If you have diabetes, self-testing your blood sugar (blood glucose) can be an important tool in managing your diabetes and preventing complications.
You can use a device called GlucoNova Travigo Blood Glucose Monitoring System with 50 test strips to test your blood sugar at home. Order the device here.
Why test your blood sugar
Blood sugar testing provides useful information for diabetes management. It can help you:
- Monitor the effect of diabetes medications on blood sugar levels
- Identify blood sugar levels that are high or low
- Track your progress in reaching your overall treatment goals
- Learn how diet and exercise affect blood sugar levels
- Understand how other factors, such as illness or stress, affect blood sugar levels
When to test your blood sugar
Your health care provider will let you know how often to check your blood sugar levels. The frequency of testing usually depends on the type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan.
Type 1 diabetes
Your health care provider may recommend blood sugar testing 4 to 10 times a day if you have type 1 diabetes. You may need to test:
- Before meals and snacks
- Before and after exercise
- Before bed
- During the night (sometimes)
- More often if you’re ill
- More often if you change your daily routine
- More often if you start a new medication
Type 2 diabetes
If you take insulin to manage type 2 diabetes, your health care provider may recommend blood sugar testing several times a day, depending on the type and amount of insulin you use. Testing is usually recommended before meals and at bedtime if you’re taking multiple daily injections. You may need to test only before breakfast and sometimes before dinner or at bedtime if you use just an intermediate- or a long-acting insulin.
If you manage type 2 diabetes with noninsulin medications or with diet and exercise alone, you may not need to test your blood sugar daily.
How to test your blood sugar
Blood sugar testing requires the use of a blood sugar meter like the GlucoNova Travigo Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The meter measures the amount of sugar in a small sample of blood, usually from your fingertip, that you place on one of the disposable test strip.
PS. Your health care provider can also help you learn how to use your meter.
Follow the instructions that come with your blood sugar meter. In general, here’s how the process works:
- Wash and dry your hands well. (Food and other substances can give you an inaccurate reading.)
- Insert a test strip into your meter.
- Prick the side of your fingertip with the needle (lancet) provided with your test kit.
- Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood.
- The meter will display your blood sugar level on a screen after a few seconds.
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Source:
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how. Retrieved 30 June 2022, from https://shorturl.at/lpuU8.
