Testing blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is an essential part of your diabetes care plan.
Depending on your current condition, you may need to visit your doctor several times a year for formal testing, according to the American Diabetes Association. You may also need to reach out to your doctor for preventive testing, such as cholesterol checks and eye exams.
While staying in touch with your doctor is important for staying on top of your treatment plan, you can and should test your blood sugar on your own as long as your healthcare team advises you to.
Self-monitoring your blood glucose may be vital to your treatment. Testing your own levels allows you to learn how to manage your blood sugar regardless of the time of day or where you are.
Learn how these tests work and talk with your doctor about the benefits of self-monitoring.
Your doctor will help you decide if you need to test your blood sugar at home. If you do, they’ll work out how often you should test and at what times of the day. They’ll also tell you what your blood sugar targets are.
You may consider diabetes home tests if you have:
By keeping track of blood glucose, you can discover problems in your current diabetes care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, typical blood glucose ranges between 70 to 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) while fasting and 140 mg/dL or below after eating.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is below 70 mg/dL, and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is well above 140 mg/dL.
By maintaining glucose at an average range, you may help prevent diabetes complications. According to the CDCTrusted Source, these include:
- diabetic coma
- eye disease
- gum disease
- kidney damage
- nerve damage
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