Updated July 20, 2006

Blood Glucose Monitoring
What Do the Numbers Tell You?

by Virginia Peragallo-Dittko, A.P.R.N., M.A., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E.

My blood glucose is usually no higher than 130 mg/dl, but for the past two days every reading is over 200 mg/dl.

• A sudden change in your blood glucose pattern is usually due to infection. The stress hormones released when you are sick tend to raise blood glucose levels. Infection is a physical stress, and when stress occurs, the body reacts by secreting more epinephrine, cortisol, and glucagon. These hormones cause extra glucose to be released from the liver to give the body added energy to cope. Most times, your blood glucose levels will rise even before you get symptoms of an infection.

Two heads are better than one
Dave stopped checking his blood glucose levels because the numbers didn’t mean anything, but some people stop checking simply because the numbers upset them. It’s especially hard when you’ve been following all the rules, eating right, exercising, and taking your medicines and the numbers are still high.

Learning what the numbers mean and evaluating the patterns are tools that can help you cope. It’s also helpful to remember that there are blood glucose readings that defy explanation. Sometimes we just don’t know why a reading is out of range. That’s why it is wise to team up with a diabetes educator or your health-care provider who can offer guidance and a fresh perspective. What do the numbers tell you? The answer lies in knowing your targets, patterns, and who to call when you have a question.

Also in this article:
Blood Glucose Meter Averages: Don’t Be Fooled

Virginia Peragallo-Dittko is a Diabetes Nurse Specialist and Director of the Winthrop-University Hospital Diabetes Education Center in Mineola, New York.

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