Methods Of Testing Blood Sugar Levels

Listed below are 5 different methods that can be used to test the sugar levels in your blood. Though they differ in the way they do it, these diabetes testing methods perform one and the same thing. Which is best for you is really just a case of personal preference.

1. Standard self testing. This method is the most common. It involves pricking your finger with a sharp needle (professionally designed for this purpose). Having done this, you then need to squeeze some blood from your finger on to a testing strip. This test strip will then be placed into a meter which will in turn determine your blood sugar level.

2. Alternative self testing. Over the years, newer meters have developed which now allow you to test body parts other than your finger tip; these include the base of your thumb, your thighs and your forearms. Despite these additional options drawing blood from your finger tips remains the most used. The reason being that the blood in your finger tips gives a more precise reading than blood in other parts of your body.

3. Drawing blood through laser. In the late 90s, the Food And Drug (FDA) administration approved a meter laser device capable of extracting blood through a precise laser beam on a finger. This device was in response to the numerous complaints of discomfort and pain caused by the regular pricking of the finger. For those who are not at ease with piercing their skin with a needle, this is an ideal solution.

4. Glucose monitoring system. This device involves a very small tube which is inserted under your skin. The device then collects small amounts of fluids and measures the sugar levels or content of these fluids over a 72 hour period. It’s an underused system but should be considered by those who forget or don’t always have time to take blood samples themselves.

5. The ‘Gluco Watch’. The FDA approved the Gluco Watch, which is device that is like a watch, in 2001. This watch-like meter helps you to measure your blood sugar levels three times per hour over a 12 hour period. This is one of the first diabetes testing meter that that is really non invasive.

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