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Pain management

5 tips for gentle and virtually pain-free blood sampling

Lancing fingers is a vital part of your daily diabetes management. In a recent study, finger soreness and pain were most reported as the main reason people living with diabetes refrain from regular blood glucose testing. One factor contributing to greater pain sensation when lancing the finger is wrong handling of the lancing device. Lancing correctly with Accu-Chek® lancing devices keeps discomfort to a minimum. You can monitor more comfortably with these five easy steps:

Ensure hands are clean and dry.

Lance on the side of the fingertip rather than the pad.

Keep the skin taut by pressing the lancing device firmly against the skin.

Select a penetration depth as shallow as possible but still produces blood.

Alternate fingers daily and take the necessary steps to ensure good blood circulation.

Also:

  • Consider sampling beyond the fingertip. If you and your healthcare professional agree that checking from other sites is right for you, you may experience less pain after a blood glucose check if you use your palm, forearm or upper arm instead of your sensitive fingertips. 
  • Always use a new lancet. Today's lancets are so tiny that just a single use can bend or dull the tips. As a result, they can hurt more if you try to reuse them.

Choosing the least-painful lancing technology can also help reduce blood glucose test pain. The Accu-Chek Softclix and the Accu-Chek FastClix lancing devices use the Clixmotion® technology, which minimizes side-to-side motion for less skin tearing. What's more, each offers 11 customizable depth settings to help match your skin type and help eliminate blood glucose testing pain.

 

References: 

American Diabetes Association (2001). Lack of compliance with home blood glucose monitoring predicts hospitalization in diabetes. Retrieved from: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/8/1502.full. Accessed August 10 2021.

Healthline (2018). Diabetes home tests explained. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/home-tests. Accessed August 10 2021.

Healthline (2019). Blood sugar test. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-sugar-tests#purpose. Accessed August 10 2021.

Mayo Clinic (2020). Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/blood-sugar/art-20046628. Accessed August 10 2021.

 

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