If you already check your blood sugar at home, the most useful thing you can bring to an appointment is a clear, organized record: your readings, when you took them, what else was going on, your medicines, any symptoms, and your questions. This worksheet walks through each piece so your care team has what it needs to interpret your numbers. It does not tell you what your numbers mean or what to do about them. That conversation is for you and your clinician.
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Before You Start: What Your Readings Can and Cannot Tell You
Blood sugar changes throughout the day. The CDC notes that food choices, medicines, and physical activity all affect it, and that monitoring helps you and your team spot patterns and make decisions about your care plan. Your doctor tells you when and how often to check.
Two limits are worth knowing up front:
- Over-the-counter equipment such as a blood glucose meter cannot diagnose diabetes, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIDDK also says anyone with symptoms of diabetes, such as feeling thirsty and needing to urinate more often, should be tested. A clinician decides what testing you need.
- Target ranges are personal. The CDC lists general ranges for most non-pregnant people with diabetes (80 to 130 mg/dL before meals and below 180 mg/dL one to two hours after meals), but says your range may differ based on age, health status, and your management plan, and to follow your doctor's recommendations.
The Appointment Worksheet
1. Your Readings
Most meters save your results, and some use a phone app. The CDC says a written record works too. Bring whichever you use so your team can review your results.
- Date and time of each reading
- The number shown on your meter or device
- Which device you used
2. Timing and Context
A number means more when your team knows the circumstances. The CDC suggests keeping notes about anything that might have affected a reading. Consider writing down:
- Whether the reading was before a meal or after one, and roughly how long after
- What and when you last ate, including any skipped or delayed meals
- Physical activity, especially anything beyond your usual routine (NIDDK notes that extra activity can lower blood glucose for up to 24 hours afterward)
- Alcohol, illness, or a day when you could not eat normally
- Medicine timing on that day
3. Medicines and Products
List everything you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter products, and supplements, with the dose and the time of day. NIDDK explains that insulin and some other diabetes medicines can lower blood glucose, and suggests asking your team whether any of your diabetes medicines can do so. A complete list helps your clinician answer that.
4. Symptoms
Write down what you noticed and when, even if it seems minor. NIDDK says symptoms of low blood glucose can come on quickly, vary from person to person, and include feeling shaky, hungry, tired, dizzy, confused, or irritable, having a fast or unsteady heartbeat, or a headache. It also notes that low blood glucose can occur during sleep, with signs such as nightmares, damp sheets, or waking up tired or confused. Note anything like this, along with any symptoms you associate with high readings, and the time each occurred.
5. Equipment and A1C
- Ask your team to show you how your meter works, and ask whether someone else in your life should learn to use it in case you are sick and cannot check yourself (a CDC suggestion).
- Do not share monitoring equipment, especially lancets, even with family (CDC).
- Test strips can be damaged by moisture, humidity, or extreme temperatures, so ask about proper storage (CDC).
- Ask how your home readings fit with your A1C test. The CDC explains that A1C reflects your average over roughly the past three months, does not replace home monitoring, and that most people with diabetes have it tested at least twice a year, sometimes more often. Several factors can make A1C less accurate, including anemia, kidney or liver problems, certain blood disorders, some medicines, and pregnancy. Tell your doctor if any apply.
6. Questions to Ask
The first four come from the CDC. The rest are prompts based on the sections above.
- What is my target blood sugar range?
- How often should I check my blood sugar?
- What do these blood sugar numbers mean?
- How can I improve or maintain my blood sugar levels?
- What number counts as low for me?
- Can any of my medicines cause low readings?
- Which readings or symptoms should make me call you, and how quickly?
- How often should I have an A1C test?
- Is diabetes self-management education and support available, and can you refer me? (The CDC says to ask your doctor for a referral.)
When to Seek Help Sooner
Do not wait for a scheduled appointment if something feels wrong. NIDDK describes severe low blood glucose as dangerous, noting it can cause loss of consciousness or seizures and needs to be treated right away, and its guidance to family and friends includes calling 911. Ask your care team in advance which readings or symptoms should prompt a call, and write their answer on this page.
Limits of This Article
This is general educational information drawn from public health sources. It cannot account for your diagnosis, medicines, age, pregnancy status, or health history, and it does not replace advice from a licensed clinician. The NIDDK pages cited here were last reviewed in 2021 and 2022, and NIDDK states that its site content is not being updated regularly, so ask your team about current recommendations. For how this publication works, see our Editorial Standards, Non-Affiliation Notice, and Medical Disclaimer.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monitoring Your Blood Sugar. Last updated May 15, 2024.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A1C Test for Diabetes and Prediabetes. Last updated May 15, 2024.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diabetes Tests & Diagnosis. Last reviewed July 2022.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia). Last reviewed July 2021.
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