Painless Blood Sugar Testing

Yes, it is possible. However, don’t fall for those ads that claim, “With this meter, you’ll never have to prick your finger again!”

What they conveniently neglect to tell you is that you do have to prick some part of your body. One day meters will be available to check blood sugar without taking blood from your body, but that day has not arrived.

What those ads are selling is a meter capable of “alternate site” testing. The alternate sites can include parts of the hand, arm, or leg.

Alternate site testing has been available for a while, but not many people I know use it.  There are a few drawbacks:

• In some situations, for example when blood sugar is low or changing rapidly, alternate site testing is not as accurate as finger tip testing.
• For many people, getting a blood sample from an alternate site hurts more, not less, than finger tip testing.
• Finally, and this is the deal-breaker for me, you must apply pressure to the alternate site using a plastic end cap. This pressure can leave bruises in tender-skinned people like me.

If alternate site testing is not the answer to painless testing, what is?  More to come.