home blood sugar monitoring or self testing
Is this correct? ANSWER: Hi, First, I need to know who told you not to self-test your blood glucose. If it was your doctor, then, you should follow his/her advice as he/she knows better your medical history. If it was somebody else (of non-medical field), then, I would suggest to talk to your doctor for your own diabetes control. With regards to my opinion, I would advise to keep tracking your blood sugar, record the results and present to your doctor to give him/her a more profound idea on your diabetes management. It is true that self-monitoring machines are not 100 percent accurate; however, studies have shown that a diabetic can rely on these machines while monitoring blood glucose. This inaccuracy is derived from: - the inexperienced person: if you are self-testing, especially when newly-diagnosed diabetic, then, at the beginning, it would be difficult for you to test blood sugar until you get experienced. - another factor is related to the clearing of the glucose-machine. According to manufacturer instructions, the machine should be cleared well after each measuring. Furthermore, it is advised to do the testing of the machine according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Actually, every glucose meters are supplied with an additional testing liquid to estimate the accuracy and well-functioning of the machine. - another factor include the way you draw the blood after finger-pricking. It is advised to clear the skin where you want to do the pricking with alcohol, and to wait until alcohol is dried. This is because, the presence of non-dried alcohol will affect the blood glucose results. In addition, after you have pricked your finger, please clear the first drawn-blood with a cotton. After that, you can measure the BG only with the next drawn blood. If you follow the instructions given by the manufacturer correctly, then, the accuracy of self-monitoring of blood glucose will be very high while managing your diabetes. All the best! Dr.Alba |