6. Get more from your monitoring.
Using a blood glucose meter is only helpful if you know how to respond to your numbers. While low blood glucose numbers (lower than 70 mg/dl) demand immediate attention, in general, it’s best to look for trends or patterns in your blood glucose numbers, rather than to focus on isolated numbers. You will inevitably see some variation in your numbers from one day to the next, but what’s important is whether your numbers are usually in your target range first thing in the morning, before and two hours after meals, at bedtime, etc. Patterns of out-of-range numbers mean that you need a change in some aspect of your diabetes regimen.
The format you use to write down your monitoring results can make it easier or more difficult to see patterns. Your diabetes educator may be able to recommend a particular format or logbook. Two monitoring logs that can be downloaded for free from the Internet are the Accu-Chek Testing in Pairs tool and the Accu-Chek 360° View tool. The Testing in Pairs tool is designed to help you see how meals, exercise, or other activities or events affect your blood glucose level over seven days. The 360° View tool shows how different meals affect your blood glucose level and energy level over three days. Both forms are intended to be discussed with a health-care provider after being filled out. To find the forms, go here:
Accu-Chek Testing in Pairs
Accu-Chek 360° View
