Please let me know your experience with incorrect blood sugar readings. Want to chat more? Book a call with me here calendly.com/typeonetalks or message me directly on Patreon. I respond to every question www.patreon.com/typeonetalks
Apparently an a1c test in the lab only tests for glucose levels. Does not include sugars from fructose etc. Therefore if a person eats a lot of fruit, milk etc it is not reflected in the result. I am assuming this would be the same in a finger prick test too.?
@@kfw7742 That doesn't seem correct? I would assume if you eat fructose, that would increase your blood glucose levels so that is then reflected in A1c levels.
@@anitastokar98 the test only checks for glucose. Up to Sept 22 at time of reading report, there wasn't a laboratory in the USA or Europe that included levels of fructose in the a1c tests.
To everyone reading this, I sincerely pray for that whatever is causing you pain or stress will pass. May your negative thoughts, excessive worries and doubts disappear, replaced by clarity and understanding. May your life be filled with peace, tranquility and love
If you use one of desinfectant wipes, make sure the area is dry before you test. I run into this at the doctors office, they don't wait long enough. The reading will show too low due to the alcohol dilution.
Wow interesting! I had this happen at the dr too, but the nurse was unkind so I didn't want to say anything in the moment. But do you say something about it to them?
@@iphone-repair-fuengirola there are a lot out there, but I connected with Tom the best. Other videos may have even more information, but I felt very grateful for Tom's videos since they got me over the shock
When I was first diagnosed as a diabetic, I tried all fingers. This was done as quickly as possible. I had 9 different readings. If I remember correctly the readings varied by 15 points.
I once had two glucometers and did a test whereby I did 2 tests, one on each glucometer but from the same drop of blood there was quite a different result recrded on each glucometer
I recently did this same thing between the Freestyle Lite and the Contour Next Gen in the BG range of 80-100. 10 tests over 24 hours showed averages about -2mg/dl on the Contour so essentially the same.
Thank you! For the last six weeks I've been trying to figure out why my numbers suddenly jumped 116-124 to 127-133 after this video I checked my nutrition logs and found a change in my supplements bumping my Vit C to over 700mg/day
@@Dan23_7vitamin C doesn't actually increase your blood sugar though, its just that the vitamin c in your blood is mistaken as glucose which causes a false high reading. Niacin on the other hand can actually increase your blood sugar.
I have 2 glucose monitors… one is old 2021.. I just learned how to use it… then I just bought one for $70.00.. the old one gives me a lower reading.. I like that one best.
Wonderful thank you so much for the tests you are doing for us diabetics I’m T2D and learned a lot from your channel on TH-cam. I nearly got sucked in on buying a blood sugar monitoring watch now I see they don’t really work so I will be getting another smart watch without the blood sugar monitor, thanks again 🇨🇦Alberta All the best!
thanks for the great warning, that's exactly what happened to me, I was cleaning fruit and didn't wash my hands enough, and then after measuring incorrectly, I gave myself a higher dose of insulin...
I had a faulty meter which was giving me false readings making them higher than what they were unfortunately I had a hypo through this I was sent a replacement meter so things are a lot better
Thanks for that, it will be very useful indeed.I appreciate the pain you put yourself through to help us all. I particularly liked the less painful shallow stab setting I never thought of before. The stability of my Libre 2 sensors is such that a low glucose warning alarm goes to high reading in a few seconds because I just stood up. Maybe it's my age [75] combined with rotten health. At such times I need an accurate blood test!
One further point to note is that if you push too hard to get a drop of blood, this can also affect the reading. Something happens with blood at the molecular level which has an impact on the glucose in the blood. At least that's what I was advised. Anyone else heard the same thing? Always best to have a good sized drop of blood.
Another issue that may cause inaccurate readings is cross contamination from the lancets. While it isn’t easy or practical to change the lancet every time, and while they don’t explicitly instruct you to always use a fresh lancet, manufacturers assume you do. So if your previous measure was quite high after consuming lots of sugar, using the same lancet might give you a false high later.
@@bobboscarato1313 And yet they are sold separately. At my local pharmacy, the quantity and variety of test strips outnumbers that of lancets by at least 10:1.
I don't replace or clean my lancet until it starts to get dull. I now have a CGM so don't prick often. I also don't use an alcohol wipe if I do. I wash my hands with Dawn well and often, and don't loan my equipment to anyone. I am not all that impressed with alcohol as a germ killer. If we really want to sterilize something in the hospital we use Betadine. This coming from an RN for 50 years.
