I will split this blog as otherwise it
will be too long. Because of the mistakes in this article at this link on WebMD, I will put my comments in red hereafter.
How and When to Test Your Blood
Sugar With Diabetes
Most people with diabetes need to check
their blood sugar (glucose) levels regularly. The results help you
and your doctor manage those levels, which helps you avoid diabetes
complications.
There are several ways to test your
blood sugar:
From Your Fingertip: You
prick your finger with a small, sharp needle (called a lancet) and
put a drop of blood on a test strip. Then you put the test strip
into a meter that shows your blood sugar level. You get results in
less than 15 seconds and can store this information for future use.
Some meters can tell you your average blood sugar level over a period
of time and show you charts and graphs of your past test results.
You can get blood sugar meters and strips at your local pharmacy.
This is not the
proper procedure for any meter and test strip I have come across.
First, you do not want to use a lancet by itself and if you really
want pain you can try it this way, but I don't recommend it. If you
wish to waste money and test strips, follow the directions above. My
meter requires the test strip be inserted into the slot and be read
by the meter before it is ready for the blood. While the meter reads
the test strip this is when you use the lancing device (with lancet inserted) to prick the
side of your finger at a setting that will furnish enough blood to
then pick up the meter with the test strip and slide it slightly into
the blood so that it can wick into the test strip. Most meters today
will give a reading in five seconds.
Meters That Test Other Sites:
Newer meters let you test sites other than your fingertip, such as
your upper arm, forearm, base of the thumb, and thigh. You may get
different results than from your fingertip. Blood sugar levels in
the fingertips show changes more quickly than those in other testing
sites. This is especially true when your blood sugar is rapidly
changing, like after a meal or after exercise. If you are checking
your sugar when you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should use
your fingertip if possible, because these readings will be more
accurate.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring
System: These devices, also called interstitial glucose measuring
devices, are combined with insulin pumps. They are similar to
finger-stick glucose results and can show patterns and trends in your
results over time.
Word of warning –
the readings may be similar to finger-stick results, but you can only
rely on the readings for patterns and trends. You will still need to
use the meter and finger-stick results for accuracy.
When Should I Test My Blood Sugar?
You may need to check your blood sugar
several times a day, such as before meals or exercise, at bedtime,
before driving, and when you think your blood sugar levels are low.
The above is more
complete than most are willing to say and definitely goes against the
teaching of the American Diabetes Association.
What is ignored is the after meal testing or “Testing in pairs”
which helps us know how the food we consumed affects our blood
glucose.
Many people will
need to purchase test strips out of their own pocket because
insurance will not pay for that many test strips. For those that
cannot afford the extra test strips, they must decide when to test to
get the information they desire.
Everyone is different, so ask your
doctor when and how often you should check your blood sugar. If
you're sick, you'll probably need to test your blood sugar more
often.
If you have certain conditions, like
anemia or gout, or if it's hot or humid or you're at a high altitude,
that can affect your blood sugar levels.
They don't
mention recent blood transfusions or dialysis which makes blood
glucose testing and HbA1c results unreliable. Recalibrating your
meter or checking your test strips will only waste them.
If you keep seeing unusual results,
recalibrate your meter and check the test strips.
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