How to Test Blood to Make Sure It’s Real

Regular blood testing is one of the most important ways to keep track of your overall physical well-being.

Getting tested at routine intervals can allow you to see the way your body changes over time and empower you to make informed decisions about your health.

Your doctor will typically recommend that you get routine blood work at least once a year, around the same time as your yearly physical.

But this is the bare minimum. There are several major reasons you may want to get blood tests more often than that:

• You’re experiencing unusual, persistent symptoms. These could include anything from fatigue to abnormal weight gain to new pain.
• You want to optimize your health. Knowing levels of various blood components, such as HDL and LDL cholesterol, can allow you to tweak your diet or fitness plan to minimize unhealthy habits (that you may not even realize are unhealthy). This can also maximize the nutrients you put in your body and more.
• You want to reduce your risk of disease or complications. Regular blood tests can catch the warning signs of almost any disease early. Many heart, lung, and kidney conditions can be diagnosed using blood tests.

Talk to your doctor first if you want to get certain tests more often than once a year.

Some of the most common routine tests are:

• complete blood count (CBC)
• chemistry (basic metabolic) panel
• thyroid panel
• nutrient tests for levels of vital nutrients, such as iron or B vitamins

Some other tests that you may want include:

• enzyme markers if you’re at risk for cancer or other conditions like liver cirrhosis, stroke, or celiac disease
• sexually transmitted disease (STD) tests if you have multiple sexual partners or a new partner

Everything you eat and drink contains vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients that can cause the related levels in your blood to temporarily spike or drop.

Fasting for 8–12 hours helps ensure that blood test results are free from these variables, making your test results as accurate as possible.

Some common tests that may require fasting include:

• cholesterol tests
• blood sugar tests
• liver function tests
• kidney function tests
• basic metabolic panel
• glucose tests

Results may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to become available. Here’s an overview of how long some common tests may take:

• complete blood count (CBC): 24 hours
• basic metabolic panel: 24 hours
• complete metabolic panel: 24–72 hours
• lipid panel: 24 hours.

This can depend on the specific lab where you get tested or how many tests you get done at once. If you order multiple tests, you may not get the complete results until all of the tests are completed.

Sometimes a lab will only release results to your doctor, who reviews them and then releases them to you.

More Articles

1. Can I Drink Water Before a Fasting Blood Test?
2. Fasting Blood Tests & Black Coffee
3. High Liver Enzymes, Fasting and Blood Tests
4. How Long Do I Have to Fast Before Taking a Cholesterol Test?
5. Is It Okay to Drink Coffee Before a Metabolic Panel Blood Test?

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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.

The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.

• Blood Draw
• Blood Test
• Significance
• Fasting
• Effects
• Considerations

A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample extracted from the vein via a needle. By testing the levels of specific compounds in the blood, doctors can diagnose a medical problem or presage the risk of a future medical problem. Many blood tests require a fast before the sample is extracted.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Blood Test

The blood is the liquid tissue circulatory system of the body. Its purpose is to transport important molecules such as:

• lipids
• glucose
• hormones
• waste
• amino acids
• oxygen to the cells or organs

Physicians can learn a lot about the state of the body by testing the blood, but it must be free of any influence before the test.

Significance

Can I Drink Water Before a Fasting Blood Test?

In order to prevent nutrients from interfering with the test, it’s a good idea to fast for at least 12 hours beforehand. You can consume water in your diet but no other foods or drinks. Your doctor should inform you whether a fast is required. You should also consult your doctor if you are taking medication, which can interfere with the results. Only a physician can tell you whether to stop taking medication for the purpose of a blood test.

• In order to prevent nutrients from interfering with the test, it’s a good idea to fast for at least 12 hours beforehand.
• Only a physician can tell you whether to stop taking medication for the purpose of a blood test.

Fasting

The human body contains at least 60 percent water, depending upon age and gender. Water is used as a solvent and a facilitator of chemical reactions, so it’s important to keep hydrated during the fast. Fortunately, water is almost completely free of nutrients that can affect blood levels, but it must be consumed plain. Coffee, tea, soda, fruit drinks and sports drinks can all interfere with a blood test.

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• Why You’d Need an Allen Test
• How the Test Is Done
• What the Test Results Mean

Also called a modified Allen test, this is a simple way to measure how well blood flows in your hand. Your doctor may need to check your circulation before they operate on your wrist or a spot nearby, or before other surgeries.

