Regular monitoring can help you see the effects of food, exercise, medication and illness on your blood glucose levels. It can also help you identify any patterns or changes that you should discuss with your doctor or diabetes health professionals

If the level of sugar in your blood is too high, it can cause damage to your blood vessels and organs, such as eyes, kidneys, heart and skin.

How to monitor

To check your blood glucose levels, you need a blood glucose meter, a finger pricking device with lancets and blood glucose testing strips. There are a wide variety of blood glucose meters available. Your doctor or credentialled diabetes educator can help you choose one that suits your needs and show you how to use it.

Targets

Normal blood sugar:

  • not fasting – less than 8mmol/l
  • fasting – less than 5.5.

Blood sugar greater than this may indicate diabetes and requires more testing.

For more information on Blood Glucose monitoring please follow the NDSS Blood Glucose Monitoring guidelines fact sheet here.


 

Reference: Information has been obtained by third parties including the Heart Foundation Australia and National Diabetes Services Scheme, and the Australian Government Initiative.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is provided for general information purposes only and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional medical or other professional health advice.