Text book blood glucose reading: 1. clean the spot which you want to prick with medical alcohol (applied to a cotton ball, then clean thoroughly) 2. discard the first drop of blood (using a clean cotton stick) 3. measure your glucose using the second drop.
Your video has great info, but the problem I had was that I had to figure all this out for myself, before I even thought about searching for such a video. I wish that doctors diagnosing new people with diabetes would provide more of this kind of practical information. I was told to wash my hands with soap, but it was my soap that turned a 6.6 readings into 9.5 readings, and scared me about a bunch of food dishes. Now I have to restart the whole experimental protocol of evaluating what different foods do to my system, all over again, since my data had an unacceptable amount of error. Oh well, live and learn.
I have been a type 1 diabetic for 40 years now and your experiment is good information for the unseasoned people who are diabetic! I have a scenario that I would like to share with you? I have tested my blood sugar back to back with the same drop of blood just a much bigger drop of blood from my finger using the same meter with 2 different different new strips and there was a 15 point difference between both tests! So which reading was correct? Answer!! Both of them were correct for the definition of what home blood glucose meters were designed for? A blood glucose test is just capturing a moment in time of your blood sugar! The biggest question is where was your blood sugar 15 minutes before and where will it be 15 minutes after?
Just a couple of more thoughts: 1. Sweat contains sugars so if it is a hot day make sure to have everything ready to go as soon as you’ve washed and dried your hands. 2. The glucose in your blood is not exactly the same concentration throughout. This means even if you test two different drops taken in close succession there may be some variation in reading. However, the variation is not likely to be huge. With all the factors taken into account and bearing in mind blood sugars are always changing in living beings and that there is also some variation even in lab tests, these numbers seem quite reasonable.
Hi my friend your so good at giving us valuable information your a super star thanks for your service do you think apple cider vinegar helps London UK 🇬🇧
Berberine in the morning and Amla in the evening help my morning and bedtime reading to around 4 mmol (90's). Except after I have a major meal at dinner time which is usually spike around 8.0-8.5 (150ish.), then back to 5.0-5.5 (90's) once past the 2-hour mark after eating.
7:56 In my experience the first 30 seconds of your body being in icey water are the worst. After that, the body starts to react to make it bearable. There are also techniques to activate your natural heating system.
Did mine on the glucometer off the engine and it was 129, went straight to the ambient and checked it with that glucometer and it was 142 on that one????? Can be frustrating --
Great video! Your explanation about the fluctuation of blood sugar levels really helped me understand more about health management. Thank you for sharing these practical tips!
Excellent video again Tom 👌🏼 I have the accuchek cassette strip meter for my finger pricks. I once took a reading (before I had cgm) and it read “High” Turned out I had some residual vape juice on my finger 😂 I hadn’t washed my hands before testing. But one of the reasons I was put on cgm (nhs) is because I have Raynaud’s. During cold weather I it can strike thus making my finger tips white and impossible to extract blood. I love the tip for testing drinks 😂😂
I am surprised you always did the tip tops of your fingers to test your blood. I always use the sides of my fingers (I very rarely use my fingers though because I use a CGM) and was expecting you to compare the sides verses the tips (not a critique mind you as you did MANY variables). I also know that people sometimes use an arm, but I have heard that those readings shouldn't be used if your blood sugar is rising or falling, sort of like a CGM being more inaccurate if blood sugar is rapidly increasing or decreasing.
@@djstretchtone9851 There are several made. My endocrinologist ordered the Abbott one for me, so I assume he thinks it's the best. U an see more onthe Abbott site.
To normalne, że cukier za każdym razem może pokazywać inne wartości. To organizm żywy, gdzie ciągle zachodzą procesy. A glukometr to tylko urządzenie i ma określony procent błędu.
I use an alcohol wipe before each test. I noticed at the hospital that they use an alcohol wipe. Prick and wipe the first blood off with a wipe then squeeze blood out again. They test on the second squeeze of blood to avoid a false low they said.
You should know that you must *always* wipe away the first blood drop - it can contain substances that gives inaccurate readings. Use the same lancet setting for all tests, do not adjust it, rather change the lancet.
Alcohol swabs. Sometimes I clean my finger with rubbing alcohol. Then I debate if the remaining liquid is ok. Should I remove the alcohol with something. What if that introduces dirt?
I have always used alcohol to do the cleaning. I have found tht you can get very different readings using different test strips on the same drop of blood.
Gotta admit, both my glucometers give me variance between successive readings that's often way in excess of the permitted 10%. I usually have to do a best out of 3. Another reason unreliable Libres is so annoying!
A friend showed me how to test my blood sugar, cause Dr that diagnosed me didn't bother, handed me the bag with everything in it. I use the side of the finger instead of tip .
