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How to test your blood sugar
How to test your blood sugar -- Posted by Gumbo on 11-09-04 17:58
How to test your blood sugar
Monitoring your blood sugar level at home will take the guesswork out of
your daily diabetes care. You will know what your blood sugar level is at
the time of testing. Here is a simple way to get started monitoring your
blood sugar at home.
Get organized
Before you start testing your blood sugar:
a.. Talk with your doctor about how often and when you should test your
blood sugar. Use the blood sugar testing times form to record this
information.
http://my.webmd.com/NR/internal.asp?GUID={D4D6AB82-EFAB-4EAA-863C-21959270E729}#aa95576
a.. Link testing your blood sugar with other daily activities, such as
preparing breakfast. This will help you establish the habit of self-testing.
b.. Use the list of supplies to gather the things you need to test your
blood sugar. Keep your supplies together so that you can do a test quickly
if you need to.
(list of supplies
http://my.webmd.com/NR/internal.asp?GUID={84390178-FEB7-43F8-B53B-0CCFC0F3ADDD}#aa19777)
a.. Check your equipment before doing each test.
a.. Check the expiration date on your testing strips. If you use test
strips after the expiration date on the bottle, you may not get accurate
results.
b.. Make sure the code numbers on the testing strips bottle match the
numbers on your meter. If the numbers do not match, follow the directions
that come with your meter for changing the code numbers.
c.. Check the accuracy of your meter's results. Use the sugar control
solution that is made by your meter's manufacturer. Follow the directions
that came with your meter for using the control solution properly.
b.. At regular intervals, properly care for your equipment. Put a copy of
the care of blood sugar supplies with your bag or kit to remind you.
(http://my.webmd.com/NR/internal.asp?GUID={34D7FCF4-2706-4524-8A53-24231AD82
F35}#aa19816)
Do the test
Some people with diabetes test their blood sugar rarely or not at all. Other
people test it several times a day. If you are pregnant and taking insulin,
testing your blood sugar often is very important. The more often you test
your blood sugar, the more you will know about how well your treatment is
keeping your blood sugar within a safe range.
Follow these steps when you test your blood sugar.
1.. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water and dry them well with a clean
towel.
2.. Put a clean needle (lancet) in the lancet device. The lancet device is
a pen-sized holder for the lancet. It holds and positions the lancet and
controls how deeply the lancet goes into your skin.
3.. Get a test strip from your bottle of testing strips. Put the lid back
on the bottle immediately to prevent moisture from affecting your other
strips.
4.. Get your blood sugar meter ready. Follow the manufacturer's
instructions for your specific meter.
5.. Use the lancet device to stick the side of your fingertip with the
lancet. Some devices and blood sugar meters allow blood testing on other
parts of the body, such as the forearm. Be sure you know where your device
can be used.
6.. Put a drop of blood on the correct spot of the test strip, covering
the test area well.
7.. Using a clean cotton ball, apply pressure to the place where you stuck
to stop the bleeding.
8.. Wait for the results. Some meters take only a few seconds to give you
the results.
Record the results
Recording your blood sugar results is very important. Your doctor will use
your record to see how often your blood sugar levels have been in a safe
range and to determine when your medication (insulin or pills) for diabetes
needs to be adjusted. Be sure to take your record with you on each visit to
your doctor or diabetes educator.
To record your results, you can:
a.. Get printed blood sugar logs from companies that make diabetic
medications and supplies.
b.. Make a blood sugar log in a notebook. You can record other information
in the log or notebook, such as insulin doses, your exercise, and what you
have eaten.
c.. Use your blood sugar meter, if it is capable. Some blood sugar meters
can store from 10 to more than 100 blood sugar results. Some meters are able
to calculate your average blood sugar for a period of time, such as over a
day or a week. Also, some manufacturers of blood sugar meters make computer
programs that can use the results from your meter to show patterns in how
your blood sugar level changes.
Preventing sore fingers
The more often you test your blood sugar, the more likely you are to have
sore fingertips. Here are some tips to help prevent sore fingers.
a.. Do not prick the tip of your finger. If you do, the prick will be more
painful and you may not get enough blood to do the test accurately. Also, do
not prick your toes to get a blood sample. This can increase your risk of
developing a dangerous infection in your foot. Always prick the side of your
finger.
b.. Don't squeeze your fingertip. If you have trouble getting a drop of
blood large enough to cover the test area of the strip, hang your hand down
below your waist and count to 5. Then squeeze your finger beginning closest
to your hand and moving outward to the end of your finger.
c.. Use a different finger each time. Establish a pattern for which finger
you stick so that you will not use some fingers more than others. If a
finger becomes sore, avoid using it to test your blood sugar for a few days.
d.. Use a different device. Two new blood sugar meters use lancet devices
that can get a blood sample from sites other than the fingers, such as the
forearm. If you are having trouble with sore fingers, you may want to get
one of these new meters.
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