How to Test Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar tests are done to determine your glucose levels, which will then guide you on how much insulin you should take every meal, how exercise and diet affect your glucose levels and most importantly, if your glucose levels are healthy or normal. Most diabetics take their blood sugar tests at least once a day and for others, blood sugar testing also determines your diabetes risk, hypoglycemia risk and hyperglycemia risk. We’ll be discussing how to test your own blood sugar with a home blood testing kit. Here’s how:
What You Need
Blood glucose meter
Testing strips. Make sure that your testing strips match the model of the meter.
Sugar control solution. Keep in mind that each meter requires a specific sugar solution.
Lancets/needle
Lancet device
Clean cotton balls
Alcohol
Warm water
Soap
Buying a Kit
When buying your own home blood testing kit, take note of the following:
The expiration date of the testing strips, usually printed on the bottle. Expired strips give inaccurate results.
Make sure that the number on the meter are the same with the number on the testing strip. If they do not, there should be instructions on how you can change the number on the meter to change the code number.
Find the detailed instructions that come with the kit, and follow them exactly.
You can check the accuracy of the meter’s results by comparing them with the control sugar solution that comes with the kit. Follow the directions exactly and determine the accuracy of your results.
Testing Your Blood Sugar
You don’t always have to undergo a whole-day fast prior to taking your blood sugar test. Typically, whole-day fasts are only done when you are performing the blood test to check for autoimmune diseases, your blood cholesterol level, when you are checking for your blood glucose and the first test came out in abnormal levels and iron tests.
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water. Dry with a clean towel.
Put a bit of alcohol and wipe it on the testing site.
Insert the lancet or the needle, into the lancet device. The lancet device is a pen-like holder that helps you position the lancet to control steady and control the lancet from going too deeply.
Take a testing strip from the bottle and quickly cover the bottle again, as humidity in testing strips can affect the results. Insert the strip into the meter. Some home testing kits offer testing strips already inserted into meters.
Follow the kit’s instructions on how to prepare the blood sugar meter.
Stick the lancet into the side of your fingertip, enough to draw a drop of blood out. Don’t squeeze your finger to coax blood out.
Put the blood drop on the indicated area of the test strip.
Use a clean cotton ball to hold against the pierced area. Apply a mild pressure to help stop the bleeding.
Follow the instructions of the meter in getting the blood sugar test results. This will only take a short time.
Write down the results of your test, including the time of day that you took the test.
When taking the blood result tests to your doctor, it’s always best to a list of what you ate that day and any medication you’ve been taking within 30 days of the test.
If your blood sugar levels are high, you may want to read our guide on how to control your blood sugar.