Why You’d Need an Allen Test

Two arteries supply blood to your hand. One is the radial artery, and the other is the ulnar artery. A healthy hand needs both arteries open and working. Otherwise, you could get permanent hand damage.

Some reasons why your doctor may want to perform an Allen test include:

Arterial blood gas test. You may need this if you have asthma or other breathing or lung problems. The blood sample is often taken from an artery in your wrist. Because there’s a chance the needle puncture could cause problems to the artery, your doctor may order an Allen test to make sure that the second artery is in good shape.

Wrist surgery. If you have a growth in your wrist near an artery, your doctor will want to make sure each of your arteries can supply your hand with enough blood on its own before the surgery. That way, if one artery gets nicked or damaged, the other artery can do the job.

Heart bypass surgery. Sometimes doctors use the radial artery from the wrist in heart bypass surgery.

Your doctor would take the artery from your wrist to help create a new pipeline for the blood to the heart.

Kidney dialysis. If your kidneys don’t work well enough to filter waste and fluids from your body, a machine called a dialyzer with tubes connected to your blood vessels can do it for you. An Allen test can help find the best location of the artery for the dialysis.

Continued

How the Test Is Done

Your doctor will ask you to put your hand palm side up and make a tight fist. They’ll then press on two spots on your wrist to stop blood flow to your hand: A spot on the thumb side of your wrist stops blood flow through your radial artery, and a spot on the pinky-finger side of your wrist stops blood flow through your ulnar artery.

You’ll be told to open your hand. The palm and fingers should look pale, since the blood supply to your hand has been cut off.

Your doctor will stop pressing on the ulnar artery only, to check how quickly color returns to your hand as blood flows through a single artery. They can then check the radial artery flow by pressing on the ulnar artery.

What the Test Results Mean

If normal color comes back to your hand within 5-15 seconds, it means that one artery is healthy enough to supply blood to your hand all by itself.

If not, your doctor may not be able to go ahead with a surgery or procedure in case they damage the single working artery.

Sources

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery: “The Allen test.”

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “Pulmonary function tests.”

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: “Ganglion (cyst) — treatment with surgery.”

World Health Organization Guidelines on Drawing Blood: Best Practices in Phlebotomy: “Annex I: Modified Allen test.”

Journal of the American College of Surgeons: “Hand ischemia after radial artery cannulation.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Radial artery and saphenous vein harvesting.”

It doesn’t get as much attention as cholesterol or blood pressure, but blood viscosity, or blood thickness, plays an important role in heart health. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’re at all concerned about heart health, you probably have a good understanding of cholesterol and blood pressure, and likely know your numbers. But there may be another critical blood-related issue to consider — blood viscosity, or blood thickness. According to a health report from Harvard University, people with thicker, more viscous blood may be at a greater risk for a heart attack or for developing heart disease.

That was the case for Sarah Klena, a schoolteacher in Orange County, Fla. Despite living a healthy, active lifestyle, she had a heart attack at age 31. Her doctors suspected blood thickness shouldered part of the blame. “The doctors aren’t really sure what caused it, although they did say I have the stickier type of blood,” she says. “I was a runner and ate pretty well before the heart attack, so since then I’ve just tried to concentrate on anything that improves my health, like acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, and, of course, running.”

Blood Thickness: What You Need to Know

If you didn’t know the role blood viscosity plays in heart health, you’re not alone. Most people have no idea how thick their blood is, nor do they know how to make it thinner. But it’s something that should be on most people’s radar for heart health, says Mary Ann Bauman, MD, a national physician spokeswoman for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.

“For overall heart health, having a normal viscosity would be ideal,” explains Dr. Bauman. “Viscosity is an indication of the ‘thickness’ of the blood, or its resistance to flowing normally. When the blood is thicker, it moves sluggishly; there is an increased risk for red cells to adhere to one another and form clots, and for there not to be enough oxygenation in a given time to areas such as the legs or the brain, and to vital organs. The heart will work harder to pump the needed oxygen to the body.” She says that blood viscosity can increase because of many factors, such as certain medications, too many red blood cells, high lipid levels, and other conditions, including diabetes and cancer.

There are tests to check for thick blood, but they’re rarely used routinely — “it is usually done in patients who have blood cancers,” says Bauman.

