How to make checking your blood sugar easier

Preventing sore fingers (Ouch!)

The more often you test your blood sugar, the more likely you are to have sore fingertips.

These suggestions can help prevent that:

• Don’t prick the tip of your finger.
  If you do, the prick is more painful, and you still may not get enough blood for accurate results. Always prick the side of your fingertip. Also, don’t prick your toes. This can increase your risk of developing a dangerous infection in your foot.

• Don't squeeze your fingertip.
  If you have trouble getting a drop of blood large enough to cover the test area of the strip, hang your hand down below your waist and count to 5. Then gently squeeze your finger, beginning closest to your hand and moving outward to the end of your finger.
  
  
• Use a different finger each time.
  Establish a pattern for which finger you stick so that you will not use some fingers more than others. If a finger becomes sore, avoid using it to test your blood sugar for a few days.
  
  
• Use a different glucose meter device.
  Some blood sugar meters need smaller drops of blood. Some blood sugar meters can use sites other than the fingers, such as the forearm, leg, or hand.
  
  
• Use a different lancet setting.
  Some lancet devices can be set to prick your skin deeply or lightly depending on the thickness of your skin and where on your body you are getting the blood.
  
  
• Don’t reuse the lancet.
  Lancets can get dull and make pricking more painful over time. Used lancets can also carry bacteria that can make you sick. Some people reuse lancets anyway. If you do, wash your hands well each time you use it. And use a new one each day to reduce the chance for bacteria growth.

Bottom line

Tracking your blood sugar levels helps you and your doctor know what keeps your blood sugar on target or whether adjustments are needed.