Managing Type 1 Diabetes

Blood Glucose Monitoring for Type 1 diabetes:

Insulin that is injected does not work as well as insulin produced by the body. In order to see how well injected insulin is working it is important to check blood glucose levels regularly; the more that is known about what blood glucose levels do at certain times of the day or night, during activity, after eating or drinking alcohol, when stressed or excited, before injections, the easier it is to control those levels and stay well.

If a person is on multiple injections a day, testing prior to meals and giving insulin can help make the decision on how much insulin to inject. Testing 2 hours after a meal is useful to show the effect of the food and how well the insulin, particularly the very short-acting insulin, is working.

A guide for people with Type 1 diabetes

• Testing at least three to four times a day is recommended. However many people with Type 1 diabetes do test more often, such as those using a pump (CSII – continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion).
• Test before breakfast (fasting), before lunch, before dinner and at bedtime.
• Test occasionally between 2a.m – 3a.m (overnight levels).
• Test 2 hours after any meal.

Test more often when you are:

• Being more physically active or less physically active.
• Sick or stressed.
• Experiencing changes in routine or eating habits eg: travelling.
• Changing or adjusting insulin.
• Experiencing symptoms of hypoglycaemia.
• Experiencing symptoms of hyperglycaemia.
• Experiencing night sweats or morning headaches.