All patients with diabetes mellitus should measure their blood glucose concentrations
to help maintain safe, target-driven glucose control.If you have diabetes, you have
an important role in your own medical care, and testing your blood sugar is an opportunity
for you to take control of your health.
Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG)
It is recommended in patients with Type 1 diabetes who take mealtime insulin. SMBG
testing is usually done before meals to adjust insulin doses based on meal size,
meal content and activity levels. This helps in avoiding hypoglycemic episodes.
SMBG helps patients with Type 2 diabetes also although their glucose levels are
characteristically more stable
How to Perform Blood Sugar Testing At Home :
The following steps include general guidelines for testing blood sugar levels; you
should get specific details for your blood glucose monitors from the package insert
or your healthcare provider.
Never share blood glucose monitoring equipment
or finger stick lancing devices. Sharing of this equipment could result in transmission
of infection, such as hepatitis B.
- Wash hands with soap and warm water. Dry hands.
- Prepare the lancing device by inserting a fresh lancet. Lancets that are used more
than once are not as sharp as a new lancet, and can cause more pain and injury to
the skin.
- Prepare the blood glucose meter and test strip by following the instructions on
the glucose meter.
- Use the lancing device to obtain a small drop of blood from your fingertip . If
you have difficulty getting a good drop of blood from the fingertip, try rinsing
your fingers with warm water, shaking the hand below the waist, or squeezing (“milking”)
the fingertip.
- Apply the blood drop to the test strip in the blood glucose meter. The results will
be displayed on the meter after several seconds.
- Dispose of the used lancet in a puncture-resistant sharps container.
What are the diagnostics tests for diabetes?
If your family history, weight or lifestyle predisposes to get diabetes, you should
get tested annually to know the range of sugar levels. These are the tests carried
out in the laboratory.