Blood glucose

Why should I test my blood glucose?

• Monitoring your blood glucose helps you to adjust your insulin dose and therefore to control your diabetes more effectively
• You can check if your blood glucose level is within the target range and if not take action to correct it
• You will be given a home monitoring diary to record your blood glucose level. It is important to keep accurate, frequent blood glucose diary readings and to bring your diary with you to each visit at your diabetes centre or clinic
• Some meters have memory to record results
• You will be given guidance on how best to adjust your insulin at your clinic based on your diary results.

Good control of your diabetes keeps you healthy

Research shows that high levels of glucose in your blood over a long time can cause problems with your:

Eyes Kidneys Heart Nerves Blood circulation Legs and feet

However, by taking your insulin as instructed by your doctor or nurse and with routine blood glucose monitoring, these problems may be avoided.

What should my blood glucose level be?

• Blood glucose is measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/L)
• In general, you should aim to keep your blood glucose level between 4.0 and 7.0 mmol/L however you may be given your own range depending on your treatment
• Your doctor or nurse will teach you how and when to test your blood glucose and how to change your insulin dose depending on the results
• For your clinic visits, you will have a blood test called a HbA₁C done.  This gives an estimate of your blood glucose control over the preceding 6-8 weeks.  The aim is to keep the result of this test below 7%, as this reading has been shown to prevent, or delay, the onset of complications of diabetes.

What if I have a low blood glucose level?

Hypoglycaemia is the medical word for low blood glucose.
Hypoglycaemia is often called a 'hypo'.  This is when your blood glucose level is less than 4.0 mmol/L.  Read more about hypoglycaemia

What if I have a high blood glucose level?

Hyperglycaemia is the medical word for high blood glucose.
Read more about hyperglycaemia

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