How to Use a Blood Glucose Monitor

Many people who suffer from diabetes are instructed by their physician to monitor their blood glucose levels using an individual blood glucose monitor. But with the supplies and the numbers, it can be a confusing process. With the right understanding, monitoring one's blood glucose levels can be manageable.

Things You'll Need

• Lancing device
• Sterile lancets
• Testing strips
• Blood glucose meter

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Instructions

• 1

  Prepare the lancing device by inserting a new, sterile lancet into the lancing device firmly until it is in place and removing the protective cap from the lancet's end.

• 2

  Adjust the lancing device's puncture depth setting for a shallower or deeper puncture setting based on the sample size required by your blood glucose monitor.

• 3

  Hold the lancing device firmly against your finger and press the release button, ejecting the lancet from the device and allowing it to puncture your fingertip.

• 4

  Squeeze the sides of your fingertip just gently enough to bring a round drop of blood to the surface.

• 5

  Insert a test strip into the blood glucose monitor's test port. Most monitors will turn on automatically when this function is performed. If yours does not, consult your user's guide.

• 6

  Touch the drop of blood on your fingertip to the narrow channel at the top of the test strip and hold it until firmly applied while the meter begins to count down.

• 7

  Record your blood glucose testing result, or store it in your monitor if it is equipped with a memory storage feature.

• 8

  Remove the test strip from the blood glucose monitor to turn the monitor off and discard.