The best way to find out how well you are taking care of your diabetes is to check your blood to see how much glucose is in it.

If your blood has too much or too little glucose, you may need a change in your meal plan, exercise plan, or medicine.

Ask your doctor how often you should check your blood glucose. Some people check their blood glucose once a day. Others do it three or four times a day. You may check before eating, before bed, and sometimes in the middle of the night.

Your doctor or diabetes educator will show you how to check your blood using a blood glucose meter. Your health insurance or Medicare may pay for the supplies and equipment you need.

Urine Tests

You may need to check your urine if you're sick or if your blood glucose is over 240. A urine test will tell you if you have ketones in your urine. Your body makes ketones when there isn't enough insulin in your blood. Ketones can make you very sick. Call your doctor right away if you find ketones when you do a urine test. You may have a serious condition called ketoacidosis. If it isn't treated, it can cause death. Signs of ketoacidosis are vomiting, weakness, fast breathing, and a sweet smell on the breath. Ketoacidosis is more likely to develop in people with type 1 diabetes.

You can buy strips for testing ketones at a drug store. Your doctor or diabetes educator will show you how to use them.

The A1C Test

Another test for blood glucose, the A1C, also called the hemoglobin A1C test, shows what your overall blood glucose was for the past 3 months. It shows how much glucose is sticking to your red blood cells. The doctor does this test to see what your blood glucose is most of the time. Have this test done at least twice a year.

Ask your doctor what your A1C test showed. A result of under 7 usually means that your diabetes treatment is working well and your blood glucose is under control. If your A1C is 8 or above, it means that your blood glucose may be too high. You'll then have a greater chance of getting diabetes problems, like kidney damage. You may need a change in your meal plan, exercise plan, or diabetes medicine.

Talk with your doctor about what your target should be. Even if your A1C is higher than your target, remember that every step toward your goal helps reduce your risk of diabetes problems.

Keep Daily Records

Print and make copies of the daily diabetes record page. Then write down the results of your blood glucose checks every day. You may also want to write down what you ate, how you felt, and whether you exercised.

By keeping daily records of your blood glucose checks, you can tell how well you're taking care of your diabetes. Show your blood glucose records to your health care team. They can use your records to see whether you need changes in your diabetes medicines or in your meal plan. If you don't know what your results mean, ask your health care team.

Things to write down every day in your record book are

• results of your blood glucose checks
• your diabetes medicines: times and amounts taken
• if your blood glucose was very low
• if you ate more or less food than you usually do
• if you were sick
• if you found ketones in your urine
• what kind of exercise you did and for how long