How to Check Blood Sugar Levels
Our bodies are normally extremely efficient at monitoring and making adjustments to keep us healthy. However, sometimes our bodies fail us and things get out of check. One factor that the human body often has a difficult time controlling is blood sugar. Too high or low of levels can lead to serious problems. If you know that your body has a difficult time regulating glucose, it may be necessary to check your blood sugar levels.
Items Needed:
- Glucose meter
- Test strips
- Lancing device
- Sterile lancets
- Wash your hands with warm, soapy water to reduce the risk of infection as you will be puncturing your skin.
- Prepare the lancing device by inserting a new sterile lancet into the holder, adjusting the depth setting and cocking the device. A shallow prick will be less painful, but it may be more difficult to get enough blood.
- Insert a test strip into the glucose meter and turn it on.
- Lance your finger by holding the lancing device firmly against the side of your finger and depressing the button.
- Squeeze your finger around the prick site to form a round drop of blood. It is important that the blood does not smear or run. If it does, wipe your finger clean and squeeze to get a new drop of blood or lance your finger again in a new site.
- Touch the test strip to the drop of blood. It is important that the droplet is lined up with the narrow channel on the test strip so the blood can enter the channel. You should not push the test strip against your finger or the channel may not fill.
- Read your blood sugar levels on the screen of the glucose meter. Some meters will store your results in a memory bank so you can have a record of your blood glucose levels.
- Dispose of the test strip as directed by your area (some places may consider this biohazard waste) and place your used lancet in a sharps container.