For people with diabetes or prediabetes, checking blood sugar at home is a valuable tool. But small mistakes in technique can give misleading numbers, leading to wrong decisions.
One frequent error is not washing hands before testing. Food residue or sugar on your fingers can artificially raise the result. Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly, and avoid using alcohol repeatedly if it dries the skin too much.
Squeezing the fingertip very hard to get blood can dilute the sample with tissue fluid. Use a fresh lancet, prick the side of the fingertip gently, and encourage a drop with light pressure, not aggressive squeezing.
Another issue is irregular timing. Testing only when you “feel funny” gives a very narrow picture. Following a schedule – such as fasting, before meals, and sometimes two hours after meals, as advised by your doctor – helps reveal patterns.
Strips have expiry dates and storage requirements. Heat, moisture, or using outdated strips can distort results. Calibrating or checking your meter against lab values occasionally is also useful.
Recording your readings and bringing them to appointments lets your doctor adjust treatment more accurately. The goal is not to obsess over every single number, but to understand trends and respond smartly.