Clean hands | Second drop of blood | Discernment | Continuous monitoring | First finger | Surface of the palms | Lateral surfaces of the fingers | Pressure | Change fingers | Lancets | Heat | Cold | Cream | Don’t’s
Clean hands
Use clean hands — to avoid an erroneous result, after, for example after peeling an orange, it is better to wash your hands before measuring.
Second drop of blood
Use a second drop of blood — if it is not possible to wash your hands before measuring with a glucometer, the first drop of blood should be wiped off, and the second drop should be measured.
Discernment
Use discernment — you must remember that the result obtained once with a glucometer shows the level of glucose in the blood at a given time, in order to assess the whole picture of changes in blood glucose levels, several measurements are needed.
Continuous monitoring
Use continuous monitoring of glucose levels — this method cannot replace the measurement of blood glucose with a glucometer but can help track the dynamics of glucose levels during the day.
First finger
Use the first (thumb) finger — it is believed that the skin is thicker, which means there will be less pain.
Surface of the palms
Use the surface of the palms — on the edges of the palms there are fewer nerve endings, which means a puncture here will be less painful.
Lateral surfaces of the fingers
Use the lateral surfaces of the fingers closer to the nail — there are fewer nerve endings than on the fingertip, which means there will be less pain.
Pressure
Use pressure — if you slightly squeeze or pinch the puncture site, there will be less pain.
Change fingers
Use different fingers — select the finger on which the punctures are the least painful and alternate the puncture places on it.
Lancets
Use new lancets — over time, the tip of the lancet becomes dull and does not puncture the skin effectively.
Heat
Use heat — it is believed that when you puncture your fingers, cold can increase pain, and heat will accelerate blood flow and reduce discomfort.
Cold
Use cold — after measuring blood glucose, the applied cold will help to stop bleeding from the wound faster and prevent bruising.
Cream
Use cream — any emollient cream, for example, with panthenol or urea will help reduce discomfort on the fingertips after punctures.
Don’t’s
Do not use finger surfaces close to joints and tendons — here the puncture will feel much more painful.
Do not use skin near moles, cuts, blood vessels — in these places, a puncture of the skin can be accompanied by much more severe bleeding.