However, there are clues that you may be at risk for a blood viscosity issue. If you have other heart health problems like blood clots or high cholesterol, or you’re a regular smoker, then the chances are also good that your blood might be more viscous than it should be, notes Sriram Padmanabhan, MD, a cardiologist at the MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore.

What You Can Do About Viscous Blood

The good news is that strategies to improve blood viscosity are not too different from those for general heart health. “Exercise definitely helps the blood flow better by improving the health of the arteries, reducing blood pressure, and reducing cholesterol, among other benefits,” says Dr. Padmanabhan. “Quitting smoking goes a long way in improving overall health, reducing the clotting ability of blood and reducing the chance of a heart attack. Reducing fat in our diet, losing weight, keeping cholesterol in check, and keeping blood pressure under tight control all help directly and indirectly in reducing the chance of heart attacks, which is essentially related to blood flow.”

When these measures aren’t enough, you may need to rely on medication and other guidelines from your doctor to reduce your risk. “In general, the ability of blood to flow easily and to clot appropriately is determined by genetics,” adds Padmanabhan. “Some patients will need specific treatments and medications to make their blood flow better.” Schedule regular appointments with your doctor to review your risks and protect your heart health.

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• When Should I Test My Blood Sugar?
• What Affects Your Results
• When Should I Call My Doctor About My Blood Sugar?
• How Do I Record My Blood Sugar Test Results?

Most people with diabetes need to check their blood sugar (glucose) levels regularly. The results help you and your doctor manage those levels, which helps you avoid diabetes complications.

There are several ways to test your blood sugar:

From Your Fingertip: You prick your finger with a small, sharp needle (called a lancet) and put a drop of blood on a test strip. Then you put the test strip into a meter that shows your blood sugar level. You get results in less than 15 seconds and can store this information for future use. Some meters can tell you your average blood sugar level over a period of time and show you charts and graphs of your past test results. You can get blood sugar meters and strips at your local pharmacy.

Meters That Test Other Sites: Newer meters let you test sites other than your fingertip, such as your upper arm, forearm, base of the thumb, and thigh. 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. If you are checking your sugar when you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should use your fingertip if possible, because these readings will be more accurate.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System: These devices, also called interstitial glucose measuring devices, are combined with insulin pumps. They are similar to finger-stick glucose results and can show patterns and trends in your results over time.

When Should I Test My Blood Sugar?

You may need to check your blood sugar several times a day, such as before meals or exercise, at bedtime, before driving, and when you think your blood sugar levels are low.

Everyone is different, so ask your doctor when and how often you should check your blood sugar. If you’re sick, you’ll probably need to test your blood sugar more often.

What Affects Your Results

If you have certain conditions, like anemia or gout, or if it’s hot or humid or you’re at a high altitude, that can affect your blood sugar levels.

Continued

If you keep seeing unusual results, recalibrate your meter and check the test strips.

The chart below gives you an idea of where your blood sugar level should be throughout the day. Your ideal blood sugar range may be different from another person’s and will change throughout the day.

Home Blood Glucose Monitoring and HbA1c

Monitoring your HbA1c level is also important for diabetes control. Many home glucose monitors can display an average blood glucose reading, which correlates with the HbA1c.

Average Blood Glucose Level (mg/dL)

Not all men need the test, but if you do, here’s how to do it right

The PSA test for prostate cancer is surprisingly controversial. Many experts, in fact, now recommend against the test for most men, saying that the cancers it detects are often relatively harmless tumors that would never progress beyond the gland, and that treatment, usually with surgery or radiation, can be more dangerous and debilitating than the disease itself.

Still, many men concerned about cancer still opt for the PSA test. And some men already diagnosed with the cancer need periodic tests to track the progress of the disease.

In those cases, it’s important to make sure that the test is as accurate as possible. Here’s what you need to do.

How to Prepare for the Test

The PSA test is meant to check for prostate cancer by measuring the prostate-­specific antigen (PSA), a protein often elevated in men with prostate cancer.

But only about 25 percent of men with mild and moderate elevations might actually have prostate cancer. Instead, those high levels could be due to problems such as an enlarged prostate gland (which occurs with aging), a prostate infection, recent sexual activity, or even a recent long bike ride, says Scott Eggener, M.D., co-­director of the prostate cancer program at the University of Chicago.

