By complications, we mean serious problems in places like your feet and your eyes. This happens because too much sugar in the blood damages your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow around your body. This can lead to very serious problems like sight loss and needing an amputation.

Knowing all the facts and speaking to other people can help — contact our helpline or chat to others with diabetes on our online forum.

Watch our video and follow our simple steps on how to test your blood sugars in the right way and safely. New meters come on the market all the time, so it can be tricky choosing the right one.

If you have sight problems, you may not be able to use some meters so your healthcare team can suggest alternatives. Some people can get meters on prescription. But if you choose to buy your own meter, you might not get a prescription for the test strips it uses.

Chat to your healthcare team. If this happens to you, take it up with your GP practice. Finger-prick devices pierce the skin with a needle so that a drop of blood can be taken for testing. The needle is called a lancet. You can adjust the device to change how far it goes into the skin. Lancets come in different sizes and thicknesses or gauges.

A higher-gauge lancet is thinner so is normally less painful, but it might not always give you enough blood. More and more people with diabetes are choosing to use a flash glucose monitor to check their sugar levels. This is a blood sugar test without a needle.

Instead it uses a sensor you wear on your skin and you an do the test without pricking your finger. The main brand is called the FreeStyle Libre.

It measures the amount of sugar in the fluid surrounding your cells, called interstitial fluid. We've been campaigning to make this life-changing technology more easily available — check out our Fight for Flash campaign.

As well as regularly testing your own blood sugars, at least once a year your healthcare team will ask you to come in for an HbA1c blood test. This checks your average blood sugar levels over the last three months and helps your diabetes team and you spot trends over time.

A high HbA1c means you have too much sugar in your blood. So it's really important to have this test regularly so that you can make changes and reduce your risk of getting complications.

It may sound obvious, but you must record your readings. Note them down in a diary, a notebook or in your phone calendar. Some meters have software that lets you do this. You could try a diabetes app too. You and your healthcare team can then look back over your results to see if you need to adjust your treatment.

You might be asking, what's the normal range for blood sugar levels? The answer is, there is a healthy range that you should ideally be aiming for. The infographics above show the general guidelines, but your individual target range for your blood sugar levels may be different.

A mole is a scientific unit often used to measure chemicals. Hypos need to be treated immediately, otherwise your blood sugar levels will drop further. You may lose weight without having planned to, or feel numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.

If your blood sugar has already gotten very high, your body can't use sugar for energy, so it uses fat instead. This leads to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Your breath will smell fruity, like you've just eaten a fruit salad. Your breathing will get faster, and you may feel sick to your stomach.

Your doctor will test your blood sugar level to find out if you have type 1 diabetes. The test may be done when you haven't eaten anything, this is called a fasting blood glucose test. When you have type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin to replace what your body isn't making.

Insulin is only available as an injection, so you'll have to learn how to give yourself a shot each day or wear a pump that delivers insulin to your body continuously. Managing diabetes also means watching your diet so you don't get too much or too little sugar at once.

You also need to check your blood sugar levels regularly, and keep track of them over time. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease, but it's one you can control, and live with. The key to staying healthy with diabetes is partnering with your team of doctors.

Test your blood sugar at home, and have your doctor check your A1c levels at least every 3 to 6 months. This test shows how well you're controlling your blood sugar over time. Also visit your doctor for regular cholesterol, blood pressure, and kidney tests.

See an eye doctor at least once a year, and a dentist every 6 months. Also check your feet every day for skin sores that you might not be able to feel because of nerve damage. And see a podiatrist or your regular doctor for a foot exam twice a year.

If you're having any symptoms like fatigue, frequent urination, blurred vision, foot sores, numbness or tingling, or a fast heartbeat, call your doctor right away.

The catheter at the end of the insulin pump is inserted through a needle into the abdominal fat of a person with diabetes. Dosage instructions are entered into the pump's small computer and the appropriate amount of insulin is then injected into the body in a calculated, controlled manner.

In response to high levels of glucose in the blood, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas secrete the hormone insulin. Type I diabetes occurs when these cells are destroyed by the body's own immune system.

Various styles of insulin pumps may be utilized by people with diabetes to inject insulin into the body in a controlled, more convenient and discreet manner. The pancreas is located behind the liver and is where the hormone insulin is produced.

Insulin is used by the body to store and utilize glucose. People with diabetes are prone to foot problems because the disease can cause damage to the blood vessels and nerves, which may result in decreased ability to sense a trauma to the foot. The immune system is also altered, so that the person with diabetes cannot efficiently fight infection.

People with diabetes are at risk for blood vessel injury, which may be severe enough to cause tissue damage in the legs and feet.

Checking your blood sugar levels often and recording the results will tell you how well you are managing your diabetes so you can stay as healthy as possible. The best times to check your blood sugar are before meals and at bedtime.

Your blood sugar meter may have software to help you track your blood sugar level. This is usually available from the manufacturer's website. There are websites available to store your blood sugar data so your health care provider can access it more easily.