Can somebody answer a question? Got my blood test results, the printout they gave me read 38 mmol/mol. According to their numbers this is under the good range. The other 2 are moderate and poor. Yet they sent a text saying that my cholesterol is high, without making life style changes. I could head towards a risk of cardiovascular disease. At reception they were unable to explain it and the chances of speaking to a GP is slim as it's too busy. Can anyone explain by any chance?
Normally we pitch ( massage a bit) our finger and wipe / cleanse it with alcohol swab before we take blood for glucose test. Just make sure your glucometer are from trusted brand.
Blood sugar testers are notoriously all over the map. My doctor's blood sugar tester said my blood sugar was 120+. I had brought my own tester the Accu-check guide(2nd highest ranked/rated for accuracy blood sugar tester on the market) which showed my blood sugar was 98. My Dr blamed the test trips having been in my car for the error. When I got back home I tested it again this time using strips that had not been in the car, same 98(which is normal).
Kaiser uses the onetouch meter but for me that was always 18% off the A1C. I bought the Contour next one meter and that was 9% off the A1C. It is a shame that some just use the bad meters and if you want an accurate reading you have to buy another one to get better readings.
The thing is, when I'm having a hypo, I don't think to wash and dry my hands, I just finger prick just to double check against my Freestyle Libre 2 sensor.
The Libre 2 has a Test Strip option. Yes, they are not exact, but it is the changes that we are watching. Prick in the same place to allow a corn to develop the SIDE of the pinky is best for least pain. NEVER in the center of the finger !
Good day, On Fora Diamond Mini meters the less blood makes higher Blood Glucose Readings and its extremely sensitive to hand creams and contaminants on the hands like fruit residues and food left on unwashed hands.
At 66 years old I am a new diabetic. I have had morning tests anywhere from 80- 110 and evening readings 2 hours after dinner anywhere from 90- 184. I was told by different people that normal is from 60-100. And other people say 60-130. What is normal ? And what is a good way to bring down blood sugar ? So far I am only on Metformin
It’s all a bit subjective and depends on one’s circumstances I’d say. Please check my other videos if you’re interested in my view. I would also refer you to the ADA (American Diabetes Association). They set certain benchmarks in terms of these values. Hope this helps!
Couple of tricks I've learned over my 52 years as a Type 1. When I can't wash my hands, or when I suspect that my fingers may have become contaminated by foods or beverages I do one of two things, or both. I take the blood sample from the back of my fingers just below the fingernail as this surface is far less likely to have come in contact. And/or I take the sample from my little finger as I seldom use it to to pick up a food item or to extract a dextrose tablet from a container.
my sensor stopped working at 3AM after day 4 - so I took it off and installed a new sensor. Libre 3 could NOT find this new sennsoor and said no NCF app found in this tag ??? I uninstalled the app and re--installed it on my phone and answered all the questions all over again and now the new sensor was discovered. This app is a bit flawed/ I am also trying the chest as a better site for me. We;ll see how that works.
Don't take a blood glucose reading after taking vitamin C, particularly high dose vitamin C. The vitamin C molecule is very similar to glucose and can cause an incorrect increase in blood glucose. If you swab your finger with alcohol before pricking, then ensure the alcohol is fully evaporated. I swab, let it dry a moment, prick, squeeze and wipe off the first drop, then squeeze again to get a big drop to test with. If my first prick is not deep enough, I always prick again rather than squeeze too hard. I alternate fingers throughout the day and vary using sides/tops, but do still get very consistent readings. Occasionally I think I get a bad strip, like once I measured over 9 (I had never been that high before!) did a couple of retests and was back to 6.5 postprandial. I'm not diabetic but I test quite regularly to observe the effects of different activities and foods.
Can anyone explain to me how a blood test for A1c can go back 3 months? I suspect diabetic because I have been prediabetic. But in the morning after only drinking water for 8-10 hours my glucose will be like 125-150. Then I’ll eat something random and it drops? I don’t quite understand how this works. Thanks. 😊
I know from personal experience that a cold shower, or better yet, swimming in cold water will bring blood sugars down fast. I will even get fast dips down, the combination of swimming in cool or cold water with the exercise works well.
Thanks. The info is very helpful. I do have a question. What if instead of washing my hands, I clean them by using alcohol or hand sanitizer ? Does this impact the reading significantly?
What is your experience taking readings after using alcohol wipes? I'm not always in a location where a sink is available to wash hands, so I carry alcohol wipes with me to clean my finger before sticking.