These steps can make sure that the results are as accurate as possible:

Wait after a urinary tract infection. If you’ve had a recent UTI or catheter, hold off on the test for a few months. Both can cause prostate inflammation that can artificially elevate PSA levels.

Abstain from sex. Ejaculation up to 72 hours before the test could raise PSA levels a minimal amount.

Have the digital rectal exam after the blood test. As part of a prostate-cancer exam, your doctor may perform this test, which is used to check the size of the prostate gland and to look for abnormal bumps or other changes. But if you do it before having the PSA test, it could cause the release of PSA into the bloodstream and possibly lead to a false positive result.

Repeat if results are high. “PSAs are notorious for bouncing around a lot, and they can even fluctuate by as much as 10 to 20 percent depending on the assay that’s used in the laboratory,” Eggener says. So wait about four to eight weeks to get retested.

The mere thought of getting blood tests might make your vision swim. After all, someone is taking precious, life-giving fluid out of your arm with a needle. (A needle that always looks terrifyingly big and sharp in the moment, too.)

Don’t feel bad if you turn into your 5-year-old self when you need to get blood drawn. “I see this all the time,” Caroline Cartledge, M.S.N., a nurse and instructor with the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, tells SELF. “No one wants to be stuck with a needle. It is more surprising when patients do not care about getting their blood drawn.”

The anxiety can cause symptoms like sweating, trembling, and being unable to focus on anything other than how much it’s going to hurt. It can also make the physical process worse, too, Heather Richards, a phlebotomist (a medical professional who specializes in taking blood) with Indiana University Health, tells SELF.

First of all, stress can make your blood pressure spike temporarily, which narrows your blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can make it harder for the provider to find your veins and draw blood, Richards explains.

Also, if you’re particularly scared of blood tests, you might start hyperventilating, or breathing too quickly. When this happens, the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood might dip too low, so you feel lightheaded or even pass out, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Given that nurses and phlebotomists draw blood all the time, we pumped them for their best tips on making blood tests as pain-free—and faint-free—as possible.

You know which arm we’re talking about. Unless watching blood leave your body is fun for you, give your arm some privacy. “I don’t even watch when I get my own blood drawn,” Cartledge says.

Watching it all go down might cause something called vasovagal syncope. Basically, your system overreacts to catching such an unusual sight that your heart rate and blood pressure drop suddenly, reducing the amount of blood flow to your brain and ultimately causing you to pass out, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can make this all way less likely if you avert your gaze, Richards says.

Some people with hold their breath to brace for the needle’s pinch, but halting your flow of oxygen can lead to even more anxiety, Richards says. “Slow and steady [breathing] is key,” she says. She recommends that patients take their time breathing deeply in and out through their diaphragms. “You can even count your breaths to focus on that versus your blood being drawn,” she says.

You can really pick any number, Richards says—the point is to give your mind something to do other than worry about the needle. But if you want to go the extra mile for the sake of calming yourself, you can ask your provider how long it will take for them to draw your blood. Once you feel the needle go in, count down from or up to that number so you know exactly how long you have until sweet, sweet freedom.

You’re probably not feeling super chatty when someone’s coming at you with a needle, but talking through your nerves can help, Magdalena Juanes, a certified phlebotomy technician with NorthShore University HealthSystem, tells SELF. You can ask them if they’ll explain what they’re doing as they do it, or regale them with the latest antics at your job. Whatever the topic, talking can help you breathe and make the whole thing go by more quickly.

If it typically takes a nurse or phlebotomist a few tries to find a good vein, the person taking your blood will probably appreciate the warning. “It is never a nuisance to tell [us] if your veins can be difficult to find. We would rather have a head’s up,” Richards says. You can just say something simple, like, “In the past, it’s been really hard for my providers to find a good vein on the first try.”

Become a pro at blood sugar testing. The benefits range from less pain to more accurate results.

Understand Diabetes Testing

If you have diabetes, it’s imperative that you learn to effectively self-test your blood sugar to keep your glucose levels in check. For example, results from a study of more than 5,000 people living with diabetes showed that even those people who don’t take medication for diabetes have better blood sugar control if they test regularly. The study participants’ risk of early kidney damage, strokes, and death from diabetes-related causes was also reduced by one-third.