Ask your provider if this might help your diabetes be better controlled. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age. It is most often diagnosed in children, adolescents, or young adults.

Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas by special cells, called beta cells. The pancreas is below and behind the stomach. Insulin is needed to move blood sugar glucose into cells. Inside the cells, glucose is stored and later used for energy.

With type 1 diabetes, beta cells produce little or no insulin. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells.

This buildup of glucose in the blood is called hyperglycemia. The body is unable to use the glucose for energy. This leads to the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown.

It is an autoimmune disorder. This is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. In people with type 1 diabetes, an infection or another trigger causes the body to mistakenly attack the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin.

The tendency to develop autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, can be inherited from your parents. The following symptoms may be the first signs of type 1 diabetes. Or, they may occur when blood sugar is high.

For other people, these serious warning symptoms may be the first signs of type 1 diabetes. Or, they may happen when blood sugar is very high diabetic ketoacidosis :. Low blood sugar hypoglycemia can develop quickly in people with diabetes who are taking insulin. Watch for:. After many years, diabetes can lead to serious health problems, and as a result, many other symptoms.

Ketone testing is also used sometimes. The ketone test is done using a urine sample or blood sample. Ketone testing may be done to determine if someone with type 1 diabetes has had ketoacidosis.

Testing is usually done:. The following exams and tests will help you and your health are provider monitor your diabetes and prevent problems caused by diabetes:. Because type 1 diabetes can start quickly and the symptoms can be severe, people who have just been diagnosed may need to stay in the hospital.

If you have just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you may need to have a checkup each week until you have good control over your blood sugar.

Your health care provider will review the results of your home blood sugar monitoring and urine testing. Your provider will also look at your diary of meals, snacks, and insulin injections.

It may take a few weeks to match the insulin doses to your meal and activity schedules. As your diabetes becomes more stable, you will have fewer follow-up visits. Visiting your provider is very important so you can monitor any long-term problems from diabetes.

Your provider will likely ask you to meet with a dietitian, clinical pharmacist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist CDCES. These providers will also help you manage your diabetes. But, you are the most important person in managing your diabetes. You should know the basic steps of diabetes management, including:.

Insulin lowers blood sugar by allowing it to leave the bloodstream and enter cells. Everyone with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day. Most commonly, insulin is injected under the skin using a syringe, insulin pen, or insulin pump.

Another form of insulin is the inhaled type. Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because the acid in the stomach destroys insulin. Insulin types differ in how fast they start to work and how long they last. Your provider will choose the best type of insulin for you and will tell you at what time of day to use it.

Some types of insulin may be mixed together in an injection to get the best blood glucose control. Other types of insulin should never be mixed. Most people with type 1 diabetes need to take two kinds of insulin. Basal insulin is long-lasting and controls how much sugar your own body makes when you are not eating.

Meal-time bolus or prandial insulin is rapid acting and is taken with every meal. It lasts only long enough to help move the sugar absorbed from a meal into muscle and fat cells for storage.

Your provider or diabetes educator will teach you how to give insulin injections. At first, a child's injections may be given by a parent or another adult. By age 14, most children can give themselves their own injections. Inhaled insulin comes as a powder that is breathed in inhaled.

It is rapid acting and used just before each meal. Your provider can tell you if this type of insulin is right for you.

By testing your blood sugar level, you can learn which foods and activities raise or lower your blood sugar level the most. This helps you adjust your insulin doses to specific meals or activities to prevent blood sugar from becoming too high or too low. The American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have information for planning healthy, balanced meals.

It also helps to talk to a registered dietitian or nutrition counselor. Regular exercise helps control the amount of sugar in the blood. It also helps burn extra calories and fat to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Talk to your provider before starting any exercise program.

People with type 1 diabetes must take special steps before, during, and after physical activity or exercise. Checking your blood sugar level yourself and writing down the results tells you how well you are managing your diabetes.

Talk to your provider and diabetes educator about how often to check. To check your blood sugar level, you use a device called a glucose meter. Usually, you prick your finger with a small needle, called a lancet, to get a tiny drop of blood.

You place the blood on a test strip and put the strip into the meter. The meter gives you a reading that tells you the level of your blood sugar.

A continuous glucose monitor CGM measures your blood sugar level from fluid under your skin. These monitors are used mostly by people who also use insulin pumps to control their diabetes but they are often helpful for people not using an insulin pump.

Most monitors do not require a finger prick. Keep a record of your blood sugar for yourself and your health care team. This can often be done most easily using a website designed for this purpose.

These numbers will help if you have problems managing your diabetes. You and your provider should set a target goal for your blood sugar level at different times during the day. You should also plan what to do when your blood sugar is too low or high.

Talk to your provider about your target for the A1C test. This lab test shows your average blood sugar level over the past 3 months. It shows how well you are controlling your diabetes. Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. Keeping good control of your blood sugar can help prevent low blood sugar.

