How to use home glucose monitor to check blood sugar levels?

Blood sugar or diabetes have become a real threat, nearly every household has one or more member dealing with it. Home glucose monitors are best to keep a track of regular sugar levels incase one doesn’t want to use CGM – continuous glucose monitor. Conventional blood sugar monitors are cheaper than quite effective in usage. Women in peri menopausal and menopausal phase can use them to track sugar levels during periods effectively at home.

To begin you will need Blood glucose monitor, lancet needles, test strips, cotton, rubbing alcohol.

Follow these steps to use the glucose monitor at home.

• Wash and dry your hands, take out the glucometer lancet (few are provided with the glucomonitor kit) and fix it onto the lancing device.
• Take out test strip and insert into the monitor slot, matching the arrows.
• Select corner of a finger and clean it with rubbing alcohol, then prick it with the prepared lancing device.
• Now press your finger a little once blood comes out drop it on the test strip. Use cotton to wipe excess blood from finger.
• In few seconds you will have your blood sugar level.
• After the test remove the glucometer lancet from the device and also the glucometer test strip and safely dispose them.
• Never reuse or share the lancets, they are one time use only like the syringes.

Dos and Donts of using home glucometer device

Dos

Read and follow the user manual provided with your glucometer device

Make sure to use the correct type of test strip recommended for your glucometer device.

Keep track of your blood glucose readings, record your test dates, times, and results in a logbook for different type of reading like fasting or post eating etc.

Don’ts

Don't use expired or damaged test strips.

Avoid touching the blood sample with your fingers, as this can affect the reading.

Use only one glucometer device for all your readings to avoid confusion and errors.