Testing Blood Glucose at Home – Part 3

I thought I had seen just about everything that medical writers can mess up, but this article just proves how wrong I was. These two women that wrote and checked the article obviously do not know diabetes equipment and I have some serious doubts about even diabetes.

They don't understand that many doctors do not recommend blood glucose testing and will not make any attempts to help them obtain additional test strips for the first three or four months to even come close to what they recommend.

“Read the manual for the blood glucose monitor and testing strips.” Yes, you should read the manual for your blood glucose meter and instructions that come with your test strips.

“In most cases, testing strips should only be inserted into the monitor immediately before a reading.” I could be in error, but I am familiar with using one test strip (not testing strips) at a time. Since we are talking test strips, I know that the equipment is a meter (not a monitor). The next problem I question is inserting immediately before a reading. Normally, you need to with most meters insert the test strip in the meter and insert the test strip in the meter into the blood your lancet has brought to the surface of your finger.

“Wash and dry hands.” Yes, you need to wash your hands with soap and water.

“Cleanse the testing area with an alcohol swab.” It is seldom advised to use an alcohol swab because this will not remove fruit sugars from the area you will test on. In the winter season, using alcohol swabs will cause dry and cracked skin, which will cause testing to be very painful.

“If testing on the finger, test on the side of the finger, and use different fingers with each test.” Most people I know do test on the side of the finger and use both sides of a finger and then move to the next finger. Many of us use the sides of our thumbs as well. Some of us also use the sole of our finger tips, but many cannot use all finger soles or any finger soles because of the many nerves there.

“Squeeze the finger while holding it at chest level, and allow a drop of blood to flow onto the test strip.” This is a totally bogus statement to me, as most meters require the test strip be inserted in the slot on the meter and then moved into the blood to be wicked into the test strip. There may be a meter that allows the blood to be flowed onto the test strip and then the test strip is inserted into the slot in the meter; however, I am not aware of any. The meters that I am aware of will return an error reading if operated this way. I don't like wasting money.

Sometimes known as A1c, this test provides a picture of blood sugar readings over several weeks. Several weeks is not 120 days or four months. The most current 30 days accounts for 50 percent of the test. The next 30 days accounts for 25 percent and the remaining 60 days account for the last 25 percent of the HbA1C test (A1C).

Part 3 of 3 parts