Of course, the accuracy of your results is tied to the accuracy of your checking — and to your understanding of what all the numbers mean. “The most important point to me is that people are learning something from checking their blood sugar,” says Sacha Uelmen, RDN, CDE, director of nutrition for the American Diabetes Association. “Don’t just look at those numbers, write them down, and move on. If you have diabetes, take an active role in your health.” To get the most useful readings, learn these common blood sugar testing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Testing Your Fingertip

“The single biggest mistake people make is testing the fingertip where the nerves are located,” says Renee Amori, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. The pad of your finger is the most sensitive spot, so testing there will hurt.

The solution for better diabetes control: Put your hands together with flat palms and fingertips pressed together. Test along the edges that are now visible. “Testing on the edges is going to be less painful because you’re not going to be touching things with them,” Uelmen says.

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• Your Heart Rate
• Checking Your Blood Pressure
• Blood Tests

Your doctor will do some simple tests to get clues about how well your ticker is doing. They’ll listen to your heart, take your heart rate, and check your blood pressure. You may get a blood test, too.

Your Heart Rate

Your doctor will feel your pulse to check your heart rate and rhythm. Each pulse matches up with a heartbeat that pumps blood through your arteries.

Finding out your pulse helps your doctor judge the strength of your blood flow and blood pressure in different areas of your body.

You can tell how fast your heart beats and whether it’s regular by feeling your pulse. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in 1 minute.

To measure your pulse on your own:

• Get a watch with a second hand.
• Place your index and middle finger of your hand on the inner wrist of the other arm, just below the base of the thumb. You should feel a tapping or pulsing against your fingers.
• Count the number of taps you feel in 10 seconds.
• Multiply that number by 6 to find out your heart rate for 1 minute.

Besides checking your pulse, your doctor can hear the opening and closing of your heart valves by using a stethoscope.

Checking Your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it around your body. There are two ways it’s measured:

Systolic blood pressure. This is the pressure in your arteries when your heart squeezes.

Diastolic blood pressure. It’s the pressure in your when your heart is relaxed, between heartbeats.

Normal blood pressure for an adult, when you’re at rest, is less than 120 over less than 80. The 120 is the systolic pressure. The diastolic pressure is 79.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a blood pressure reading of 130/80 or higher.

Years of high blood pressure can stiffen and narrow your artery walls, which blocks the blood flow to your heart. It can lead to heart disease or heart attack.

Your blood pressure may go up or down depending on your age, heart condition, emotions, activity, and the medications you take. One high reading doesn’t mean you have high blood pressure. You need to measure it at different times while you’re resting to find out your typical numbers.

Continued

Blood Tests

Your doctor may suggest a blood test to check your levels of sodium, potassium, albumin, and creatinine. Abnormal levels could suggest problems with organs like your kidneys and liver, possible signs of heart failure.

A blood test can measure levels of your cholesterol, including LDL “bad” cholesterol and HDL “good” cholesterol. It can also help diagnose other conditions such as anemia or thyroid disease that can affect your heart.

Sources

American Heart Association:В ”Common Tests for Heart Failure,”В ”Understanding Blood Pressure Readings,” ”How to Get Your Cholesterol Tested.”В

Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus.

After exposure, it takes a week or two before there are enough virus particles to be detected in your blood.

Your body responds to the virus by producing antibodies. It can take anywhere from 8 to 11 weeks , on average, for antibodies to become detectable in your blood.

The time between exposure and when antibodies can be detected is called the window period.

Your doctor might test you for hepatitis C if you have symptoms or abnormal liver test results. A test taken during the window period can produce a false-negative result because antibodies aren’t detectable yet.

If you believe you’ve been exposed to the virus, your doctor will probably recommend taking another test in a month or two.

Hepatitis C is diagnosed by testing your blood. You may need to have more than one blood test.

A healthcare provider will take a sample of your blood from a vein in your arm. It’ll be sent to a lab for testing, and your doctor should be able to give you the results within a few days.

The initial test is used to look for hepatitis C antibodies.

If you test negative and don’t believe you’ve been exposed to the virus, you probably don’t need another test.

If there’s a possibility that you were exposed to the virus, and you’re still in the window period, the test should be repeated in a few months.

A positive result requires additional testing to determine if the antibodies are due to a past infection or a current one. If it’s a current infection, another blood test can tell you how much of the virus is in your bloodstream.

In the case of a hepatitis C infection, viral genotyping can help identify the specific type of hepatitis C. This information will guide your treatment.