I don't use them, I wash my hands well, use warm water if ur having trouble getting a decent size droplet, and I wash in Dawn. In the hospital if we really want to sterilize an area, we wipe it with Betadine, not alcohol unless we want to wipe the Betadine off last.
@@susanp102 the whole point was what do I do when I can't wash my hands. I would of course prefer to wash my hands, but I'm not always in a place where I can when I need to take a reading.
@@michellemillssmith2901 I wouldn't worry about it, unless u are in a really dirty place. U can carry a few alcohol wipes. I don't usually wash my hands since I seem to be always washing them during the day at other times, and I am usually in my own environment, at home. My father carried his insulin in his pocket with a syringe which he used over and over again, no alcohol wipes, no hand cleaner, and didn't have a problem. I have a cat who hs liberal use of her claws and I sometimes get enough blood to do a test if I had everything ready, and I've never gotten an infection from her. I'm not suggesting this for u, but an occasional time I don't think would be a problem.
@@susanp102 that makes sense, but I'm not really worried about getting an infection. I'm more worried about the blood sample being tainted by whatever might be on my hands, and causing a problem with the reading.
How do l know which is the correct one if one side is about 6 the other side is like 8 . The range difference is huge. Please l need advice on this Because l usually feel ok .
Thanks for the excellent information on testing. I harpoon my finger an squeeze out 2 samples and wipe them off and then test the 3rd sample, so as not to have a bad sample. If my hands feel cold I must warm them up first, or it's very difficult to get a sufficient sample. I touch my fingers to my cheeks (winter) to see if they are cool and if so, I warm them up for testing.
Please let me know your experience with incorrect blood sugar readings.
Want to chat more? Book a call with me here calendly.com/typeonetalks or message me directly on Patreon. I respond to every question www.patreon.com/typeonetalks
Considering you don’t look like you have T2D, why is your blood sugar that high at baseline?
Where do I get the test solution? I'm using my Libre2 and those test strips for testing my bs. T1D.
Apparently an a1c test in the lab only tests for glucose levels. Does not include sugars from fructose etc. Therefore if a person eats a lot of fruit, milk etc it is not reflected in the result. I am assuming this would be the same in a finger prick test too.?
@@kfw7742 That doesn't seem correct? I would assume if you eat fructose, that would increase your blood glucose levels so that is then reflected in A1c levels.
@@anitastokar98 the test only checks for glucose. Up to Sept 22 at time of reading report, there wasn't a laboratory in the USA or Europe that included levels of fructose in the a1c tests.
To everyone reading this, I sincerely pray for that whatever is causing you pain or stress will pass. May your negative thoughts, excessive worries and doubts disappear, replaced by clarity and understanding. May your life be filled with peace, tranquility and love
Ameen
Stay focused on Jesus.
Thanks for experimenting on yourself. Using expired strips gave much lower readings for me.
If you use one of desinfectant wipes, make sure the area is dry before you test. I run into this at the doctors office, they don't wait long enough. The reading will show too low due to the alcohol dilution.
Wow interesting! I had this happen at the dr too, but the nurse was unkind so I didn't want to say anything in the moment. But do you say something about it to them?
I just discovered I am diabetic and your videos are just wonderful!
It is really kind of you to make them and you are doing it so well.
TH-cam a video called how to reverse diabetes in 30 days
@@iphone-repair-fuengirola there are a lot out there, but I connected with Tom the best.
Other videos may have even more information, but I felt very grateful for Tom's videos since they got me over the shock
When I was first diagnosed as a diabetic, I tried all fingers. This was done as quickly as possible. I had 9 different readings. If I remember correctly the readings varied by 15 points.
The accuracy of consumer glucometers is +/- up to 10%, so there can be a wide variety of readings. Your readings are within this range.
Agree with your comment. All of those readings, except for the orange juice contaminated one, are plenty close to make treatment decisions.
Exactly. Thank you!
This! 👍🏼
He adresses this 4 minutes into the video.
P@@coopgm
I once had two glucometers and did a test whereby I did 2 tests, one on each glucometer but from the same drop of blood there was quite a different result recrded on each glucometer
I recently did this same thing between the Freestyle Lite and the Contour Next Gen in the BG range of 80-100. 10 tests over 24 hours showed averages about -2mg/dl on the Contour so essentially the same.
I use an alcohol wipe, and also wipe the first blood drop on a clean paper towels, them collect the next drop on the test strip.
Thanks for the V C tip. Also, what about using rubbing alcohol before pricking as they do in medical settings?
