Blood sugar

[Changingseasons1]

Can blood sugar be tested anywhere or does it need to be on the pads of the fingers? Also, if there’s a cut already could the blood from that be used, or does it always need to be the pricker thing?

Just curious/nosey!

It doesn’t have to be the pads of the finger. The thigh is also a suitable place.

As a diabetic, I’d not use the blood from a wound but I don’t know why, I guess blood is blood.

Just curious/nosey!

I’m sometimes curious about many things medical but that’s why we have the Discovery Channel

What’s your real reason for asking OP? (I would ask what is your “ AIBU “ but awaiting the forum police riposte )

Op already stated that her reason for asking is that she's curious/nosey. What's wrong with that?

My mum is diabetic and always used blood from her fingertip. Until maybe the last year or so they now have a very very clever device that she holds up to her arm and it tells her what her blood sugar is - no actual blood involved. Please don't ask me how it works, I have no idea. But after 60+ years of pricking her finger several times a day she was very glad for it!

The only reason they advise using the pad of your finger is because it's conveniently accessible, fleshy rather than fatty, bleeds very easily and heals very quickly. It's just a practical thing, not connected with the actual quality of the blood or anything.

I don't know about using blood from an existing cut or wound, but I would have thought maybe it wouldn't be advisable because the blood isn't fresh and if it's an open wound might be contaminated with other things that might affect the reading - but that's just a guess on my part.

I’ve never seen anything about blood sugar on the discovery channel. It was just a question jeez no need to be so sarky.

my real reason for asking is exactly what I’ve already said- just curious and nosey.

I was recently unwell (not blood sugar related) and stayed in hospital for a couple of days. I found the finger prick test more nippy than the blood tests themselves and realised I am a big wimp when diabetics use that test several times a day!

I just wondered if there was a reason it was always in the finger or if the blood is different there or something, or if diabetics could just use any blood to test. Eg, if they had a nosebleed would it be the same or is all blood different across the body.

So that’s all. 😵‍💫 just noseyness and curiousity about something im fortunate enough to not know anything about.

That is absolutely amazing! Diabetes sounds like such a gruelling disease so it’s fantastic that things are being developed to make it easier.

The machines they use in hospitals are horrible. Much worse than the ones diabetics use on a day to day because they aren’t calibrated to how thick your skin is. I have little fingers so I set my machine to the lowest setting and I barely feel it when testing at home.

The scanner thing is called a libre, it works by having a small cannula in your arm for 14 days that touches interstitial fluid rather than blood which you can scan with your phone. It is truly amazing! I love mine.

If you're a diabetic you do the finger prick test as it's the easiest place to test, you can't do it from your feet due to the fact diabetics can have issues with their feet but the reading would be exactly the same.
As a pp has said with the libre now finger pricking is not required unless there's an issue. Also with the pump my ds has went from multiple finger pricks and injections a day to none, it's literally been life changing for him

If you are interested in measuring blood sugar, I can mightily reccomnended

https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/

If it weren't for the price, approx £50 for a fortnight, I'd wear one all the time.

My husband wears a libre monitor on his arm which has been game changing for him. As a chef he never checked his sugars as it wasn’t hygienic for him to keep pricking his fingers and he also didn’t have the time. Now he just beeps it with his phone.