When a virus enters your body, your immune system takes action. It produces antibodies to seek out and destroy the foreign invaders. Once you make antibodies, you always have them, whether you have an active hepatitis C infection or not.

That’s where the antibody screening test comes in. After your blood is tested, the results will be negative (nonreactive) or positive (reactive).

A negative result means that you haven’t contracted the virus or that it’s simply too soon after infection to detect antibodies.

Tell your doctor if you think you’ve been exposed within the previous 3 months. If you’re still within the window period, you’ll need to repeat the test to confirm the negative result.

A positive result indicates you have hepatitis C antibodies. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have hepatitis C, but it does mean you’ve been exposed to the virus at some point.

You would still have antibodies even if your immune system defeated the virus.

Next, your doctor will likely order a qualitative blood test to determine if you have an active infection.

For the most part, blood glucose meters—devices that measure and display blood glucose levels—are simple to use and provide readings you can trust. But they aren’t perfect and inaccurate readings are possible. Extremely high or low readings that are made in error can have serious consquences. Inaccurate readings happen for a variety of reasons, including human error. But the error can usually be corrected without much effort. Here are some common mistakes users make along with tips to help you improve the reliability of your device and your test results.

But first, it’s important to note that if you get a reading that seems way off—especially one that doesn’t match your symptoms—always perform a re-test. When re-testing, take your time to ensure you are using the strips and the device correctly and repeat the procedure. If you get a similar reading again, call your healthcare professional or the phone number on the back of the meter as malfunctions can occur and product recalls happen periodically.

The following factors can impact meter accuracy.If you find you are contributing unintentionally to the problem, take the necessary steps to get the right results:

• Be sure your meter and hands are clean. It seems like a no-brainer, but a dirty meter can alter your reading. Clean your meter regularly, and before you do a reading, wipe off any noticeable blood, dirt, or grease. It’s also vital to perform your test on a clean fingertip. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before extracting a blood sample.
• Be aware of test strip issues. Make sure your test strips are compatible with your meter. Saving money by purchasing less expensive strips that are not designed to work with your meter is a bad idea. Be sure the strip is inserted correctly into the meter. Test strips have expiration dates so check prior to using them. Using an expired test strip can also result in an accurate reading. Proper storage is important. Keep stored at room temperature — away from heat and humidity.
• Recognize problems with your monitor. As with test strips, glucose meters should also be stored at room temperature. Replace your meter’s battery when necessary.

Related

• How to Workout Without Causing Hypoglycemia
• Blood Glucose Testing for Diabetes: How to Choose the Right Meter for You

• Enter the correct test strip code. Each time you run a test ,be sure the proper test strip code from the outside of the test strip bottle is entered into the meter correctly. The current process has been streamlined to make it easier for the user.For example, today’s One Touch’s strips all have the code 25; Freestyle is 16. But, just because these strips have the same code number, user error could still accidentally change it in the meter, creating issues and causing inaccurate results. So, experts advise always checking to be sure the codes match up.
• Use the correrct amount of blood on the test strip. Using too little blood — not filling the test strip completely — is another cause of inaccurate readings.
• Take blood from your fingertip. Fingertips are the most common areas to test, but if you’re using a different location — your upper arm, for example — and you think the reading is wrong, test it again using a sample from your fingertip.In a circumstance when you feel your blood glucose levels are rising or you have low blood glucose, do not test blood from an alternate site. The fingertip is the most accurate place to get a blood sample, especially if you have just eaten or taken insulin.
• Do a quality-control check using the test solution that comes with your device. Another way to check accuracy is to run a test with the test solution.Follow the manufacturer’s directions. Some meters have electronic test strips that signal you if there is a malfunction.

Other Tips for Getting Accurate Blood Glucose Test Results

To make sure your meter is working properly, bring it to your next doctor’s appointment and take a reading using the meter. Compare your reading to the doctor’s lab test result.

Ask your healthcare provider to check your technique. He or she can observe you as you test your blood and may provide valuable feedback and other helpful tips. If your doctor spots a problem with your meter, he or she can help you address it.

For additional help with your meter, remember you can always call the phone number on the device or consult the manufacturer’s website for information such as answers to frequently-asked questions.

Taking simple steps to insure blood glucose reading accuracy should be part of your routine. Successful diabetes management depends on accurate readings so don’t hestitate to contact your health care provider whenever you are concerned.