# My blood glucose test came back as 3.8. What does this mean?



## sereng5 (Nov 25, 2019)

I have the pretty much all symptoms for diabetes and I’m not sure what my test results mean. The doctor mainly focused on my stomach pain which is not my main problem, and I want to test my blood sugar again just to make sure. I also do not know what 3.8 means on the blood sugar scale, the doctor said it was fine but I could get worse.


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## Bruce Stephens (Nov 25, 2019)

3.8 or 38? (Or 3.8%?)


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## sereng5 (Nov 25, 2019)

Bruce Stephens said:


> 3.8 or 38? (Or 3.8%?)


It just had 3.8 on the glucose meter.


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## Ralph-YK (Nov 25, 2019)

sereng5 said:


> 3.8


Is this a finger prick test? Drop of blood on a strip and instant number?
Have you had an HbA1c test done? Does you're question mean you haven't been diagnosed?

People's blood glucose goes up and down throughout the day, and from day to day. One finger prick test on it's own doesn't always tell you much. However a 3.8 on that is a lower reading. An untreated diabetic is likely to be higher than that.


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## Bruce Stephens (Nov 25, 2019)

sereng5 said:


> It just had 3.8 on the glucose meter.



Ah! OK, that's in the normal range, I believe. For someone with diabetes that would be (just) hypoglycaemia (which is anything below 3.9 mmol/L). But such meters have an error range so 3.8 is fine regardless; I might eat something with such a reading, and I'd certainly not want to run for the bus right after such a reading, but it's otherwise fine.


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## sereng5 (Nov 25, 2019)

Ralph-YK said:


> Is this a finger prick test? Drop of blood on a strip and instant number?
> Have you had an HbA1c test done? Does you're question mean you haven't been diagnosed?
> 
> People's blood glucose goes up and down throughout the day, and from day to day. One finger prick test on it's own doesn't always tell you much. However a 3.8 on that is a lower reading. An untreated diabetic is likely to be higher than that.


It was a finger prick test and I have not been diagnosed. Also, no I have not done a HbA1c test done yet, but they did tell me that if the medication for my stomach pain doesn't help they'll have to do one.


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## sereng5 (Nov 25, 2019)

Bruce Stephens said:


> Ah! OK, that's in the normal range, I believe. For someone with diabetes that would be (just) hypoglycaemia (which is anything below 3.9 mmol/L). But such meters have an error range so 3.8 is fine regardless; I might eat something with such a reading, and I'd certainly not want to run for the bus right after such a reading, but it's otherwise fine.


Oh okay. Thank you!


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