Know Your Diabetes Numbers

Target blood glucose for most people with diabetes:
In the morning before eating and before meals, it should be ≥ 70 mg/dl  and ≤120 mg/dl.
1 ½  - 2 hours after eating, it should be ≤160 mg/dl.

What level of blood glucose is too low?
Less than 70 mg/dl

What level of blood glucose is too high?

Over 180 mg/dl : Talk to your doctor on next visit.

Over 300 mg/dl for 2 or more readings over 12 – 24 hours:  call your doctor.

Over 500 mg/dl: Call your doctor immediately or go to emergency room.

Always check your blood glucose levels: 

• Every day when you get up in the morning and at least one more time during the day
• If you take pills for your medication, check before breakfast and 2 hours after your biggest meal of the day.
• If you take insulin for your diabetes, check before each meal and at bedtime.

Your doctor may ask you to check your blood glucose level at other times as well.

Check any time you feel like your sugar is too high or too low.

How do you feel if your blood glucose is low?

Sweaty, shaky, fast heart - beat, dizzy, headache, not thinking clearly, hungry, tired, blurred vision, confused, moody or angry.

How to treat low blood glucose 

First eat 15 g of fast acting carbohydrate such as 

½ cup fruit juice

1 cup skimmed milk

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

A sweet

Then, test your blood glucose.

Test your blood glucose again in 15 minutes.

If sugar is not over 70 mg/dl, eat another 15 gm of fast acting carbohydrate.

Eat some protein and carbohydrate as soon as you can to stop from going low again. Try eating half a sandwich of peanut butter, meat or chicken or have your next meal or the meal you missed.

How do you feel if your sugar is high?

Increased urination, increased thirst, tired, blurred vision, dry skin/dry mouth.

What to do if you think you have high blood glucose.

Check your blood glucose as soon as you can.

Some tips to help you keep blood glucose low 

• Eat 3-4 small meals a day.
• Eat your main meals 4 -5 hours apart.
• Do not skip meals.
• Eat less food.
• Avoid the second helping.
• Do not snack between meals.
• Do not drink fruit juice, sodas or sweet tea but drink calorie free liquids such as unsweetened tea or coffee, or just plain water.
• Avoid foods high in sugar such as cake, pie, sweetened cereals, honey, jam, jelly.
• Do not add sugar to food.

At MVH, we advise all people with diabetes to manage their diabetes well so that they can live a normal span of life in perfect health.