Monitoring Diabetes
Not everyone with diabetes needs to monitor their blood glucose levels at home, but it is usually recommended for those using insulin, other injectable drugs or any medication that can cause hypos. Monitoring your blood glucose levels keeps your diabetes on track and reduces the risk of developing complications. Testing can give you a better understanding of how different foods and activities impact on your blood glucose levels.
You can monitor your blood glucose levels through a finger-prick test or by using continuous glucose (CGM) or flash glucose monitor.
A flash glucose monitor is a sensor usually worn on the arm, that records your glucose levels roughly every 5 minutes. You can scan the sensor with a reader whenever you want to.
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a device that continuously records the amount of glucose and is usually inserted in the stomach area.
Both systems measure the glucose levels in the fluid just under the skin, through a small cannula which can be inserted at home and needs changing every few days. There is a time delay between the real glucose in the blood and the glucose level under the skin, so you may still need to do finger-prick tests before deciding on an insulin dose or when treating a hypo. Glucose levels change most rapidly after eating or exercising. Flash glucose monitoring and CGM is usually only recommended for people with type 1 diabetes and availability and funding for these systems will vary; so seek guidance from your local healthcare provider.
HbA1c is your average blood glucose levels for the last 2-3 months. A high HbA1c result means that you have too much glucose in your blood. This is one of the diabetes care measures that you need to get at least once a year.
Have a look at the other care measures you should receive in the resource below. You can also find further resources about monitoring diabetes below.
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This page gives information about HbA1c and Time in Range (TIR) and how these are useful in monitoring diabetes.
This page gives information about HbA1c and Time in Range (TIR) and how these are useful in monitoring diabetes.
This resource explains how physical activity affects your blood glucose and what you should bear in mind before you start exercising.
Real time continuous glucose monitoring is a method of continually measuring the glucose levels within the interstitial fluid.
There are a number of factors that can affect your blood glucose levels, particularly if you are on insulin. This resource explores some of the reasons that may be causing your high blood glucose levels.
There are a number of factors that can affect your blood glucose levels, particularly if you are on insulin. This resource explores some of the reasons that may be causing your high blood glucose levels.
This page explains what blood glucose testing is and why it is required for people with diabetes. It covers what the numbers mean, how to control your blood glucose level, and how and when to test your blood glucose.
There are a number of factors that can affect your blood glucose levels, particularly if you are on insulin. This resource explores some of the reasons that may be causing your high blood glucose levels.
This course provides information about continuous glucose monitoring and the Freestyle libre. It is aimed at anyone diagnosed with type 1 diabetes that is using or would like to start using a continuous glucose monitor.
This course, “Getting Started with Dexcom”, is an introductory course that provides information about glucose monitoring using a Dexcom device.
This page explains how you can use continuous glucose monitoring systems to help improve diabetes control.
