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How to Check Glucose Without a Meter

If you have diabetes, it is important that you regularly check your blood-glucose levels. Although urine-glucose tests are not as accurate at blood-glucose checks, they can be used when blood testing is not possible. All patients with diabetes should know how to check their urine for ketones, especially when your diabetes is out of control. Ketones in your urine means that your body is using fat for energy rather than glucose. This means that not enough insulin is available to process glucose for energy.

Things You'll Need

  • Urine test strips
  • Urine-collection container
  • Notebook
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Instructions

  1. How to Check Your Urine for Ketones

    • 1

      Ask your doctor or nurse when you should check your urine for ketones. Occasions to watch for what could indicate elevated ketones include: when you feel nauseated, when you are sick from a cold or the flu, when you are thirsty all the time, when you feel tired all the time, when your skin is flushed, when your breath smells funny and when you feel like you’re in a fog.

    • 2

      Purchase urine test strips from your local pharmacy. These are available over the counter without a prescription. Make sure the strips are not outdated. Read the directions that come with the strips and follow them carefully.

    • 3

      Urinate into a clean urine container (available from your doctor or pharmacist). Put the strip in your urine sample (or you can pass it under your urine stream). Shake off the excess urine.

    • 4

      When the strip changes color, compare the strip to the color chart that came with the test strips. This will tell you the range of ketones that are in your urine.

    • 5

      Perform another test in a few hours if the test reveals that you have small amounts of ketones in your urine. This means that ketones are building up.

    • 6

      Contact your doctor immediately if the test reveals that you have moderate-to-large amounts of ketones in your urine. This can be dangerous; large amounts of ketones can poison the body.

    • 7

      Record the results of each test that you take and keep a dated log. Show the log to your doctor at each of your visits.

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