How To Use a Glucometer

At-home blood sugar monitoring devices called glucometers provide you with instant feedback and let you know immediately what your blood sugar is. This can give you valuable information about whether your blood sugar is too low, too high or in a good range for you. Keeping a record of your results gives your doctor an accurate picture of how your treatment is working. It's small and easy to take with you. You can test virtually anywhere, anytime. Here's how to use a glucometer.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 10 to 15 minutes

FreeStyle Freedom Lite Overview

The FreeStyle Freedom Lite system features a large numeric display, so it's easy to read your test results. What's more, the FreeStyle Freedom Lite meter is ergonomically designed to feel comfortable in your hand.

• Easy to read, large numeric display
• Easy to hold, large comfortable design
• Uses FreeStyle Lite test strips with patented ZipWik tabs
• No coding, means one less step
• Small sample size, only 0.3 µL
• Fast, 5-second average test time

A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood. Glucose comes from carbohydrate foods. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body's cells use the glucose. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and released into the blood when the amount of glucose in the blood rises.

Normally, your blood glucose levels increase slightly after you eat. This increase causes your pancreas to release insulin so that your blood glucose levels do not get too high. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.

There are several different types of blood glucose tests.

How To Prepare

Fasting blood sugar (FBS)

For a fasting blood sugar test, do not eat or drink anything other than water for at least 8 hours before the blood sample is taken.

If you have diabetes, you may be asked to wait until you have had your blood tested before taking your morning dose of insulin or diabetes medicine.

2-hour postprandial blood sugar

For a 2-hour postprandial test, start eating a meal exactly 2 hours before the blood sample is taken. A home blood sugar test is the most common way to check 2-hour postprandial blood sugar levels.

Random blood sugar (RBS)

Results

Normal

A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood.

Results are often ready in 1 to 2 hours. Glucose levels in a blood sample taken from your vein (called a blood plasma value) may differ a little than glucose levels checked with a finger stick.

The normal values listed here-called a reference range-are just a guide. These ranges vary from lab to lab, and your lab may have a different range for what?s normal. Your lab report should contain the range your lab uses. Also, your doctor will evaluate your results based on your health and other factors. This means that a value that falls outside the normal values listed here may still be normal for you or your lab.