10 Common Problems You May Face When Using A Glucometer At Home

There is hardly anything in the world that is more important than our and family’s well being. We all work harder and harder each day to meet the standard of living, which includes a healthy lifestyle.

Trust as, as being a worker in the medical industry for several decades, we know what almost all of you all go through with this. But hereditary diseases still tend to follow us, and other times it’s just a fast lifestyle that lends us a health issue. One such common issue currently in the world is diabetes.

Having to cut your favourite deserts from your life due to diabetes is really not as simple as you think. But luckily, thanks to technology, we have a glucometer. The importance of our sugar level testing can never be emphasised enough.

Depending on your diet, exercise and medications, a glucometer definitely helps patients and their families get a clear idea of how wrong or right life a patient is leading. Blood sugar can quickly turn into a severe health condition, and thus having a glucometer at home for regular tests is extremely important.

But then it’s a gadget, and sometimes it can get you a messed up result. The research has shown almost 10 out of 8 glucometer users tend to face issues using them. Getting a wrong improper result leads to unnecessary panic. False information does more bad than any good, and so it becomes mandatory to use it right.

So whether you already have a glucometer or you are planning to get one, these are the 10 common problems that you might be facing while using a glucometer. We do know you have a guide chart, but it won’t always help you get the correct result. So read on and know what issues you might face so you can easily avoid and find the correct blood glucose level.

 

10 Common issues you face while using Glucometer at Home

Problems due to Test Strips

Test strips play the most important role when it comes to a glucometer. No wonder why are they expensive. The meter gets blood through them, so this makes it a bit more sensitive. You can get inaccurate test results when you have a:

 

Damaged Test Strips:

You might not be able to figure out if the test strips are damaged or not. But it will likely show a false result. So repeat a test with a new strip if you are not really sure of the result.

 

Expired Test Strip:

Yes, these strips come with an expiry date, so next time when you plan to buy them in bulk, check their expiry date. If you still have them, make sure you repeat the test to get an accurate result.

 

Wrong Test Strip:

Every glucometer needs a specific test strip. There are various glucometers in the market, and so are the variety of stripes. So make sure, when buying a glucometer for home use, you have got the specific test strip that it requires to get an accurate result.

 

Contaminants over your test strip:

The finger that you are using should be cleaned; contaminants over the sample area might get mixed with a blood sample or might stick to the test strip. This can definitely give you the wrong result. So make sure you have a clean strip to get accurate results.

 

Issues due to the wrong usage of glucometer/Strips

We don’t expect you to be an expert at this. But soon, you will be once you know it can go wrong. So here are the few mistakes you can avoid.

 

Half inserted test strip:

When you don’t insert the test strip properly inside the meter, you probably won’t get the right results. To avoid this and wastage of test strips, make sure you insert it fully in the meter.

 

Moving test strip quickly:

You do not need to move the test strip to get the correct result. Even a slight push can lead to a spoiled result, so make sure you don’t get wrong there.

 

Temperature above or below the operating range:

Some people put the strip and solution into refrigerator wor near a source of heat. This can affect the result quite easily. So make sure your test strips and solution (if you have one) is at room temperature.

 

Insufficient Blood:

This is one of the most common problems patients face when using a glucometer at home. So make sure you apply blood in enough proportion at the right place so you do not end up wasting the strip or get the wrong result.

 

Squeezing finger to get blood:

You do not need to squeeze the finger too hard to get the blood. This will definitely lead to false results. So make sure you apply accurate pressure to squeeze the blood, nothing more than necessary.

Apart from this, sometimes your glucometer can run out of battery, you can have variations in your hematocrit, a defective glucometer, etc. So these were probably the 10 most common problems you might face when using a glucometer at home.

While using a glucometer, you should remember that these are the few things that will help you get an accurate result for everything you check.

1. Always wash your hands properly. Germs or contaminants present on your hands can definitely spoil your result.
2. Do not test too soon after the meal. Wait for at least two hours to get accurate results.
3. Make sure you are not dehydrated while testing your blood sugar. Dehydration can increase your blood sugar level.
4. Using a good quality glucometer.
5. Do not get a glucometer that requires coding. Such glucometers are challenging to use, and so it’s a complete no no.

So yes, this was probably everything that you should know when it comes to using a glucometer. By now, we hope you can easily save yourself from getting into such problems. Since you have come this far, we understand how important it is to get the right reading.

You can now take care of yourself and your loved ones by checking the glucose level with ease. Do let us know how this helped you in the comment section below. Also, we would love to hear if you face any other problems than what we mentioned above so we can help you find a better solution. Stay healthy and safe by keeping a check on your glucose level with these tips.