How to do a blood sugar test at home

Most people with diabetes need to regularly test their blood sugar. This can be done at home by pricking your fingertip and getting a drop of blood on a test strip that gets read by the meter. The process is fairly quick and easy. Ask your doctor how often you should check your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

How to check your blood sugar:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Gather your equipment. You will need your meter, strips, lancing device and a new clean lancet (needle).
3. Insert the lancet (needle) into the chamber of the lancing device. Remove the protective cover to expose the needle. Replace the cap over the lancing device.
4. Check the expiry date on your strips. Insert an unused strip into the meter until the meter “beeps” or the screen turns on.
5. Place the loaded lancing device against the edge of your fingertip and push the button until the needle is released.
6. Wait 3 seconds, squeeze down your finger until a drop of blood comes to the surface.
7. Snow plow the end of the strip into the drop of blood until the meter either “beeps” or show the count down on the screen.
8. Wait for the result and mark it down in your log book.
9. Remove the cap from the lancing device and pull out the lancet (needle). Discard the lancet in a sharps container.

When the sharps container is full, take it to your pharmacy to be replaced. Do not put your lancets (needles) into the garbage. Speak to your community pharmacist to obtain a sharps container for disposal.