Thank you! For the last six weeks I've been trying to figure out why my numbers suddenly jumped 116-124 to 127-133 after this video I checked my nutrition logs and found a change in my supplements bumping my Vit C to over 700mg/day
Niacin in vitamin B3 can also raise blood sugar too.
@@Dan23_7vitamin C doesn't actually increase your blood sugar though, its just that the vitamin c in your blood is mistaken as glucose which causes a false high reading.
Niacin on the other hand can actually increase your blood sugar.
@@grandpaseth3779really?? B3? So its bad for you???
@@slickrick5596 it's not necessarily bad for you but it can raise your blood sugar at high doses. Just something to look out for
I was hoping you would do a test with an alcohol wipe. I’ve suspected they might increase my reading
I have 2 glucose monitors… one is old 2021.. I just learned how to use it… then I just bought one for $70.00.. the old one gives me a lower reading.. I like that one best.
Wonderful thank you so much for the tests you are doing for us diabetics I’m T2D and learned a lot from your channel on TH-cam. I nearly got sucked in on buying a blood sugar monitoring watch now I see they don’t really work so I will be getting another smart watch without the blood sugar monitor, thanks again 🇨🇦Alberta All the best!
I have been wondering about this topic recently, thank you for this!
Also if you have moisturizer on your hand or residue left, especially if it includes vit c as an ingredient
What about using alcohol pads to clean your finger?
Thanks for being the guinea pig! I'll wash and dry before testing.
thanks for the great warning, that's exactly what happened to me, I was cleaning fruit and didn't wash my hands enough, and then after measuring incorrectly, I gave myself a higher dose of insulin...
I had a faulty meter which was giving me false readings making them higher than what they were unfortunately I had a hypo through this I was sent a replacement meter so things are a lot better
Thanks for that, it will be very useful indeed.I appreciate the pain you put yourself through to help us all. I particularly liked the less painful shallow stab setting I never thought of before.
The stability of my Libre 2 sensors is such that a low glucose warning alarm goes to high reading in a few seconds because I just stood up. Maybe it's my age [75] combined with rotten health. At such times I need an accurate blood test!
One further point to note is that if you push too hard to get a drop of blood, this can also affect the reading. Something happens with blood at the molecular level which has an impact on the glucose in the blood. At least that's what I was advised. Anyone else heard the same thing? Always best to have a good sized drop of blood.
Yes, it can cause lysis, or breakdown of the blood cell.
Didn't know that! Good to know, although I don't normally have to squeeze hard.
Possible because you are pressing so hard to get a sample other fluids are getting into the mix and "watering" down the sample.
That is what my dr told me-don’t squeeze for best accuracy
Good responses to this comment. Thanks everyone.
Wow! Thx I really didn't know that it can cause false reading like that! Guess we have to really be careful.
Another issue that may cause inaccurate readings is cross contamination from the lancets. While it isn’t easy or practical to change the lancet every time, and while they don’t explicitly instruct you to always use a fresh lancet, manufacturers assume you do. So if your previous measure was quite high after consuming lots of sugar, using the same lancet might give you a false high later.
@@wan2852 Lol.. ok you’ve had a hypoglycaemic crisis and had one or two of your emergency glucose lollies … and a coca-cola. …
They ALWAYS tell you to install test strip and replace lancet!
@@bobboscarato1313 And yet they are sold separately. At my local pharmacy, the quantity and variety of test strips outnumbers that of lancets by at least 10:1.
I clean the tip of my lancet with alcohol wipe for reuse.
I don't replace or clean my lancet until it starts to get dull. I now have a CGM so don't prick often. I also don't use an alcohol wipe if I do. I wash my hands with Dawn well and often, and don't loan my equipment to anyone. I am not all that impressed with alcohol as a germ killer. If we really want to sterilize something in the hospital we use Betadine. This coming from an RN for 50 years.
This was sooo very helpful!
Text book blood glucose reading:
1. clean the spot which you want to prick with medical alcohol (applied to a cotton ball, then clean thoroughly)
2. discard the first drop of blood (using a clean cotton stick)
3. measure your glucose using the second drop.
Your video has great info, but the problem I had was that I had to figure all this out for myself, before I even thought about searching for such a video. I wish that doctors diagnosing new people with diabetes would provide more of this kind of practical information. I was told to wash my hands with soap, but it was my soap that turned a 6.6 readings into 9.5 readings, and scared me about a bunch of food dishes. Now I have to restart the whole experimental protocol of evaluating what different foods do to my system, all over again, since my data had an unacceptable amount of error. Oh well, live and learn.
