Testing Your Levels
The Why?
When you have diabetes, blood sugar testing is the most important thing you can do to feel your best and prevent long-term complications. Consider it an opportunity to take charge of your health.
Monitoring your blood sugar, also called glucose, level will help you take better care of your diabetes.
Checking your blood sugar will help you learn how food, activity levels, stress, medicine and insulin affect your blood sugar level. This information will help you stay healthy and prevent or delay diabetic complications such as blindness and kidney failure.
The How?
You will need a glucose meter, alcohol pads, sterile finger lancets and sterile test strips. Check with your health insurance plan to see if they will pay for these supplies.
To test your blood sugar, follow the instructions that come with your glucose meter. Here’s the basis:
- Always wash your hands with soap and warm water, then dry them well. That’s the first step.
- Remove a test strip from the container and replace the cap immediately to prevent damage to the strips.
- Insert the test strip into your meter.
- Place the tip of the special needle (lancet) on your finger or whatever part of body you will use to test. If you are using your finger, always stick the side of your finger, not the tip, so that you won’t have sore spots on the part of your finger you use the most.
- When you have a drop of blood, carefully touch the test strip to the blood (avoid touching your skin with the test strip) and wait for a reading.
- Within a few seconds, the meter will display your blood glucose level on a screen.
Your fingertips contain a lot of nerve endings, so make sure to rotate the sites where you stick your fingers. If you have a newer glucose meter, you’ll have the option to test your blood glucose from other sites, such as your forearm or thigh. But check with your doctor or diabetes educator first to find out if alternative site testing is appropriate in your case.
Your Glucose Level is so important
Let’s watch how they do it.