1.Why should we test blood sugar
Diet management, exercise therapy, medications and proper handling of stimuli are key to achieving normal blood sugar.
Those who keep their blood glucose within the target range feel more energetic, appear healthier and take better control of their lives.
Self-checking your blood glucose levels will provide you with the information you need to manage your diabetes more effectively. Without regular blood glucose measurements, you won’t know if your diet, exercise and medication are working or when to change your treatment plan.
Don’t judge your disease based on how good or bad you feel. A person with higher than normal blood sugar may feel good, but if the blood sugar is in an uncontrolled state for a long time, the risk of various serious complications will be greatly increased.
2.What is the basic basis for testing blood sugar
How often to measure blood glucose is determined by the following factors
The type of diabetes you are suffering from
The dose and number of medications you use
The fluctuation of blood glucose during the day should increase the number of blood glucose tests when
You are sick or in a stimulated state
When there is a significant change in your diet, sleep and activity habits
The routine protocol for blood glucose testing is listed on the card below. See your doctor or diabetes educator to develop a proper protocol for you. In addition to recommending the protocol listed on the card below, your doctor will also tell you how often to test your blood sugar.
3. How do I test my blood glucose for Type I diabetes?
If you are on a minimal treatment regimen: If you inject insulin once or twice a day and make fewer dose adjustments, test your blood sugar at least once a day, preferably twice a day, usually before breakfast and lunch: your daily markers are sufficient to avoid symptoms caused by high or low blood sugar.
If you are on a general treatment regimen: If you are injecting mixed insulin twice a day and are on a regular insulin dose regimen, you should test your blood glucose once before breakfast, once before dinner and once before bedtime: your goal is to avoid symptoms caused by high or low blood glucose.
For those who adopt intensive treatment program: If you need to inject insulin 3 to 4 times a day, or use insulin pump treatment, and adjust insulin dose regularly, you must test blood sugar once before three meals and once before bedtime, and your goal is to control blood sugar at near normal level.
4.How to test blood glucose in type 2 diabetes?
In the beginning, test your blood sugar four times a day, that is, once before three meals and once before bedtime. The pre-meal check helps you understand how much time it takes for your blood sugar to drop before the next meal.
When your blood glucose is maintained at a stable level, it is feasible to test before breakfast 3-7 times during the week.
Repeat the blood glucose test before three meals and at bedtime for one to three days a month to compare these values with the previous results.
5.How to conduct blood glucose test?
Blood glucose testing is easy, fast and convenient = no matter when and where you are, you can test yourself in 1 minute or less each time. You can use test strips or small hand-held electronic blood glucose meter or just test strips to test.
The results of the electronic test are accurate and reliable. One drop of blood is placed on a special test strip. The blood glucose meter (the size of a pocket calculator) will automatically test and display the blood glucose value.
The test strip needs to compare the color of the test strip after the drop of blood and the color listed in the color chart to get an approximate blood glucose value.
6.How is the blood glucose detector classified?
There are two types of blood glucose testers, which have the function of detecting blood glucose. The two have differences in price, operation method and some special performance.
Need to wipe test and time limit type: this type of tester requires you to put a drop of blood on the test strip, then swipe or wash it off, then insert it into the tester, and require a certain amount of time to complete each step of the poly.
No wipe test no time limit type: This type of tester does not need to wipe off the blood drop and does not require the user to time the test, thus reducing the chance of error. Simply place a drop of blood on the test strip and the meter will automatically display the blood glucose value in less than one minute.
Most health care providers recommend the no-wipe test special time-limited type of testers because they are easier to use and the results are more accurate.
7. How to choose a blood glucose meter
There are some special features to consider: One type of blood glucose meter has a memory function that stores the results of your blood glucose test. Some meters can store hundreds of test results as well as the corresponding date and time. Some can even store the results in categories, such as before breakfast, after exercise, etc.
Help and education services: Some manufacturers offer 24-hour customer service, replacement meters and free instruction on how to use your blood glucose meter.
Ask your doctor or diabetes educator which test is best for you.
8. What is an acceptable blood glucose level?
The normal blood glucose range should be 3.9 to 6.1 mmol/L before meals and less than 7.8 mmol/L 2 hours after meals.
The blood glucose range to be achieved varies from person to person. Your doctor will help you set an ideal blood glucose control range. The following are some guidelines.
For those on an intensive treatment regimen: blood glucose should be controlled between 3.9 and 7.0 mmol/L before meals and below 8 mmol/L 2 hours after meals; glycosylated hemoglobin should be controlled at 6.5% or less.
Those on the general treatment program: Blood glucose should be controlled between 4.4 and 8.9 mmol/L before meals, less than 10 mmol/L 2 hours after meals, and glycosylated hemoglobin within 7%.
Pregnant women with diabetes: Pre-meal should be 3.9~5.6mmol/L, 2 hours after meal should be less than 6.6mmol/L, and glycosylated hemoglobin should be controlled within the normal range.
