Nine tips to make blood glucose testing less painful

Regular blood glucose testing is one of the most important components of proper diabetes management. Although there are products being developed that promise an easier way of testing in the future, they are not quite ready to deliver. That means the old-fashioned pricking of a finger to draw a bead of blood for a test strip is still the best way to track glucose levels throughout the day.

All that testing can make your fingers hurt. These nine tips can help ease the pain.

Nine blood glucose testing tips

1. Choose the right glucose meter. Good testing begins with the meter that is right for you. If you have trouble getting a good sample of blood from your fingertips, opt for a meter that requires the smallest sample possible. Some meters allow you to do alternative site testing, which can come in very handy for those that simply must have a break from the usual fingertip testing.
2. Experiment with the lancing device. Most lancing devices have a variety of depth settings. Experiment to find the one that has the most shallow penetration, yet still gives you the proper amount of blood.
3. Use a new lancet each time. The sharper the edge, the easier the testing should be. A new lancet ensures that the tiny needle is as sharp as possible. Besides, reusing lancets increases your chances of infection, and that is never a good risk to take.
4. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water. Not only does this make sure the testing site it clean, the warm water dilates the blood vessels, making it easier to get a good sample. In addition, testing on warmer skin usually hurts less than testing on cold skin.
5. Keep your hands low. Holding your hands below your waist, fingertips pointing toward the floor, allows gravity to help increase blood flow. Try gently shaking your hand back and forth, letting the fingertips move freely from side to side. This motion can also increase blood flow.
6. Massage your fingers. Gently massage the finger you intend to test. A steady downward motion can move more blood to your fingertip, making it easier to get a sample.
7. Gently squeeze your fingertip. When you are ready to get a sample, squeeze the skin at the tip of your finger. This forces a little more blood into the area and gives a firm, even surface for the lancet to penetrate.
8. Alternate fingers. Get into a pattern of testing a different fingertip each time. That gives your tender fingertips time to heal before another test. When you do use the same finger, try to avoid using the same exact spot you used last time.
9. Moisturize your hands. Calluses and rough spots can eventually form where you have been testing the most. Avoid this as long as possible by moisturizing your hands on a daily basis. In addition to keeping your fingertips supple, rubbing in moisturizer can increase blood flow.

Until blood sugar testing products make advances that allow for painless testing, your fingertips are your first line of defense in treating diabetes. Reward your hands for all that hard work by taking good care of them.