How to Test Blood Sugar – Know Your Optimal Ranges

Before you learn how to test blood sugar from home, you should know the optimal ranges for your blood sugar. Generally speaking, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) qualifies as normal a range of 80 to 130 milligram/deciliter before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after a meal. Nonetheless, target ranges depend on the specific situation of the patient. For instance, an elderly diabetic with complications will have a higher target range than a diabetes sufferer without any other health problems. Your ranges may fluctuate over time, so get in touch with your doctor or with a diabetes specialist to find out what range of blood sugar you should aim for. Other blood sugar testing tips follows.

Choose The Best Testing Spot

It is important to choose a testing site before learning how to test blood sugar. Many diabetes sufferers tend to have a favorite finger to test. However, this leads to the formation of calluses. We advise you to use the sides of your finger, rather than the pad, as this will hurt you less. Arms and other parts of your body may be suitable in terms of the information provided, but they are more prone to bruising. When doing experiments with your testing, such as before and after eating, use the same spot for both instances.

Decide Upon The Best Time To Test Your Blood Sugar

According to the ADA recommendations, you should use these tests to find out what influences your blood sugar throughout a normal day. This would enable you to try some adjustments that may or may not work. For instance, one day you may test your blood sugar before a meal and two or three hours after it. Based on your results, you can decide to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and replace them with vegetables. By testing again, you can see whether this change has influenced your blood sugar for the better. By using this simple method you can determine what are the snacks you can eat without causing blood sugar spikes.

Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands with soap and rinse them with plenty of water before each and every test. The test stripes are very sensitive, so they may record false readings if you contaminate them. If, for example, you’ve touched something containing sugar and then you touch the stripe, you’ll get a falsely elevated result.

Use Your Important Diabetes Supplies Properly

Always read the instructions before using your blood sugar meter for the first time. Be wary about its limitations. There are meters, for instance, that can’t be used on different testing sites. Always check your strips before using them, in order to make sure they are clean, dry, and not expired. Change your lancet before it gets dull. If you don’t want to change it after each testing, do it at least once a day. Ask your pharmacist for instructions on the proper method to dispose of used lancets.

So, with the above mentioned blood sugar testing tips you can effectively manage your diabetes and its long term complications.