Blood Sugar Control
Answers to common questions about blood sugar control.
Questions on this page
What should my blood sugar be?
Your target should be individualised.
It depends on your age, type of diabetes, medicines, pregnancy status, other illnesses and risk of hypoglycaemia.
Is fasting sugar more important than after-meal sugar?
Both matter.
Some people have mainly high fasting glucose, while others have significant after-meal glucose elevations.
Your doctor should look at the overall glucose pattern.
Why is my fasting sugar high but my HbA1c normal?
A single glucose value and HbA1c measure different aspects of glucose control.
The pattern over time is more useful than one isolated reading.
Why is my sugar high after eating?
Possible reasons include:
- High carbohydrate intake
- Large meal portions
- Insufficient medication
- Delayed insulin action
- Insulin resistance
- Lack of physical activity
How often should I check my sugar?
It depends on the type of diabetes and treatment.
People taking insulin generally need more frequent monitoring than people who are not at risk of hypoglycaemia.
What is CGM?
CGM means continuous glucose monitoring.
A small sensor measures glucose continuously and shows glucose trends throughout the day.
CGM can be particularly useful for people using insulin and those who need more detailed information about glucose patterns. Diabetes Journals Reference
What is Time in Range?
Time in Range tells you how much of the day your glucose stays within your chosen target range.
It provides information that HbA1c alone cannot show.