How to Use a Glucometer Properly

A glucometer is only as good as the way it is used, and a surprising number of strange readings come down to small mistakes.

Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them before testing. This matters more than anything else on the list. Fruit juice, sweet tea or even the residue from peeling a mango on your fingertip can push a reading far above your real level. If you cannot wash, wipe the first drop away and use the second.

Use the sides of your fingertip rather than the centre — there are fewer nerve endings there, so it hurts less. Rotate fingers so the same spot is not used every time.

Look after the strips. They are sensitive to heat and humidity, which is worth taking seriously in an Indian summer. Keep the vial closed, do not leave it in a car or on a sunny windowsill, and check the expiry date.

Finally, write down what the meter says along with the time, what you ate and what you did. A reading with no context beside it is much harder to learn anything from.