Tips to Make Blood Glucose Tests Less Painful

Detecting your blood-glucose levels can be a painful task. The prick can be painful and can lead to sores on your fingers. Follow these tips and experience much lesser pain the next time you test your blood-glucose levels.

Diabetes By : Vasudha Bhat , Onlymyhealth Editorial Team / Date : Nov 21, 2014

Skin the Pain

Checking blood glucose levels means pricking your finger to obtain a drop of blood. This, in turn, means sitting through painful pricking of the needles and later, sore fingers. Although some people say that they have gotten used to the pain, there still are people who say that they find it virtually painful. So, here are some tried-and-tested methods to make it less painful.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Check What’s Best for you

There are people who experience unbearable pain during blood glucose test. Thus, it is advisable for them to check which spot suits them the best. For some people one side of the pad placed close to the nail is a really comfortable place to prick. Similarly, you must also find yours.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Don’t Prick Finger Tips

The finger tips are highly sensitive and can be more painful to be pricked on than any other part of the finger. You can also pinch or put pressure on the place where you are going to test to seal it. This can reduce the pain significantly.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Avoid Using Alcohol to Sterilize Finger

When you use alcohol to sterilize the finger, it dries up the skin causing more cracking and pain. Instead of cleaning your finger with alcohol, wash it with warm water.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Keep alternating the Fingers

Use different fingers every time you prick to test blood glucose levels. Pick an easy-to-remember pattern so that you do not end up using the same finger over and over. If you have sore fingers don’t use them until they heal completely.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Avoid Re-using the Equipment

Each time you perform a test at home, use a new lancent. Lancents get dull when use them over and over, resulting in a more painful prick.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Do not Squeeze Blood from Fingertips

It is common practice to squeeze the finger tip in case enough blood does not ooze out from the prick. Avoid doing this and instead, hang your head down below the waist for five seconds. If needed, you can also squeeze bottom of the finger base and then move upwards without reaching the fingertip.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Pick the Right Blood Glucose Monitor

There are some blood-glucose monitors that require much less blood than others. Try to use those models. There are some other models that let you draw blood from other parts of the body other than fingers, like arms.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Disclaimer

All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers’ discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.

More For You

Related Slideshow

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK

Diseases

Diet & Fitness

Grooming

Pregnancy & Parenting

Relationships

Videos

Slideshows

Health News

Baby Names

Experts

Topics

Bmi Calculator

QNA

Tips to Make Blood Glucose Tests Less Painful

Skin the Pain

Check What’s Best for you

Don’t Prick Finger Tips

Avoid Using Alcohol to Sterilize Finger

Keep alternating the Fingers

Avoid Re-using the Equipment

Do not Squeeze Blood from Fingertips

Pick the Right Blood Glucose Monitor