Health Topics for Diabetes

Department of Internal Medicine

Diabetes Services

General Endocrinology and Diabetes Services

Home blood glucose monitoring

Home blood glucose monitoring helps people with diabetes keep track of their blood sugar level all day long. With frequent monitoring, they can make changes in their treatment right away to keep their blood sugar under control. Self-monitoring is an important part of keeping tight control of diabetes. Tight control helps to limit the complications of diabetes.

Blood glucose monitoring gives exact levels of blood sugar. There are two ways that blood sugar can be monitored. One is by putting a drop of blood on a special paper strip, then comparing the strip to a color chart. The other way is to put a drop of blood on a strip and place it in a meter that shows the blood sugar. The meter method is more exact.

A drop of blood is needed for both ways of testing for sugar. It is important that the right amount of blood is obtained. Some tips for getting the blood are:

• Soak the finger in warm water to soften the skin and bring blood near the skin.
• Hold the finger at the joint closest to the fingertip and squeeze for 3 seconds, then stick the skin with the lancet. The lancet is a special type of needle to get the blood.
• After sticking the finger, hang the hand down with the fingers pointing to the floor. This will make more blood flow to the end of your finger.
• Try "milking" the blood from the finger.

To avoid sore fingertips:

• Apply firm pressure with a tissue to the bleeding area for at least 10 seconds. Check with a clean area of tissue. If the fingertip is still bleeding, apply pressure until the bleeding stops.
• Try not to stick the lancet too deep. If the lancet goes deep, it hurts more.
• Rotate the fingers used for the sticks. The thumb can be used. Using the side of the fingertip hurts less.
• Using alcohol to clean the fingertip can make the skin thick. When possible, wash the hands with warm soapy water before the finger stick.
• Use lotion regularly to keep fingers soft and smooth.

There are special lotions just for the fingertips. There are many kinds of meters for testing blood sugar levels. A healthcare provider or diabetic educator can recommend a meter. They know the features of each and which is best depending on the diabetic's needs. Some meters may have large print or a voice response that tells the blood sugar for people who cannot see well. Meters are also available in many different languages for people who do not speak English.

Meters are able to give exact results very quickly. But the strips and meters can be very expensive. Some insurance companies cover the cost of the meter. Others cover the cost of the strips. When insurance pays for these, a written prescription is needed from the provider.

The only way to know if good results are coming from food, exercise, and insulin, or medication is to monitor blood sugar. How often blood needs to be tested depends on the type of diabetes. The provider will recommend how often this should be done. Testing may only be needed 2 times a day, or it may be 3 to 4 times a day. Often testing will need to be done before eating and before bed. Sometimes it is necessary to test during the middle of the night.

Extra monitoring may be needed:

• when low blood sugar is suspected
• before, during, and after exercise, or when exercise is more than usual
• when the person is sick
• when planning a pregnancy or during the first 3 months of pregnancy
• when the blood sugar is too low (hypoglycemia)
• if insulin is taken several times during the day or
• at time when levels have been too high or too low

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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