Home Blood Sugar Testing
Everyone with diabetes should test their blood sugar levels regularly. Knowing the results lets you adjust your strategy for keeping the disease in check. Regular testing can also help you avoid getting long-term health problems that can stem from the condition. Research shows that in people with either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, sticking to your target blood sugar and HbA1c levels makes complications less likely. Ways to Test Your Blood Sugar Traditional Home Glucose Monitoring You prick your finger with a small, sharp needle called a lancet, put a drop of blood on a test strip, and then place the strip into a meter that displays your blood sugar levels. Meters vary in features, portability, speed, size, cost, and readability (with larger displays or spoken instructions if you have vision problems). Devices deliver results in less than 15 seconds and store this information for future use. Some meters also calculate an average blo...