If you have diabetes, you have an important role in your own medical care, and testing your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is an opportunity for you to take control of your health.
Although diabetes is a chronic condition, it can usually be controlled with lifestyle changes and medication. The main goal of treatment is to keep blood sugar levels in the normal or near-normal range. Checking your blood sugar is one of the best ways to know how well your diabetes treatment plan is working.
Blood Glucose Monitoring
Blood glucose monitoring is recommended for all people with diabetes as it is a valuable diabetes management tool which can help to give you a sense of control and freedom. Regular testing of blood glucose levels (BGL) can reinforce your healthy lifestyle choices as well as inform you of your response to other factors.
Blood glucose levels respond to food, particularly carbohydrates but other influences like physical activity, travel, changes in routine, stress and illness will also cause BGLs to go up or down. Visits to a doctor or health professional may be weeks or months apart so being able to understand the numbers and make decisions in between visits is valuable.
The frequency and timing of your blood glucose monitoring, and the recommended range, is individual and should be determined by your diabetes team.