I have been a type 1 diabetic for 40 years now and your experiment is good information for the unseasoned people who are diabetic! I have a scenario that I would like to share with you? I have tested my blood sugar back to back with the same drop of blood just a much bigger drop of blood from my finger using the same meter with 2 different different new strips and there was a 15 point difference between both tests! So which reading was correct? Answer!! Both of them were correct for the definition of what home blood glucose meters were designed for? A blood glucose test is just capturing a moment in time of your blood sugar! The biggest question is where was your blood sugar 15 minutes before and where will it be 15 minutes after?
Just a couple of more thoughts:
1. Sweat contains sugars so if it is a hot day make sure to have everything ready to go as soon as you’ve washed and dried your hands.
2. The glucose in your blood is not exactly the same concentration throughout. This means even if you test two different drops taken in close succession there may be some variation in reading. However, the variation is not likely to be huge.
With all the factors taken into account and bearing in mind blood sugars are always changing in living beings and that there is also some variation even in lab tests, these numbers seem quite reasonable.
Yup on a hot sticky noon
Hi my friend your so good at giving us valuable information your a super star thanks for your service do you think apple cider vinegar helps London UK 🇬🇧
Berberine in the morning and Amla in the evening help my morning and bedtime reading to around 4 mmol (90's). Except after I have a major meal at dinner time which is usually spike around 8.0-8.5 (150ish.), then back to 5.0-5.5 (90's) once past the 2-hour mark after eating.
What is AMLA?
7:56 In my experience the first 30 seconds of your body being in icey water are the worst. After that, the body starts to react to make it bearable. There are also techniques to activate your natural heating system.
You're right! Vitamin C also throws off the meter.
Awesome study. Thanks for doing the test!
Main test is missing..
Alcohol swab test.. i wanted to know how sanitising finger with an alcohol swab affects the reading
You are fantastic, clear precise
You could have then used warm to hot water to heat your hands. I'd like to see what high body temperature does to blood sugar. Thanks!
Did mine on the glucometer off the engine and it was 129, went straight to the ambient and checked it with that glucometer and it was 142 on that one????? Can be frustrating --
Great video! Your explanation about the fluctuation of blood sugar levels really helped me understand more about health management. Thank you for sharing these practical tips!
Excellent video again Tom 👌🏼 I have the accuchek cassette strip meter for my finger pricks. I once took a reading (before I had cgm) and it read “High”
Turned out I had some residual vape juice on my finger 😂 I hadn’t washed my hands before testing.
But one of the reasons I was put on cgm (nhs) is because I have Raynaud’s. During cold weather I it can strike thus making my finger tips white and impossible to extract blood.
I love the tip for testing drinks 😂😂
what about if you're in an area where you're unable to wash your hands, but use alcohol wipes instead?
Better then not at all. Use saliva to get the big chunks off and then the alcohol wipe.
I am surprised you always did the tip tops of your fingers to test your blood. I always use the sides of my fingers (I very rarely use my fingers though because I use a CGM) and was expecting you to compare the sides verses the tips (not a critique mind you as you did MANY variables). I also know that people sometimes use an arm, but I have heard that those readings shouldn't be used if your blood sugar is rising or falling, sort of like a CGM being more inaccurate if blood sugar is rapidly increasing or decreasing.
I use the sides as well. Less painful, better blood flow, and prevents callouses from forming so the sense of touch is less affected.
I'm new to diabetes information. Can you suggest a link for more more information on CGM?
@@djstretchtone9851 There are several made. My endocrinologist ordered the Abbott one for me, so I assume he thinks it's the best. U an see more onthe Abbott site.
To normalne, że cukier za każdym razem może pokazywać inne wartości. To organizm żywy, gdzie ciągle zachodzą procesy. A glukometr to tylko urządzenie i ma określony procent błędu.
Contour test strips are designed to perform tests in hematocrit range from 0 to 70. So hydrated or not your test result wont get affected.
I use an alcohol wipe before each test. I noticed at the hospital that they use an alcohol wipe. Prick and wipe the first blood off with a wipe then squeeze blood out again. They test on the second squeeze of blood to avoid a false low they said.
Thanks!
you don't use alcohol pads before you do it ?
You should know that you must *always* wipe away the first blood drop - it can contain substances that gives inaccurate readings. Use the same lancet setting for all tests, do not adjust it, rather change the lancet.
Alcohol swabs. Sometimes I clean my finger with rubbing alcohol. Then I debate if the remaining liquid is ok. Should I remove the alcohol with something. What if that introduces dirt?
I have always used alcohol to do the cleaning. I have found tht you can get very different readings using different test strips on the same drop of blood.
