sugar levels over a period of the last two to three months. It’s like a “memory” of your blood sugar levels. It shows how well you’re controlling your blood sugar levels over time. Your A1C and your blood sugar levels go up and down together. Here is how they go together:
| A1C Levels | Average Blood Sugar |
|---|---|
| 6% | 126 mg/dL |
| 7% | 154 mg/dL |
| 8% | 183 mg/dL |
| 9% | 212 mg/dL |
| 10% | 240 mg/dL |
| 11% | 269 mg/dL |
| 12% | 298 mg/dL |
| Adapted from the American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2010. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(suppl 1):S11-S61. | |
