Health
Checking
Blood Glucose
Monitoring your
blood sugar (also called glucose) level can help you take
better care of your diabetes. Checking your blood sugar
will help you learn how food, activity levels, stress,
medicine and insulin change your blood sugar level. This
information will help you stay healthy and prevent or delay
diabetic complications such as blindness and kidney
failure. This handout will give you some tips on monitoring
your blood sugar level.
What
supplies do I need?
You will need a glucose meter, alcohol pads, and sterile
finger lancets and test strips. Check with your health
insurance plan to see if they will pay for these supplies.
They are also available at Ramirez
Pharmacy.
How do I pick a glucose
meter?
Check with your health insurance plan to see if they will
pay for your glucose meter. If so, your plan may
only pay for a certain meter.
If your insurance plan doesn't pay for glucose meters, ask
your doctor which meters he or she recommends.
Shop around and compare costs. Consider what features are
important to you. For example, some meters are made for
people who have poor eyesight. If you want to pay a little
more money, you can get a meter that stores the results in
its memory. This allows you to compare results from
several days at one time. Other meters can be hooked up to
your computer to analyze your results.
How do I measure my blood sugar level?
Follow your doctor's advice and the instructions that come
with your glucose meter. In general, you will follow
the steps below. Different glucose meters work differently,
so be sure to check with your doctor for advice
specifically for you.
1. Wash your
hands and dry them well before doing the test.
2. Use an alcohol pad to clean the area that you're going
to prick. With many glucose meters, you get a drop of
blood from your fingertip. However, with some meters, you
can also use your forearm, thigh or the fleshy part of
your hand. Ask your doctor what area you should use
with your meter.
3. Prick yourself with a sterile lancet to get a drop of
blood. (If you prick your fingertip, it may be easier and
less painful to prick it on one side, not on the pad.)
4. Place the drop of blood on the test strip.
5. Follow the instructions for inserting the test
strip into the glucose meter.
6. The meter
will give you a number for your blood sugar
level.