Written By: ADCES staff. Supported by LifeScan Institute, LLC.
In order to maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides associated with glucose monitoring, here are some helpful hints from our expert team of diabetes care and education specialists and experienced people with diabetes:
Monitoring without goals is like a ship without a rudder, floating aimlessly. Work with your diabetes care team to make your goals meaningful, measurable and realistic. They should be related to things you have direct control over – such as when/how often you will check, record and review your glucose levels.
Logging behaviors and circumstances associated with glucose levels can be helpful in understanding why you may deviate from your usual patterns. It’s fine to use pen and paper for recording this information, but if you prefer a more modern approach, a variety of software programs and smart phone apps can be used.
Turning data into useful information requires a certain degree of organization. Most brand name blood glucose meters and CGM systems are downloadable to programs that can generate nice, neat reports.
But don’t stop there. Glucose values by themselves may reveal when we are in and out of range, but they don’t reveal why. There is always a context, or story, behind each reading. Keeping track of the factors that affect your glucose levels can help you and your health care team to uncover the true sources of out-of-range readings.
These include:
Illnesses
Once you’ve collected a few weeks’ worth of information, it’s time to take a critical look.Your diabetes care team can help you to evaluate your data at appointments, so bring printed reports to your visits or bring ALL your meters for downloading. Look at your information on a regular basis as well. Review the glucose values at each phase of the day separately: pre-breakfast, post-breakfast, pre-lunch, etc. If you notice that values are out of your target glucose range, discuss potential solutions with your health care team.
Why make glucose monitoring any harder than it has to be? For convenience sake, many people like to have an extra meter (or two) so that they don’t have to carry it to/ from work, kitchen/bedroom, up/down stairs, etc. To obtain an extra meter, ask your diabetes care team for a free sample, or call the number on the back of your meter to request a complimentary backup.
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DISCLAIMERS:
This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your diabetes care and education specialist or health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. To find a diabetes care and education specialist near you, visit the ADCES finder tool.
ADCES and danatech curate product specifics and periodically review them for accuracy and relevance. As a result, the information may or may not be the most recent. We recommend visiting the manufacturer's website for the latest details if you have any questions.