You can be very good at blood sugar test and enjoy amazing bonuses, including precise outcomes and a pain-free experience.
What does it entail?
For diabetic patients, a functional and regular self-test of blood sugar level is important to know your glucose level and maintain it accordingly. Studies have shown in a survey of about 5,000 diabetic persons that even without diabetes medication, regular testing assured quality blood sugar control. Interestingly, a third of diabetes-related diseases like stroke, death, and kidney damage was lowered in those involved in this study.
How accurate your result will be is dependent on how precise you can check and how well you can interpret the numbers. Experts point out that people learn new things as they check their blood sugar themselves. It is advised that you take action after testing for diabetes and seek a solution to your health.
If you need your reading to be precise, you should know some errors in blood sugar testing and ways to not implement them.
1. Fingertip blood sugar test:
According to experts, one major error people make is to test the fingertip loaded with nerves. This is because this area has so much sensitivity, and it will cause pain.
What should you do instead? Open your hands flat and press them together – fingertips of opposite hands touching each other then test along the edges that you can see. The benefit of doing it this way is that less pain will be experienced since this part of the fingers doesn’t contact things.
2. Wrong cleaning of fingers:
When alcohol drys up, it can cause some pain, so avoid cleaning fingertips with alcohol, say experts. It is also wrong to lick your fingers to remove a test strip or not even cleaning your fingers in the first place. The fact is that anything present in your mouth or whatever you recently touched will stick to your fingers, and the test will certainly identify it. For example, if you were eating an apple, your test result will be high because it is the apple, not your blood tested.
A study publication of 2011 revealed that the blood from hands that were not washed had more than 10% difference in the level of blood sugar between the first and second drop, and this margin gets wider where the patient had just touched a fruit.
What should you do instead? Use warm water and soap to wash your hands and dry them very well before taking the test.
3. Dedicating one finger for every time you test:
Experts say people are fond of always giving one finger and one spot to be tested all the time. This is because people have a finger they like most, and the buildup of calluses makes it painless. However, switching fingers is more ideal.
What’s the better solution? Give a different finger for each time you get tested, say experts. The benefit of doing so is that it gives time for the initial finger to recover, and the discomfort caused by repeated pricks is prevented.
Should there be a general consistency in the blood sugar reading, you should consider testing other parts of your hand like the palms; it allows your fingers to rest. However, it might help to switch spots on the same finger as it won’t allow for tenderness.
4. Wrong use of blood testing supplies:
To reduce discomfort minimally and achieve a very precise outcome, get the appropriate materials for your blood sugar test, including lancets, a precise glucose meter, and manufacturer-recommended test strips. Doing the test the wrong way will not guarantee the best results. At first, lancets are very sharp but soon become dull and likely to cause pain should you want to use them again. Readings will not be precise if tests strips that are expired or improperly stored are used.
What’s the better solution? Let your lancet be a new one, store test strips in tight containers and be sure of their expiration date before use.
5. Misunderstanding your meter:
The glucose meter we have is highly advanced but easy to use these days. But you must ensure to monitor the precision of your meter from time to time and adhere to the manufacturer’s guide to avoid mistakes. Identify the special points, use and care of meters, and interpret error messages.
What’s the better solution? Talk to the healthcare provider for advice where you are unsure how the meter works.
6. Testing at the wrong time after meals:
You can manage diabetes well when you know the right time and why you should at that time. Most of the time, people take blood sugar tests 30 to 60 minutes after eating, which is earlier than the time recommendation from experts.
A blood sugar test done shortly after meals or snacking will produce very high outcomes.
What’s the better solution? Do a fasting blood sugar test, and before meals, take a test. Give yourself 2 hours after meals for a more accurate reading.
7. Blood sugar test without purpose:
Taking a blood sugar test following a schedule and not understanding the reading could be a total waste of test strips. The doctor may have asked that you test one time in the morning, before and after meals, and before you sleep. This schedule is great provided the result opens your eyes and you know the aim of testing. For example, the outcome recorded before you sleep and wake time has a relationship; however, you should know why and how this relationship is to help you adjust where needed.
What’s the better solution? Discuss your diabetes results and their meanings with your healthcare provider. Consider testing not as a follow-through routine but as a way to understand your body responses to alterations in sleep, activity, diet and medication.
For precise Blood tests in London to check sugar levels in your blood, book an appointment with us today.
