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Blood Glucose Monitoring
Blood glucose monitoring enables people to monitor their blood glucose levels every day or even a few times each day. A drop of blood is obtained by pricking the finger with a sharp needle called a lancet. This drop of blood is placed on a testing strip and the result read by a machine.
Why Test Your Blood?
Regular blood testing allows you to:
determine on a regular basis how successful you are in balancing treatment, your nutrition intake and exercise develop a sense of control relate aspects of your lifestyle to the effect on your blood glucose levels actively assist in the prevention of short and long term complications of diabetes
Testing your blood is the most immediate way of finding out if your blood glucose level is high (hyperglycaemia) or low (hypoglycaemia). Blood glucose levels are measured in millimoles of glucose per litre of blood (mmol/L).
What blood glucose levels should you be aiming for?
It is very important to check with your specialist or diabetes educator the level which is appropriate for you. There are occasions when different levels may be appropriate. For most people with diabetes, blood glucose monitoring helps them feel more in control of their body. Being in control gives greater confidence and helps you live well with diabetes.
Targets For Glycaemic Control:
Risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose)	Less than 3.5 mmol/L if insulin or certain types of tablets are used, but this does not apply to other tablets or where glucose is controlled by meal plans alone.
Normal levels	4-6 mmol/L before meals 4-8 mmol/L after meals*
Ideal levels	4-6 mmol/L before meals Up to 8 mmol/L after meals*
Moderate levels	6-7 mmol/L before meals Up to 11 mmol/L after meals*
High levels	More than 7 mmol/L before meals More than 11 mmol/L after meals*
* Two hours after starting the meal
When should you test?
Guidelines for testing Type 1 diabetes
Test four times a day - fasting (before breakfast), before lunch, before dinner and at bedtime. This may be reduced in time, if you have good control of your diabetes. You need to discuss this with your doctor or diabetes educator.
Test at extra times when you:
have symptoms of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia are unwell   experience night sweats or morning headaches
Guidelines for testing Type 2 diabetes
Test once or twice daily, changing the time of day at which your test is done or as directed by your doctor or diabetes educator. Testing may need to be more frequent in times of instability. Suggested times are fasting (before breakfast), before other meals or two hours after meals. This may be reduced to once or twice daily, two to three times a week, or once a week, once good control is achieved. If on insulin injection, test before each injection unless otherwise directed by your doctor or diabetes educator.
Test at extra times when you:
have symptoms of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia are unwell
Log all readings into a diary and take this with you to all appointments with your doctor or diabetes educator.
Common factors that increase or decrease blood glucose levels
Food - time eaten, quantity of food, type and amount of carbohydrate (bread, pasta, cereals, fruit)
Exercise/physical activity Illness and pain Diabetes medication Alcohol Emotional stress Other medications Testing techniques
A quick checklist if you're not sure the result is correct:
Is there enough blood on the strip? Are your fingers clean? If your machine needs precise timing, are you timing correctly? Is the strip the right one for the meter? Is the calibration code correct? Is the strip inserted the right way? Is the meter clean? Is the battery low or flat? Have the strips expired? Have the strips been affected by climate, heat or light?
What is Glycosyated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) test?
Glycosyated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) is a slow continuous process in which glucose attaches to the haemoglobin (red blood cells) and remains there for approximately 120 days. The HbA1c gives an average of the blood glucose level over the past six to eight weeks (the ideal range is below 7 per cent). The HbA1c along with regular blood glucose monitoring is the best way to see the overall picture of your blood glucose levels. Your doctor may order this test about every three to six months.

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