How to Test Blood Sugar

This is a practical step-by-step guide for how to test blood sugar. Share it with your family or friends who might be testing your child’s blood for the first time, or use it as a guide for yourself if you’re new to the game.

How to prick a finger and test blood:

• Wash your hands.
• Clean fingertip with alcohol if you prefer. Be sure that it is VERY dry.
• Set the needle to 2 or 3 to start by turning the round tip at the top of the pricker to match up with the white line.
• Insert a glucose meter strip into the meter. Put the black and white end of the strip into the meter. Do not touch the white/yellow tip. (This action will “wake” the meter and in a moment you will see a prompt on the screen with a drop of blood. This indicates it’s ready to go.)
• Cock the needle by pushing on the end of the pricker (like a pen). A bubble on the side will come up yellow when the needle is cocked.
• For best results, squeeze finger below the prick area to make the tip swollen with blood.
• Prick finger by pushing the pricker against clean fingertip and then pushing the yellow button.
• Squeeze up a bead of blood. It needs to be a proper drop—if the blood gets watery or runs down the finger, the reading may be inaccurate (showing a lower than true number).
• Touch the white/yellow tip of the strip to the bead of blood and wait until the meter beeps, indicating the blood is read.
• Lightly dab the blood with a paper towel—the hole closes almost instantly.

If you have trouble drawing a drop of blood:

• Wash the hands with warm water (and dry them well of course).
• Shake hands around a bit to increase circulation.
• Don’t hold the finger up in the air as the blood will flow out of the finger.
• Increase the needle setting to 3.5, or more if necessary.
• Stay hydrated—it’s harder to get a bead of blood if you are not.

Read about how to give your loved one an insulin injection.