Note: Glycosylated hemoglobin measurement reflects the average blood glucose level before 60 days
9.What is ketone body
When there is too little insulin, the body cannot use glucose to provide energy, and then it can only break down fat for energy. Your body then produces ketone bodies (a class of acidic substances) and they are released into the blood and urine. Ketone bodies are produced when people with type I diabetes do not inject enough insulin, especially if they are sick or under some kind of stimulus.
10. Why test for ketone bodies
Ketone bodies alert people that their diabetes is out of control
Large amounts of ketone bodies build up in the blood leading to diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency. If your ketone bodies are moderately elevated and your blood sugar exceeds 240 ml/dl, you should go to the hospital immediately.
11. When should I test for ketone bodies?
Whenever your blood glucose level exceeds 15 mmol/L, you should test for urinary ketone bodies. If ketone bodies are moderately and significantly elevated and your blood glucose level is greater than 15 mmol/L, you should begin to act as you would if you were ill (Card 65-66) and should seek immediate medical attention.
12. How do I test for ketones?
You can use a ketone test strip. To use them, place the test strip in the urine stream and compare the color change that appears on the strip with the color chart on the test strip bottle.
13. Is the treatment of diabetes an individual matter?
No. The treatment of diabetes relies on a collective effort.
You yourself
The most important member of this collective is yourself.
The treatment plan proposed for you by your health care team should be followed and you should be able to meet with your health care team members on a regular basis.
Your doctor
Be in contact with a physician experienced in the treatment of diabetes to assess your health status, provide treatment options, and guide the supervision of your entire diabetes treatment plan.
Care Missionaries
Get in touch with a nurse who has expertise in diabetes education and individual care to help you.
Dietitian
In contact with a dietitian who has expertise in diabetes diet management. to develop a diet plan that is consistent with your lifestyle eating habits and is necessary for diabetes treatment.
Social worker or psychologist
A social worker, psychologist or counselor can help you learn to deal with the various stimulating situations that arise in your daily life and learn how to make lifestyle changes to help you better manage your diabetes.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists can tell you about the role of drugs that affect diabetes control and how they interact with each other. c If you have multiple doctors prescribing treatment for you, communication with the pharmacist is especially important.
14. What are the things I should do to treat my diabetes?
Things that all diabetic patients must do
Keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) within the normal range as much as possible
Control blood pressure and lipid levels within normal limits
Follow a healthy eating plan
Participate in regular exercise
Learn more about managing your diabetes
All patients with type I diabetes must
Must take insulin to control blood sugar levels
Note for some type II diabetics.
Take insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic drugs to control blood sugar levels
Lose weight and learn ways to maintain an appropriate weight.
15. What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone that the body uses to convert sugar, starch and other foods into the energy necessary for daily life activities.
It is a hormone that the body uses to convert sugar, starch and other foods into energy necessary for daily life activities.
All people must rely on insulin to survive
Patients with type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin, so they need daily insulin injections.
Many people with type 1 diabetes can still produce insulin, but cannot use it well, so they sometimes need insulin therapy to control their blood sugar.
Until now, insulin has worked well only when given by injection or insulin pump.
Most patients need 2 or more insulin injections per day and use 2 types of insulin (e.g., medium-acting insulin (NPH) and rapid-acting insulin).
16.How to choose insulin and treatment plan?
There are various types of insulins and treatment regimens. It is important that patients using insulin should understand how insulin works, what factors can affect its action and which regimen is most appropriate for them.
Know the following about the insulin you are using
Brand of insulin (manufacturer)
Source – animal or human
Action – short-acting, medium-acting or long-acting
Content – how many units per milliliter
Key note: Make sure the insulin you are using is the one prescribed by your doctor.
Insulin is measured in units
Each bottle of insulin contains lOml of liquid insulin
Most insulins contain 40, which means there are 40 units of insulin per 1 ml of injectable solution. Each 10 ml bottle should contain 400 units of insulin. In addition, there are insulins containing 100 units per ml and 1000 units per 10 ml bottle.
Sources of insulin: There are two different sources.
The insulin labeled “human” on the bottle is the same as the insulin produced by the human body, but it is not taken from the human pancreas, but synthesized by chemical methods.
Animal insulin is extracted from the pancreas of cattle or pigs, and either bovine or porcine insulin or a mixture of both can be prescribed for administration.
Insulin and choice of treatment regimen.
The effects (actions) of each vial of insulin are indicated in large print. The three types of insulin effects are.
Fast-acting insulin R or
Intermediate-acting insulin I L or
Long-acting insulin I
No one insulin is the best choice for all patients. A variety of different insulin combinations and regimens are available to provide insulin needs over a 24-hour period.
17. How do I choose a syringe?
Disposable (disposable injection syringes) are available in different capacity sizes and are commonly used.
Syringes that hold 40 units of insulin
5cc syringes can hold 50 units of insulin
3cc syringes can hold 30 units of insulin
25cc syringes can hold 25 units of insulin
To accurately draw insulin, choose the smallest syringe that will hold the dose you need. Be sure that the syringe you purchase matches the strength of insulin you need to inject. If you are injecting U-40 insulin, you should buy a U-40 insulin syringe.