Talk to your provider if you're not sure about the causes and symptoms of low blood sugar.

Meanwhile, this study is just one of the many that have shown in recent years how CGM use helps increase your time-in-range. Glucose management is an important part of diabetes management. You should consult your endocrinologist and diabetes care team to best determine your glucose goals, based on your personal care plan.

A more advanced diabetes technology like a CGM may also be a discussion point with your doctor in achieving ideal glucose levels and a healthy time in range. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT — By Mike Hoskins on September 15, Target glucose goals Glucose levels What is normal? A1C results Vs. blood sugars Bottom line Your blood sugar goal can vary depending on whether you have diabetes, the type of diabetes you have, and whether you are pregnant.

What should your glucose levels be? Why do blood sugars matter in diabetes? Explore our top resources. What is a normal blood sugar level? Instead, try to not tie value judgments to these numbers. This can make it seem like diabetes defines them and all you see is their numbers.

Instead, try talking with them about their day and any highlights before moving into the diabetes discussion. Some people can get meters on prescription. But if you choose to buy your own meter, you might not get a prescription for the test strips it uses.

Chat to your healthcare team. If this happens to you, take it up with your GP practice. Finger-prick devices pierce the skin with a needle so that a drop of blood can be taken for testing. The needle is called a lancet. You can adjust the device to change how far it goes into the skin.

Lancets come in different sizes and thicknesses or gauges. A higher-gauge lancet is thinner so is normally less painful, but it might not always give you enough blood.

More and more people with diabetes are choosing to use a flash glucose monitor to check their sugar levels. This is a blood sugar test without a needle. Instead it uses a sensor you wear on your skin and you an do the test without pricking your finger.

The main brand is called the FreeStyle Libre. It measures the amount of sugar in the fluid surrounding your cells, called interstitial fluid. We've been campaigning to make this life-changing technology more easily available — check out our Fight for Flash campaign.

As well as regularly testing your own blood sugars, at least once a year your healthcare team will ask you to come in for an HbA1c blood test. This checks your average blood sugar levels over the last three months and helps your diabetes team and you spot trends over time.

A high HbA1c means you have too much sugar in your blood. So it's really important to have this test regularly so that you can make changes and reduce your risk of getting complications.

It may sound obvious, but you must record your readings. Note them down in a diary, a notebook or in your phone calendar. Some meters have software that lets you do this. You could try a diabetes app too.

You and your healthcare team can then look back over your results to see if you need to adjust your treatment. For the most reliable results, your doctor will give you the test in the morning after you have fasted for at least 8 hours.

Fasting means having nothing to eat or drink except sips of water. The A1C test is a blood test that provides your average levels of blood glucose over the last 3 months.

Other names for the A1C test are hemoglobin A1C, HbA1C, glycated hemoglobin, and glycosylated hemoglobin test. You can eat and drink before this test. Before using the A1C test to diagnose diabetes, your doctor will consider factors, such as whether you are in your second or third trimester of pregnancy or whether you have certain types of anemia or another problem with your blood.

Certain types of hemoglobin , called hemoglobin variants, can interfere with measuring A1C levels. Most A1C tests used in the United States are not affected by the most common variants. If your A1C test results and blood glucose levels do not match, your doctor should consider that the A1C test may not be a reliable test for you.

The higher the percentage is, the higher your average blood glucose levels are. Sometimes doctors use the random plasma glucose test to diagnose diabetes when you have symptoms of diabetes and they do not want to wait until you have fasted for 8 hours. You may have this blood test at any time.

If you are pregnant, your doctor might test you for gestational diabetes with the glucose challenge test. Another name for this test is the glucose screening test. In this test, a health care professional will take a sample of your blood 1 hour after you drink a sweet liquid containing glucose.

You do not need to fast for this test. The oral glucose tolerance test OGTT helps doctors detect type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes.

However, the OGTT is a more expensive test than the FPG test and the glucose challenge test, and it is not as easy to give. Before the test, you will need to fast for at least 8 hours.

A health care professional will take a blood sample to measure your glucose level after fasting. Next, you will drink a liquid that is high in sugar.

Another blood sample is taken 2 hours later to check your blood glucose level. If your blood glucose level is high, you may have diabetes. If you are pregnant, your blood will be drawn every hour for 2 to 3 hours. If your blood glucose levels are high two or more times during the OGTT, you may have gestational diabetes.

Each test to detect diabetes and prediabetes uses a different measurement. Usually, your doctor will use a second test to confirm you have diabetes.

The table below helps you understand what your test results mean if you are not pregnant. Ask your doctor what your test results mean. Treatment can depend on the type of diabetes you have, so knowing which type you have is important. Genetic testing can diagnose most forms of monogenic diabetes , which is caused by a change—or mutation—in a gene.

Anyone can have monogenic diabetes, but it is more common in babies who develop diabetes before they are 6 months old, some teens, and some young adults.

If you have diabetes, your doctor may look for certain autoantibodies to see if your diabetes is type 1.