Glucose Monitoring Basics by Elizabeth "Bjay" Woolley (09-05-2001) Introduction to Glucose Monitoring

Glucose monitoring is your best weapon in the battle for tight control. Adjustments are made in your diet and insulin therapy based on these results. Your health care providers rely on you to enter regular and reliable data into your logbook to prescribe your regimen. Glucose can be monitored in your blood or urine or both. Read on for a brief description of blood and urine monitoring.

Blood Glucose Monitoring:

You can monitor your blood glucose using strips alone or with a meter. Either way you prick your fingers to obtain a drop of blood and apply to a strip. (There are devices to obtain drops of blood from your forearms and are advertised to be less painless).

If you are using just strips, the strip will change color after you apply a drop of blood according to the instructions. By comparing the color to a chart on the container, you can get an idea of what range your blood glucose falls into.

If you use a meter, the strip is inserted into the machine (follow the instructions for the particular machine). The machine will display your blood glucose level. Meters are more accurate than strips alone.

Generally you may be asked to check your blood glucose about four times a day. Depending on your doctor's instructions you will test when you wake (fasting) and either before or after meals. Your own doctor may provide different goals for your own particular case, but the "average" blood glucose goals are as follows:

• Fasting and pre-meal: Under 90 mg/dl
• One Hour After meals: Under 120 mg/dl

Note: You should not let your blood glucose fall below 50 mg/dl.

Urine Glucose Monitoring:

Urine tests are much less accurate than blood tests and are not good for maintaining tight control. Before the technology was developed for personal blood testing, urine tests were the only way to monitor your own blood glucose. Interestingly, before urine tests were developed, you were asked to taste your own urine. If it was sweet, you had sugar in your urine. Gross! Thank your lucky stars for scientific advances!

In spite of their inaccuracy, urine tests are vital for measuring ketones. Ketones are acids that are produced when the body breaks down fats because no other source of energy is available. These are bad for both you and the baby. They can result from too little insulin or food. You should check for ketones when your blood glucose is over 200 mg/dl. The test is similar to the blood glucose strips. You dip the strip into a urine sample or pass it through the urine stream. The strip will change color and then is compared to a chart on the container to find out the range of the amount of ketones in your urine. Many over-the-counter urine testing kits test both glucose and ketones. Cool!

During Pregnancy:

Controlling your diabetes during pregnancy is especially challenging as your insulin needs will greatly increase as your pregnancy progresses. You may have to change your diet, exercise, and/or insulin regimen. According to the American Diabetes Association, most women need to change their insulin dose every 5 to 10 days. Because of this it is vital that you monitor your blood glucose levels regularly and frequently.

Diabetes and
Pregnancy:
What to
Expect
Recommended books

This is not a health care site. The editor is not a health care professional, is not qualified, and does not give medical or mental health advice.

Please consult with qualified professionals in order to find the right regimen and treatment for you. Do not make changes without consulting your health care team. .

Because this site is for all diabetics at all stages of life, some information may not be appropriate for you - remember information may be different for type 1, type 2, type 1.5, and gestational diabetics.

Articles submitted by other authors represent their own views, not necessarily the editor's.

The editor and contributing writers cannot be held responsible in any shape or form for your physical or mental health or that of your child or children. They cannot be held responsible for how any of the information on this site or associated sites affects your life.

The community associated with this site is a sort of self-help support group. Advice or information shared is personal and possibly not optimal for you. It is up to you to use this information as you see fit in conjunction with your medical care team. The results are your own responsibility. Other members or the editor or contributors cannot be held responsible.