Blood tests are essential to know about some diseases in our body. Especially for someone with a condition like diabetes, they have to take a small drop of blood from their finger several times a day to check their blood glucose level. It is normal for their fingers to hurt when they do this every day. Because of this pain, some people avoid checking their blood sugar on time. But doing so is not good for the body. So today, let's talk about how to do this test correctly and minimize the pain of this finger prick.
What does this finger prick mean?
Simply put, this is a method of obtaining a few drops of blood from a finger for a medical test that can be done at home. It is most commonly used by diabetics to check their blood sugar levels. In addition, some at-home test kits that check hormone levels and for sexually transmitted diseases also require blood to be drawn this way.
For this, we use a small device called a lancet . This is actually a needle with a very small tip. This makes a small hole in the skin and collects a drop of blood. There are two main types of these:
- Reusable devices: These look like a pen. You can remove the used lancet tip and insert a new one to reuse it.
- Single-use devices: These should be used once and then discarded. They have an auto-disabling feature that prevents them from being used a second time. Therefore, it is safe to throw them away.
It is very important to never share your lancet with anyone else, as this can increase the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases.
How do you do this test correctly?
Although there are no complicated steps involved, it may be a little difficult at first for someone who has difficulty seeing blood or is not used to doing it alone. Okay, so let's look at the correct order for doing this.
| Steps | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Hand washing | First, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Skipping this step can cause the test numbers to change due to germs. |
| 2. Preparing equipment | Prepare the equipment you will need (glucometer, test strip, lancet) in a clean place. If it is a new test kit, read the instruction leaflet carefully. |
| 3. Finger cleaning | Clean the finger you plan to draw blood from with an alcohol wipe or sanitizer. |
| 4. Finger piercing | Place the lancet on your fingertip and press down. Each type of lancet works differently, so read the instructions carefully. |
| 5. Taking a blood sample | Some test kits ask you to wipe off the first drop of blood and then take a second. When testing for sugar, you touch the tip of the test strip to the drop of blood. For a lab test, you will need to collect blood in a small tube (vial). |
| 6. Applying plaster if necessary | If the bleeding doesn't stop, apply a small bandage. |
Sometimes it can be difficult to get the right amount of blood. If that happens, gently massage your finger from the base to the tip. This will increase blood flow and make it easier to get a drop of blood.
Tips to reduce the pain of finger piercing!
This can be a really painful experience for someone who has to prick their finger several times a day. But there are a few things we can do to reduce this pain.
Try changing the piercing location.
- Don't prick the middle of your fingertip. Instead, prick the sides of your fingertip. The middle of your fingertip has a lot of nerves, so it's more painful. But since there are blood vessels almost under the skin on both sides, it's easier to draw blood and less painful.
- Instead of piercing the same finger every day, alternate your fingers. If you keep using one finger, it will become sore and sore. You can create a pattern, such as different fingers for different days of the week.
- Some people say that if you keep piercing the same spot, the skin will thicken (callus) and the pain will decrease. But then you have to increase the depth of the lancet a little.
Try these things before the test
- Instead of wiping with an alcohol swab, wash your finger thoroughly with soap and warm water and dry it. Alcohol can dry out the skin, making it tighter and more painful to pierce.
- Massage the area of your finger where you plan to draw blood for a while. This will warm the area and increase blood flow.
- Even when you lower your hand and wave it, the blood flow to your fingers increases.
- If it's really difficult to get blood, try putting something like a rubber band around the middle knuckle of your finger. This will cause the fingertip to swell with blood. But remember, you need to remove the rubber band as soon as you get the blood.
Think about the equipment you use.
- Never use the same lancet twice. Doing so will dull the tip, increase the pain of the puncture, and increase the risk of infection.
- If your lancet device has an adjustable depth, use the lowest possible depth. The deeper you pierce, the more painful it will be.
- Some blood glucose meters require a very small amount of blood to perform the test. Talk to your doctor about using a meter like this. Some meters can also take blood from other areas, such as the arm. However, people with diabetic neuropathy should avoid taking blood from the feet or toes. There is a high risk of infection in those areas.
Take-Home Message
- When taking blood from your finger, choose a spot on either side of the fingertip, not in the middle. This will greatly reduce the pain.
- Never reuse a lancet needle that has been used once. Always use a new needle.
- Stop torturing the same finger every day and use your fingers alternately .
- Sometimes it's more comfortable to wash your hands with soap and warm water than to use alcohol.
- If the pain is unbearable, or if these methods don't work, be sure to talk to your doctor about it. He or she may be able to recommend a device or method that is more suitable for you.
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