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Blood glucose Tests
Symptoms of Low or High Blood glucose
Being aware of the symptoms of low or high blood glucose can help you understand your test results and
decide what to do if they seem unusual.
Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia): Symptoms of hypoglycemia may include, but are not limited to, anxiety,
shakiness, sweating, headache, increased hunger, dizziness, pale skin color, sudden change in mood or
irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, clumsiness, palpitations, and/or confusion.
High blood glucose (hyperglycemia): Symptoms of hyperglycemia may include, but are not limited to, increased
thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, drowsiness, and/or unexplained weight loss.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or other unusual symptoms, test your blood glucose from the
fingertip. If your blood glucose result is displayed as LO or HI, follow your healthcare professional’s instructions
or contact your healthcare professional immediately. If your blood glucose result does not match how you feel,
follow the steps under Chapter 4, Unusual Blood Glucose Results.
Comparing Your Meter result to a Laboratory result
A common question is how the blood glucose results on the meter compare to the laboratory results. Your blood
glucose can change quickly, especially after eating, taking medication, or physical activity. If you test yourself in
the morning, then go to your healthcare professional’s office for a blood glucose test, your test results will
probably not match, even if you are fasting. This is typically not a problem with the meter, it just means that
time has elapsed and your blood glucose level has changed.
Although you always apply fresh capillary whole blood to the test strip, the system has been calibrated to
deliver plasma-like values for easier comparison to laboratory results.
If you want to compare your meter result to the laboratory result,
you must be fasting
. Take the meter to your
healthcare professional’s office and test yourself by fingerstick within 5 minutes of having blood drawn from
your arm by a healthcare professional. Keep in mind that the laboratory uses different technology than the
meter and that blood glucose meters for self-testing generally read somewhat lower than the laboratory result.
WArNINg
The meter is designed to provide a numerical value for blood glucose in the range of 20–600 mg/dL. If you
receive a numerical value below 20 mg/dL or above 600 mg/dL and it does not match how you feel, contact
the ACCU-CHEK Customer Care Service Center toll-free at 1-800-858-8072.
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