Great video, Tom! Thank you :)
I tested. 108 . About 11pm. And at 930 this morning it was 107 . Yes I've been up since 11pm . ! I went to bed super early .
My test strips give an error in the machine if they are cold (in winter). I need to warm them up between my hands first.
Gotta admit, both my glucometers give me variance between successive readings that's often way in excess of the permitted 10%. I usually have to do a best out of 3.
Another reason unreliable Libres is so annoying!
A friend showed me how to test my blood sugar, cause Dr that diagnosed me didn't bother, handed me the bag with everything in it. I use the side of the finger instead of tip .
I have IME-DC Tester and i have mostly 102-112 in the morning but after eating it is always 120
Change the battery in your meter before changing your meter. That sometimes makes a difference
Yep I was getting this so I binned it..Just eat plant based, very low carb and zero sugars
Loved your video's glucometers. Everyone should watch both video's, very valuable information. Thanks for take all those pricks for us!!!
Very interesting and useful information here (and I've been Type 1 for over 50 years).
Thanks for your time and advice❤😊
i have taken multiple reading not only from the same finger but from the same blood seconds apart and gotten wily different readings
9:10 when I did testing with the expired strips and with the up to date strips, I didn't see much difference.
I have found this problem with the libre view blood sensor 2.
Can somebody answer a question? Got my blood test results, the printout they gave me read 38 mmol/mol. According to their numbers this is under the good range. The other 2 are moderate and poor. Yet they sent a text saying that my cholesterol is high, without making life style changes. I could head towards a risk of cardiovascular disease. At reception they were unable to explain it and the chances of speaking to a GP is slim as it's too busy. Can anyone explain by any chance?
I wonder if this could also apply to hand soaps? ..because some soaps have fragrances of fruits.
Normally we pitch ( massage a bit) our finger and wipe / cleanse it with alcohol swab before we take blood for glucose test. Just make sure your glucometer are from trusted brand.
Blood sugar testers are notoriously all over the map. My doctor's blood sugar tester said my blood sugar was 120+. I had brought my own tester the Accu-check guide(2nd highest ranked/rated for accuracy blood sugar tester on the market) which showed my blood sugar was 98. My Dr blamed the test trips having been in my car for the error. When I got back home I tested it again this time using strips that had not been in the car, same 98(which is normal).
Kaiser uses the onetouch meter but for me that was always 18% off the A1C. I bought the Contour next one meter and that was 9% off the A1C. It is a shame that some just use the bad meters and if you want an accurate reading you have to buy another one to get better readings.
How about a test where you leave the drop of blood on your finger for an extended period of time before you touch the strip?
Did you check with the manufacturer? They publish these test results for you 😊
Thank you very much to made this sacrifice for us.
The thing is, when I'm having a hypo, I don't think to wash and dry my hands, I just finger prick just to double check against my Freestyle Libre 2 sensor.
Thanks
Thank you!
For my Freestyle Libre 3, I use SkinTac first for better adhesion. I wonder if that makes any difference?
The tip might get plugged with some of the adhesive. Why don't u switch to the band aide type covers and see if it makes a difference.
The Libre 2 has a Test Strip option.
Yes, they are not exact, but it is the changes
that we are watching.
Prick in the same place to allow a corn to develop
the SIDE of the pinky is best for least pain.
NEVER in the center of the finger !
Good day, On Fora Diamond Mini meters the less blood makes higher Blood Glucose Readings and its extremely sensitive to hand creams and contaminants on the hands like fruit residues and food left on unwashed hands.
At 66 years old I am a new diabetic. I have had morning tests anywhere from 80- 110 and evening readings 2 hours after dinner anywhere from 90- 184. I was told by different people that normal is from 60-100. And other people say 60-130. What is normal ? And what is a good way to bring down blood sugar ? So far I am only on Metformin
It’s all a bit subjective and depends on one’s circumstances I’d say. Please check my other videos if you’re interested in my view. I would also refer you to the ADA (American Diabetes Association). They set certain benchmarks in terms of these values. Hope this helps!
Couple of tricks I've learned over my 52 years as a Type 1. When I can't wash my hands, or when I suspect that my fingers may have become contaminated by foods or beverages I do one of two things, or both. I take the blood sample from the back of my fingers just below the fingernail as this surface is far less likely to have come in contact. And/or I take the sample from my little finger as I seldom use it to to pick up a food item or to extract a dextrose tablet from a container.
How many years did you have type 1 diabetes
Age
I have been testing my soda with my meter for years but very often it comes up with an error code instead of hi or lo.
