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Checking Your Blood Sugar Level

ID: AND13009
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: This video will teach you how to check your blood sugar level. Please watch the entire video before checking your blood sugar level, or if this is an emergency, start checking your blood sugar as the video shows you what to do. Learning how to check your blood sugar level can help you make good daily decisions about managing your diabetes. Checking your blood sugar involves sticking your finger with a lancet and testing your blood with a glucose meter. Your health care provider will tell you when and how often to check your blood sugar and give you a blood sugar target range. Try to keep your blood sugar within your target range. You will need alcohol wipes or soap and water, a lancet, which is a small needle that fits into the lancet device, test strips, a blood glucose meter, and a logbook. Step 1. Wash your hands with soap and water, and then dry them, or use an alcohol wipe to clean the finger you will use for the testing site and let it dry. Step 2. Remove a test strip from the container and put the cap back on to protect the strips. Be sure to use a new test strip each time you check your blood sugar. Step 3. Insert the test strip into your glucose meter. Step 4. Place a new lancet into your lancet device. Always use a new lancet every time you check your blood sugar. Step 5. Stick the side of your finger with the lancet to get a drop of blood. Sticking the side of your finger, rather than the tip, hurts less. Use a different finger for each test to help prevent sore spots. You may need to gently massage or squeeze the blood out of your finger. Squeezing your finger too hard may give an inaccurate reading. Most lancet devices have a dial that lets you select how deep the lancet goes into the skin. If you get more blood than you need, dial the number down so the lancet does not go as deep. If you did not get enough blood, dial the number up so the lancet goes in deeper. Step 6. Touch the correct part of the test strip to the drop of blood but not your skin. The meter will display your blood sugar level on a screen. Step 7. Write the number into your log book. Be sure to record your blood sugar level every time you check it. Also, use your log to record things that may affect your blood sugar, such as illness, exercise, stress, and eating food at a party. Make sure to follow up with your doctor regularly and bring your logbook to all of your doctor appointments. You and your doctor may need to discuss changes to your meal plan, physical activity, or diabetes medications.

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