If you have diabetes, managing your blood glucose level — also known as your blood sugar level — is crucial to the overall management of the condition.
When you have diabetes, your body can’t get the sugar from your blood into your cells or make enough, or any, insulin, depending on the type of diabetes. These effects cause high blood sugar (glucose) levels. The carbohydrates in food are one reason your blood sugar levels go up after meals.
Keep reading to learn more about checking and managing your glucose levels.
When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, digestion turns them into sugars that are released into your blood and move into your cells. Your pancreas, a small organ in your abdomen, releases insulin to meet the sugar in your cells.
Insulin acts like a bridge, allowing the sugar to go from your blood into your cells. When your cells use the sugar for energy, your blood sugar levels decrease.
But when you have diabetes, there’s a problem with the insulin production in your pancreas, with your cells’ use of insulin, or with both.
Diabetes types
There are a few types of diabetes and diabetes-related conditions, including:
- Type 1 diabetes: when your body stops making insulin
- Type 2 diabetes: usually a combination of your pancreas not making enough insulin and your cells not using insulin well (insulin resistance)
- Prediabetes: when your blood sugar levels are higher than typical levels but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis
- Gestational diabetes: a type of diabetes that can develop in the second or third trimester of pregnancy
Talk with a healthcare professional about the best times to check your blood glucose. Optimal times are different for each person.
You may want to check your levels:
- after fasting (when you wake up in the morning or when you have not eaten for 8–12 hours) or before meals
- before and after meals to see the impact the meal had on your blood sugar
- before all meals to decide how much insulin to inject
- at bedtime
Bring a record of your blood sugar results to doctor’s appointments so you can review it and make changes to your treatment if necessary.
People measure blood glucose in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have different recommendations for blood glucose targets for adults with type 2 diabetes who are not pregnant:
| Timing | ADA recommendations | AACE recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| fasting | 80–130 mg/dL | less than 110 mg/dL |
| 2 hours after eating | less than 180 mg/dL | less than 140 mg/dL |
Talk with your doctor to learn more about your blood glucose targets. Your doctor can help you decide which guidelines to target or work with you to set your glucose targets.
You’ll need a blood sample to check your blood glucose levels. You can do this at home in several ways.
Blood glucose monitor
Home blood glucose monitors are the
The most common type of blood glucose monitor involves using a lancet to prick the side of your fingertip to draw a small drop of blood.
You then place this drop of blood on a disposable testing strip and insert the strip into an electronic blood glucose meter, which measures the glucose levels in the sample and returns a number on a digital readout.
Discover 6 tips for successful blood glucose monitoring.
Continuous glucose monitors
Another option is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
To allow you to use a CGM, a doctor will first insert a small wire under the skin of your abdomen or arm.
Every few minutes, the wire will measure your blood glucose levels and deliver the results to an external monitoring device. This allows you and your doctor to keep a real-time reading of your blood glucose levels.
Learn more about CGMs and how to choose the right one for you.
Blood glucose levels can fluctuate throughout the day. When taking blood glucose readings, it’s important to know what factors may affect the result.
If your blood glucose levels are high, you might have hyperglycemia.
Symptoms of hyperglycemia include:
Consistently high blood glucose readings indicate that your diabetes management plan isn’t working.
You should work with your doctor to establish a treatment plan. You might be able to manage your glucose levels through diet or weight management. Exercise can also help lower your glucose levels.
Let your doctor know if your glucose levels are consistently high. This could mean that you need to take regular medication or make other changes to your diabetes treatment plan.
Medication
Doctors may add medications to your treatment plan if needed. Most people with type 2 diabetes will start on metformin as their first medication. There are many types of diabetes medications that act in different ways.
Learn more about the different medications for diabetes.
Insulin
Injecting insulin is one way to lower your glucose levels quickly. If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to inject insulin multiple times each day to regulate your blood glucose levels.
Your doctor will determine your insulin dosage and discuss how and when to inject it.
It’s important to ensure that your levels don’t drop too low. A blood sugar reading below 70 mg/dL is considered low.
This involves consuming 15 grams of carbohydrates and then waiting 15 minutes to see how your blood sugar changes. If your levels are not within range after 15 minutes, you should repeat the process.
In cases of severely low blood sugar (when your levels are below 55 mg/dL), injectable glucagon is the primary treatment. At this stage, you might not be able to inject this medication yourself if you’re experiencing severe symptoms of low blood sugar.
If a glucagon injection does not stabilize your blood sugar levels or is not available, you or someone nearby should contact emergency services.
Diet and lifestyle habits can have a large impact on blood sugar management. Below are some ways you can improve your blood sugar management at home.
Diet
The foods you eat can have a big impact on your glucose levels.
Foods to include
Include healthy carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, and lean proteins in your diet. Healthy carbohydrates include:
- fruits
- vegetables
- whole grains
- beans and other legumes
Fruits — especially dried fruits — can often contain a lot of sugar, so it’s important to limit your portion sizes.
It’s also important to include healthy fats in your diet. The ADA recommends prioritizing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats rather than saturated and trans fats. Options include:
Learn more about the best foods for diabetes.
Foods to limit
To best manage diabetes, you should limit your consumption of foods and drinks that increase your blood sugar, including:
- highly refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta
- foods with high sugar content, such as candy
- sugary soft drinks
You should also limit foods that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as:
- foods high in saturated and trans fats
- foods high in salt
- alcohol
Discover 11 foods and drinks to limit in a diabetes diet plan.
Exercise
In addition to eating nutritious foods, remember to include regular exercise in your daily routine. Being more active can make your body more sensitive to insulin, which helps regulate your blood glucose levels.
If you’re new to exercise, check with your doctor before starting. Then start slowly and work your way up to more vigorous routines.
You can also add more exercise through small changes, including:
- taking stairs instead of an elevator
- walking around the block or your office during breaks
- parking farther from store entrances when shopping
Over time, these small changes can add up to big wins for your health.
Discover the 10 best exercises for people with diabetes.
Manage stress
Managing blood glucose levels requires a great deal of attention and may feel stressful. However,
Stress can
Learn more about techniques for managing stress.
Monitoring your blood glucose levels is an important part of managing your diabetes. Knowing your numbers will also help inform your doctor about changes you may need to make to your treatment plan.
Following a healthy and balanced diet, exercising, and taking medications as prescribed should help you manage your glucose levels. Talk with your doctor if you need help with a diet or exercise plan or if you’re unsure about how to take your medications.