Constant control of glycemia (blood glucose level) is a prerequisite for maintaining the health of a person with diabetes. Know what blood glucose level you currently need in order to respond as quickly as possible to its output beyond the target indicators: change the diet, the amount or type of glucose- lowering drugs or insulin, eat in case of hypoglycemia (low glucose), etc.
Most diabetics measure their blood glucose at home, at work, or anywhere else with a glucometer . This is quite simple to do, but there are still certain rules that are important to follow in order for the glucometer to give you the most accurate result.
Rules for measuring blood glucose with a glucometer
1. All glucometers are accompanied by instructions – textual and in pictures – carefully study it.
Preparing hands for analysis :
2. If possible, wash your hands with warm water. This is important not only for hygiene, but also increases blood circulation – so the blood will come out of the puncture without additional pressure on the finger.
3. Dry your hands. The puncture site must be dry because the liquid dilutes the blood sample and can cause inaccurate meter readings.
Preparing the glucometer for analysis:
4. Remove one test strip and insert it into the appropriate hole on the meter (usually the side where you need to insert the strip into the meter is marked with black and white lines or in another way, see the instructions for your device).
5. Wait until a flashing blood drop appears on the meter screen. This will indicate that the meter is ready to measure.
We measure:
6. Take the piercing pen and make a puncture. Usually, to do this, you need to pull the upper piston on the handle, firmly attach it to the skin of your finger, and then press the needle release button. How to set the puncture depth – see the instructions for your piercing pen (for adults with normal skin, these are levels 2-3).
Important! It is better to pierce the finger a little from the side, and not in the center – the lateral part is better supplied with blood than the central part, and the skin is thinner there.
7. Squeeze out the first drop of blood and remove it with a dry cotton swab or tissue.
8. When the second drop of blood comes out, bring it to the edge of the test strip, where there is a window for blood sampling. The required amount of blood is drawn into the test strip automatically.
Important! Do not rub or squeeze your finger to get a large drop of blood. If this is done, the blood mixes with tissue fluid and fat, resulting in measurement errors.
9. Wait for the measurement results. This is usually 5 – 20 seconds, but some meters may take longer (it should be indicated in the instructions for the meter ).
can now remove the strip from the meter . It is not necessary to turn off the glucometer on purpose – it does this by itself after a few seconds or minutes of inactivity.
Other rules for handling the glucometer :
- if you doubt the veracity of the glucometer readings , first of all, replace the battery – when there is little charge left in it, the glucometer may still turn on, but already “lie”,
- The jar or container of test strips must always be tightly closed, otherwise the test strips will deteriorate. Also, test strips should not be transferred to other storage containers,
- never use the lancet from the lancing device after another person – it is always very dangerous for you!
Important! Always change the puncture site so that the previous one has time to recover.
To track the patterns of changes in glucose in your blood, write down the glucometer readings and the time of measurement in a special diabetic diary. So you may notice, for example, that you conditionally have high sugars for several days in a row before dinner – this may prompt the idea of reducing the amount of carbohydrates for breakfast or adding physical activity an hour after it. After all, diabetes is a serious but manageable disease.
If you have any questions about using the glucometer , be sure to write about it in the comments – we will find all the information you need! Be healthy!