I heard milking your finger can cause inaccurate reading due to the interstitial fluids that mix with the blood.
my sensor stopped working at 3AM after day 4 - so I took it off and installed a new sensor. Libre 3 could NOT find this new sennsoor and said no NCF app found in this tag ??? I uninstalled the app and re--installed it on my phone and answered all the questions all over again and now the new sensor was discovered. This app is a bit flawed/ I am also trying the chest as a better site for me. We;ll see how that works.
What about if you clean your finger w an alcohol wipe before pricking?
Thanks for doing this. It was very informative.
Don't take a blood glucose reading after taking vitamin C, particularly high dose vitamin C. The vitamin C molecule is very similar to glucose and can cause an incorrect increase in blood glucose.
If you swab your finger with alcohol before pricking, then ensure the alcohol is fully evaporated. I swab, let it dry a moment, prick, squeeze and wipe off the first drop, then squeeze again to get a big drop to test with. If my first prick is not deep enough, I always prick again rather than squeeze too hard. I alternate fingers throughout the day and vary using sides/tops, but do still get very consistent readings.
Occasionally I think I get a bad strip, like once I measured over 9 (I had never been that high before!) did a couple of retests and was back to 6.5 postprandial.
I'm not diabetic but I test quite regularly to observe the effects of different activities and foods.
Can anyone explain to me how a blood test for A1c can go back 3 months? I suspect diabetic because I have been prediabetic. But in the morning after only drinking water for 8-10 hours my glucose will be like 125-150. Then I’ll eat something random and it drops? I don’t quite understand how this works. Thanks. 😊
It never the same, I done that. I checked the calibration, by using control solution. For a peace of mind.
Numbers are different. The most important is to have an overall idea.
I know from personal experience that a cold shower, or better yet, swimming in cold water will bring blood sugars down fast. I will even get fast dips down, the combination of swimming in cool or cold water with the exercise works well.
I've been taught to wipe first drop of blood off before applying too glucometer strip. You didn't wipe first. Why? Thanks in advance
What about cleaning your finger with an alcohol pad b4 testing?
Thanks. The info is very helpful. I do have a question. What if instead of washing my hands, I clean them by using alcohol or hand sanitizer ? Does this impact the reading significantly?
I’ve read that alcohol can still leave residue on the finger so soap and water are best.
I think ive read something on manual that it has an error margin of -/+ 5. I have contour next and next one, havent tried it at the same time yet.
What is your experience taking readings after using alcohol wipes? I'm not always in a location where a sink is available to wash hands, so I carry alcohol wipes with me to clean my finger before sticking.
That is a good question i us them also.
I don't use them, I wash my hands well, use warm water if ur having trouble getting a decent size droplet, and I wash in Dawn. In the hospital if we really want to sterilize an area, we wipe it with Betadine, not alcohol unless we want to wipe the Betadine off last.
@@susanp102 the whole point was what do I do when I can't wash my hands. I would of course prefer to wash my hands, but I'm not always in a place where I can when I need to take a reading.
@@michellemillssmith2901 I wouldn't worry about it, unless u are in a really dirty place. U can carry a few alcohol wipes. I don't usually wash my hands since I seem to be always washing them during the day at other times, and I am usually in my own environment, at home. My father carried his insulin in his pocket with a syringe which he used over and over again, no alcohol wipes, no hand cleaner, and didn't have a problem. I have a cat who hs liberal use of her claws and I sometimes get enough blood to do a test if I had everything ready, and I've never gotten an infection from her. I'm not suggesting this for u, but an occasional time I don't think would be a problem.
@@susanp102 that makes sense, but I'm not really worried about getting an infection. I'm more worried about the blood sample being tainted by whatever might be on my hands, and causing a problem with the reading.
what about alcohol? am I wrong to sanitize my finger and wave dry before pricking.
How do l know which is the correct one if one side is about 6 the other side is like 8 . The range difference is huge. Please l need advice on this Because l usually feel ok .
did you ever figure this out?
@@pouncerminned863 nope
@@princessaisyah7029 i was told to use left hand middle or ring finger, since dominant hand uses more sugars in muscles, thus creating higher glucose
I was told to take vitamin C to reduce the BGL peaks.
Good day
How can I get the blood sugar monitor watch
I'd like to see you try the Genteel lancet. You can do tests on other parts of your body, not just fingertips.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks for the excellent information on testing. I harpoon my finger an squeeze out 2 samples and wipe them off and then test the 3rd sample, so as not to have a bad sample. If my hands feel cold I must warm them up first, or it's very difficult to get a sufficient sample. I touch my fingers to my cheeks (winter) to see if they are cool and if so, I warm them up for testing.