How can blood sugar levels be checked?
Checking blood glucose levels regularly is very important in proper diabetes management. Current methods of blood sugar monitoring require a blood sample. Blood sugar monitoring can be done at home with a variety of invasive devices to obtain the blood sample (invasive means the penetration of body tissue with a medical instrument). Usually a drop of blood obtained through a finger prick is sufficient to use on a test strip that is then measured in a monitor. A finger prick can be done with a small lancet (special needle) or with a spring-loaded lancet device that punctures the fingertip quickly. The drop of blood is placed on a testing strip. The testing strip is then placed in a blood glucose monitor (also called a glucose meter) which reads the blood sugar level.
