A complete guide on how to check blood sugar at home

If you have symptoms or have diabetes, you need to check your blood sugar regularly. Checking blood sugar can be done at home using a glucometer. Likewise with those of you who have prediabetes or experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). However, when should you check your blood sugar every day? Find out all about how to check your own blood sugar in this review!

When to check blood sugar?

Check blood sugar functions to monitor whether the glucose level in the blood has been controlled within normal blood sugar limits.

For people with diabetes mellitus, routine blood sugar checks aim to evaluate whether diabetes treatment or treatment has been successful in controlling blood sugar levels.

By regularly checking blood sugar, you can also find out things that cause blood sugar levels to rise or fall from normal limits. When exactly you need to check your blood sugar actually depends on your health condition, the type of diabetes you are experiencing, and the diabetes medication being carried out.

In general, the right time to check blood sugar is before and after eating, to see the effect of changing blood sugar levels from the food consumed.

However, people with type 1 diabetes who depend on insulin therapy need to check their blood sugar more often (4-10 times). Apart from before eating, check blood sugar also needs to be done before eating snacks, before and after exercising, at night, and in the morning.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people with type 1 diabetes also need to check their blood sugar more often than usual when they are sick, have more intense activity than usual, and when there are changes to the schedule and type of treatment.

Meanwhile, for people with type 2 diabetes, regarding when is the right time to check their own blood sugar, you can do it every time you wake up, before and after eating, and before going to bed.

If you are at risk for hypoglycemia, either due to insulin treatment or other metabolic disorders, the right way to check your own blood sugar can be done before:

Driving
Do strenuous activity
Using heavy objects

How to check your own blood sugar

Independent blood sugar checks are performed using a blood sugar check device or glucometer. Blood sampling is generally done through the fingertips.

Apart from being easy to reach, at the fingertips there are also many capillary blood vessels. Blood flow also flows better at the fingertips so that it can show the results of an accurate blood sugar check.

Blood points can also be drawn on the palms of the hands, thighs, calves, arms and stomach. However, most devices are designed for taking a blood sample through the fingertip.

To find out how to check blood sugar properly, first you need to know what materials and tools are needed.

Lancet (small needle)
Device lancing (to hold the needle)
Alcohol and cotton
Test strip
Glucose meter
Portable box
Cable for downloading data (if needed)

After knowing the various tools contained in the blood sugar checking device, follow these steps:

Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and running water.
Put down the needle lancet into the device lancing.
Insert the test strip into the glucose meter.
Wipe your fingertips with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
Prick your fingertips with lancet so that blood can come out and be drawn.
Put a drop of blood on the drip strip and wait for the result. Usually, a number indicating your blood sugar level will appear within a few seconds on the meter screen.

If the blood sugar check tool used turns out to have a different way of working, be sure to follow the instructions for use on the packaging.

Data from the results of blood sugar measurements should also be recorded. Your history of blood sugar levels is useful for your doctor to know about your condition over time. You can usually save the results directly on the blood sugar check tool used.

Common mistakes when checking blood sugar

To support the accuracy of blood test results, there are a number of common mistakes that should be avoided when applying the home blood sugar check method. What are they?

Too little blood was drawn
A blood sugar test, which is done by drawing blood on the edge of the fingertip, will scare some people when the needle is inserted into the hand. Not infrequently, this makes the blood drawn only small and insufficient. Therefore, blood sugar test results may be inaccurate.

Pressing or squeezing your finger too hard
In a blood draw, you usually need to press the tip to allow more blood to flow. However, it's best not to press too hard. It is feared that tissue or other fluids in the blood vessels will also be taken so that the measurement results are inaccurate.

Too much or too little blood sampling
Make sure your blood sample that sticks to the blood sugar strip is the right amount, but not too little. Too much or too little number of blood samples can make blood sugar test results inaccurate.

Do not add a blood sample to the strip after the first drop has settled on the strip. This method can also cause inaccurate blood sugar check results. Instead, collect a sufficient amount of blood sample first at the fingertips, then transfer it to the strip.

Also avoid using test strips that are too old, especially if the test strips have expired.

Can I just do a home check without a medical test?

Doing a sugar test independently is important, but this does not mean that a home blood sugar check can replace a blood sugar test at a clinic or hospital. Moreover, diabetics who need periodic medical checks through the HbA1C test.

The HbA1C test is done to measure what your blood glucose is, on average, over the past two to three months. Carrying out regular laboratory tests can also help you to determine how well you are controlling your diabetes.

By doing regular self-blood sugar tests, you can continue to monitor your health condition. Routine checks also help doctors make better treatment plans so as to anticipate dangerous complications of diabetes.