Understanding how to measure blood sugar level at home is an essential skill that everyone with diabetes will benefit from learning and practising. Here we explore why it’s important to understand how your blood sugar levels change throughout the day before looking at how to use a blood glucose meter, how to check blood sugar at home, and running through a simple home blood sugar testing guide that you can follow.
Why check blood sugar at home?
Monitoring your blood sugar levels at home will help you to understand how your body is responding to things like medication, exercise and food. Keeping an eye on your sugar levels will make sure that you’re identifying the development of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia and can respond with adjustments in medication to avoid complications.
How to check blood sugar at home
There are a couple of different ways that you can check your blood sugar levels at home. Many people with diabetes use a blood glucose meter, which requires testing strips and a small drop of blood obtained by pricking a fingertip with a lancing device.
If you’ve got Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 insulin-dependent diabetes, you may prefer to use a continuous glucose monitor. This is a wearable device, which automatically measures your fluid glucose levels every couple of minutes.
How to use a blood glucose meter
If you have a continuous glucose monitor, a small sensor will be inserted beneath the skin and kept in place with a discrete adhesive patch. This sensor has a transmitter, which will send data to a receiver device or smartphone app.
If you’re using a traditional blood glucose meter, you’ll have a monitoring device, test strips and a lancing device. The device will have a screen, which will display the glucose level detected in the small drop of blood you touch onto a test strip.
Home blood sugar testing guide: glucose guidelines
It can be helpful to refer to a home blood sugar testing guide when you’re first getting to grips with the process. Blood glucose levels are measured in mmol/L and the ideal range is between 4 and 7mmol/L.
Step by step blood sugar test at home
Testing your blood sugar levels at home can seem daunting if you’re doing it for the first time or you’re not yet in an established routine, so it can be helpful to follow a step by step blood sugar test at home guide when getting started.
Wash and dry your hands
Use soap and warm water to thoroughly wash your hands before drying them completely with a clean towel. Don’t use alcohol sanitising gels or wipes, as they can impact your readings.
Prepare your blood glucose meter
Insert a new test strip into the correct port on your meter. Your device will turn on automatically when this has been done correctly.
Prepare your lancing device
Insert a new, sterile lancet into the device and set it to the skin penetration depth you prefer. Most people choose 2 or 3, however you can adjust this to your preferences over time.
Obtain a drop of blood
Use your lancing device to prick one of your fingertips. Many people choose to prick the side of their fingertip, as this causes less discomfort than obtaining a drop of blood from the fleshy pad area.
Touch your fingertip to the test strip
Gently squeeze your fingertip until there’s a visible drop of blood. Touch the blood to the test strip and wait for your meter to show that it’s received enough testable blood.
Read and record your result
Your blood glucose meter will do the rest for you, displaying your glucose levels on the screen. We recommend recording your result, so that you can monitor changes over time.
Safely dispose of the lancet
You should have a designated sharps bin, which will allow you to dispose of the lancet safely.
FAQs
Are all blood glucose meters the same?
The step by step blood sugar test at home guide you follow should be informed by the type of glucose meter you’re using. There are many different models of blood glucose meter available. Yours will come with a how to use a blood glucose meter guide, which we recommend keeping hold of to refer back to.
How many times per day should I be checking my blood sugar levels?
When searching how to measure blood sugar level at home, one of the most common questions relates to the frequency at which these measurements should be taken. Many people with diabetes check their sugar levels several times a day, and if you’re here after searching how to check blood sugar at home, we hope you’ve found the information here helpful.
