How To Test Blood Sugar

This video will show you how to use a blood glucose meter, which is the most important tool that people with type 2 diabetes have to be healthy. By learning how to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter at home, you'll be able to check in with your diabetes and see how you're doing, anytime day or night. To be at your best, you must test! Sign up for our free email program at and subscribe for more at Transcript:

Hi, I’m Ansley. I’m here today to help you learn how to check your blood sugar. There are two main reasons to check blood glucose-- it can help you see how different foods and activities affect your blood sugar AND it can help make sure that the medication your doctor has given you is working effectively. Actually, one of the good things about managing diabetes is that you can test your blood sugar and see how you are doing anytime day or night.

So let me show you how fast and easy it is to test. There are many different kinds of meters, but they all work pretty much the same.

First, make sure your hands are clean. Next you open this tub and take out a strip. Then you put the strip in the little slot in the meter. Now you need to get a sample of blood using one of these. It’s called a lancing device. Yours may look different, but it will do the same thing. You might need to glance at the manual that comes with your device, but here’s the basics of how mine works. Most have a dial that controls how deep the needle goes. Start in the middle of the range. If lancing your finger hurts, choose a smaller number or mark. If you have a hard time getting a blood drop, use a larger number.

And this is how to get a blood drop. Cock the lancing device and put the tip of it at the top of one of your fingers like this. Try to press it down with the same amount of pressure each time. Then, push the button. Next squeeze the finger, just a little bit, to get a drop of blood. Now don’t test on the same finger or the same spot on a finger every time or you’ll develop a callus. And try to test more on the sides of your fingers because they’re less sensitive than other parts of your fingers. If you can’t get a nice blood drop easily, try again on another finger. Next put the strip at the edge of the blood drop and the meter will suck up most of the blood. In a few seconds, the meter will display your reading. Be sure to write the number down, as well as the date and time. Here's a form from our website that you can use to keep track of your blood sugar readings that you can also share with your doctor or educator: that’s all there is to it-- now you know how to test your blood sugar.