18.How do I draw one type of insulin?
Some patients apply only one type of insulin per injection. Other patients may need a mixture of two types of insulin. Ask your doctor or nurse to teach you how to draw and inject insulin correctly.
Prepare the necessary supplies for the injection: insulin vial, syringe and cotton balls for sprinkling
Wash your hands
Hold the vial with both hands and roll it so that the contents are well mixed
Check the insulin carefully and discard any clusters of clumps.
Remove the plastic cap from the new bottle
Rub the rubber cap with an alcohol cotton ball
Suck out the air until the tip of the syringe plunger is level with the scale of the amount of insulin to be drawn
Pierce the syringe needle through the rubber cap
Fill the insulin bottle with air without moving the syringe and turn the bottle and syringe upside down
Pump the piston until the tip of the piston is level with the scale of the desired insulin unit
Look for air bubbles. If there are air bubbles in the syringe, pop the syringe with your finger to make the air bubbles float to the top of the syringe and inject the air bubbles into the bottle. If there are still bubbles, repeat the process until all the bubbles are removed.
19. How do I mix two types of insulin?
Ask your doctor or nurse to show you the correct way to mix two types of insulin.
Whether you are drawing clarified (rapid insulin) or mist (long-acting insulin), follow steps 1 to 7 of “Drawing one type of insulin”.
Suck air into the syringe to the desired dose of long-acting insulin (mist). Fill the vial with air, taking care that the needle does not touch the liquid.
Pulling out the syringe.
Aspirate air human syringe to the scale of the desired dose of rapid insulin and inject air into the clarified insulin bottle, keeping the syringe in this bottle and not pulling it out.
Turn the clarified insulin bottle and the injection syringe upside down and extract the required amount of rapid insulin.
Look for air bubbles. If there are air bubbles in the syringe, pop the syringe with your finger to make the air bubbles float to the top of the syringe and inject the air bubbles into the bottle. Then pull the plunger to the scale of the desired unit: look again to see if there are any more air bubbles, and if so, repeat the process until all the bubbles have been driven away.
Pulling the syringe out of the bottle.
inserting the needle into the bottle of misted liquid (long-acting insulin), turning the bottle and syringe upside down.
Draw the misted insulin to the scale of the final mixed dose. Mix a dose equal to the dose of clear clarified insulin (rapid insulin) plus the dose of misted insulin (long-acting insulin).
Removal of the needle from the vial of the mist solution.
(b) Immediately after preparation, the mixed insulin should be injected.
After the injection is completed, the dose of insulin used, the time and the injection site should be recorded
20.Where is the site of insulin injection?
Insulin can be injected at any of the sites shown in the figure below. The rate of insulin absorption into the blood varies slightly from site to site. Since the rate of insulin absorption varies with the site, it is generally recommended that the injection site be rotated within an area, with the abdomen being the most commonly used injection site.
Ask your doctor or nurse for more guidance
21.How do I inject insulin?
Select the injection site.
Clean the injection site with an alcohol cotton ball or water and soap and wait for it to dry.
Remove the needle cannula.
Pinch up at least nearly 1 inch of skin
stab the needle straight into the injection site (i.e., perpendicular to the injection site).
Push the syringe plunger to the end.
Relax the pinched skin.
Pull the needle out of the injection site without rubbing the injection site.
Dispose of used syringes and needles properly. Your doctor and diabetes educator will teach you how to do this.
22. Things to remember when using insulin.
Always inject the dose of insulin prescribed by your doctor, and only add additional insulin under the guidance of your physician
Inject insulin on time and with the same method each time, preferably rotating injection sites in the same area of the body
Record the dose, time and site of injection in your logbook
Look at the expiration date on the insulin bottle. The expiration date on the bottle should give you enough time to use the entire bottle of insulin
Insulin should remain stable at room temperature for at least one month. However, it will lose its effectiveness if it is left in too cold or too hot environment (below O degree Celsius or above 30 degree Celsius)
If possible, insulin vials should be kept in the refrigerator, but not frozen.
Regular insulin（R） should always be clear
Other types of insulin should be kept in a uniform mist similar to skim milk after mixing
23.What is an insulin syringe pump?
An insulin syringe pump is a small, battery-operated device that continuously delivers insulin to the body
The syringe pump contains a battery, motor and insulin supply cell
The syringe pump is connected to the body through a thin tube and a needle or soft cannula, and the injection site is rotated every 1 to 3 days
The insulin injected continuously is called the basal dose, and the dose injected before a meal is called the premeal dose.
Whether or not to use the syringe pump directly by you and your diabetes health care team to carefully discuss the decision
24. What must users of insulin syringe pumps be aware of?
It should be applied under the guidance of a physician who is familiar with the technical performance of insulin syringe pumps
Regularly check blood glucose levels
Be able to bear its cost