First, understand. To control your diabetes, you must know your blood sugar numbers. This is important so I will repeat it. To control your diabetes, you must know your blood sugar numbers.

Testing your blood sugar is the ONLY way to know whether your blood sugar is too high, too low, or just right. The best part of this testing is that you do not need to stay up the night before studying to pass the tests.

There are two different tests to measure your blood sugar:

First is The hemoglobin A1c test

This test measures your blood sugar control over the last 3 months. It is the best way to know if your blood sugar level is under control.

Second is a Finger Stick test

This is a do it yourself test using a blood glucose meter to measure your blood sugar at the time you test.

You need both tests to get a complete picture of your blood sugar control. In other words, how well you are doing.

The Hemoglobin A1c Test: The Best Test for Blood Sugar Control.

The hemoglobin A1c test is a simple lab test that shows the average amount of sugar that has been in your blood over the past 3 months. Your health care provider does the test by taking a small sample of your blood and sending it to the lab. The hemoglobin A1c test shows if your blood sugar is close to normal or too high. It is the best test for your health care provider to tell if your blood sugar is under control.

The Goal:

The Hemoglobin A1c goal for people with diabetes is less than 7%. A change in your treatment plan is almost always needed if your test result is over 8%.

The Finger Stick Test: For Testing Your Own Blood Sugar Using a Blood Glucose Meter.

A finger stick test is a simple test you can do using a blood glucose meter to check changes in your own blood sugar. The finger stick test tells you what your blood sugar level is at the time of the test.

By doing the finger stick test using a blood glucose meter helps you see and understand how food, physical activity, and diabetes medicine, and supplements affect your blood sugar. The readings you get from these tests can help you manage the diabetes attacking you day by day or even hour by hour. Make sure to keep a record of your test results and review it with your health care provider. You need to know where you stand so you can see what works.

The Goal:

Ideal goals for most people diagnosed with diabetes when finger stick testing using a blood glucose monitor are:

Before Meals: 80-120 mg/dl

At Bedtime: 100-140 mg/dl

Bear in mind that YOUR blood sugar goals may be different from these ideal goals. Ask your health care provider what goals are best for you.

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This information has been gleaned from research and from publications of the National Diabetes Education Program among others.

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