Does It Matter What Finger You Use To Check Blood Sugar?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Recommended finger: the World Health Organisation recommends

the middle or ring fingers

are used for blood glucose tests (second and third fingers). You may want to avoid using your little finger due to the skin being thin.

Can blood sugar be different in each hand?

A study published in March 2011 in the journal Care found that blood from unwashed hands had

a greater than 10 percent difference in blood

sugar levels between the first drop and the second drop, and that error was amplified if participants' hands had recently touched fruit.

Why do I get different blood sugar readings from different fingers?

Contamination of the fingers is a common culprit in blood sugar reading variability. That's because it only

takes a little bit of food residue on your hands to impact blood glucose levels

.

Can you get different glucose readings from different fingers?


You may get different results than from your fingertip

. Blood sugar levels in the fingertips show changes more quickly than those in other testing sites. This is especially true when your blood sugar is rapidly changing, like after a meal or after exercise.

Why do I get 2 different blood sugar readings?

You might get different BG readings even from the same drop of blood

because of a concept called sampling

. Imagine that you have a glass of water and you drop some blue food coloring into the glass. In this example, the glass of water is your blood; the food coloring is the sugar in your blood.

How soon after waking up should I test my blood sugar?

In most cases, doctors ask people to measure fasting blood sugar immediately upon waking and before they have anything to eat or drink. It may also be appropriate to test blood sugar before eating or

sometimes 2 hours after a meal

when blood sugar has returned to normal levels.

What time of day is blood sugar highest?

So for a period of time in the

early morning hours

, usually between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m., your body starts churning out stored glucose to prepare for the upcoming day.

What is normal blood sugar by age?

Chart of Normal Blood Sugar Levels in Children Age Wise Age Blood Sugar levels after Fasting Blood Sugar Levels After 1 to 2 Hours of Eating 6 to 12 years >80 to 180 mg/dL Up to 140 mg/dL
13 to 19 years


>70 to 150 mg/dL

Up to 140 mg/dL

What should I eat if my sugar is high?

  • Whole wheat bread.
  • Fruits.
  • Sweet potatoes and yams.
  • Oatmeal and oat bran.
  • Nuts.
  • Legumes.
  • Garlic.
  • Cold-water fish.

What is a normal finger stick blood sugar?

One important goal of diabetes treatment is to keep the blood glucose levels near the normal range of

70 to 120 mg/dl before meals

and under 140 mg/dl at two hours after eating. Home blood sugar (glucose) testing is an important part of controlling blood sugar.

Can blood sugar change in minutes?

Although you want to get the best results for each skin prick, when you're new to blood sugar testing it can be confusing to watch those results change throughout the day. β€œIt's helpful to understand that blood sugar

changes minute by minute

,” says certified diabetes educator Karen A.

Is 135 blood sugar high in the morning?

So it's most commonly done before breakfast in the morning; and the normal range there is 70 to 100 milligrams per deciliter. Now when you eat a meal, blood sugar generally rises and in a normal individual

it usually does not get above a 135 to 140 milligrams per deciliter

.

Why is it important to wipe the first drop of blood?

The first drop of blood from a lancing site contains

a greater volume of platelets

, which could make the lancing site seal up before enough blood was obtained for the test, and the dual wipe ensured a longer, larger flow of blood.

What is a normal blood sugar 2 hours after eating?

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels? They're less than 100 mg/dL after not eating (fasting) for at least 8 hours. And they're

less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating

. During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals.

What can cause false high blood sugar readings?

Accuracy may be limited due to

strip manufacturing variances, strip storage

, and aging. They may also be due to limitations on the environment such as temperature or altitude or to patient factors such as improper coding, incorrect hand washing, altered hematocrit, or naturally occurring interfering substances.

How often should you replace your glucose meter?

Many glucose meters can

last more than 10 years

and still function normally. If you've had your glucose meter for a while, you may be wondering when you should consider replacing it. The key to knowing when it's time for new equipment primarily lies with the accuracy of your machine.

Sophia Kim
Author
Sophia Kim
Sophia Kim is a food writer with a passion for cooking and entertaining. She has worked in various restaurants and catering companies, and has written for several food publications. Sophia's expertise in cooking and entertaining will help you create memorable meals and events.