Hello everyone, I'm diabetic ~ here I am again!
Every time you wander around the world
I often hear various complaints from patients
For example, constipation, rotten feet, unclear vision...
But what I hear the most is:
Blood glucose testing finger pricking is too painful!!!
A small tie in two days, a big tie in three days
Sometimes I have to tie it several times a day, and my fingers become a sieve!
The psychological shadow is bigger than the millstone
……
To be honest, watching everyone get tortured by "pricking their fingers"
I don't feel good either
After all, when I was a child, I was also scared by "Rong Ma ma Za Ziwei"...
Moreover, as soon as it hurts, someone will "scold me" in their hearts.
ay! I really don't want to have such a strained relationship with humans
Today I will make an exception to tell some secrets: how can pricking a finger not hurt?
Hands-on before measuring blood sugar
What is the most feared thing about blood glucose measurement? A needle does not bleed, or there is not enough bleeding, and then you have to continue to prick...
In order to avoid being punctured in vain, before taking blood, it is very important to move the fingers, which can speed up blood circulation.
For example, you can first sag your arm for a while or shake your arm, or you can massage your fingers to make your fingertips bloodshot.
If the hand is relatively cold in winter, before measuring blood sugar, you can also put your hand in warm water to warm it, and then go to collect blood when you feel that the finger temperature is appropriate [1].
Where is the tying least painful?
Humans often say "ten fingers connected to the heart", which is true, but ten fingers are long and short, and the relationship with pain is naturally different! We can find a soft persimmon pinch!
First of all, from the site, do not collect blood on the fingertips, choose the sides of the fingers. Because the pain receptors on both sides of the finger are less distributed, it will not hurt so much when the blood is collected.
In addition, there is also attention to the choice of fingers. Among the ten fingers, the pain receptors on the side of the ring finger are the most sparse and the least sensitive to pain, and can be used as the first choice.
In addition to the ring finger, the little and middle fingers are also ideal for blood collection, because these two fingers are more "idle", not the main functional fingers, after piercing them, even if you continue to do daily work, the wound will not be easily rubbed or squeezed, and it is easier to recover [2].
Of course, even the softest persimmon can't catch a dead pinch. Whether it is the part of the tie or the finger, you must change it often! It is recommended that you often choose some "unpopular" parts that were not commonly used before, even if you start to collect blood will feel inconvenient, try a few more times, you can be skilled!
The amount of blood collected is not too much, but it is enough
I often see this scene: diabetics skimming their mouths while vigorously collecting blood. It was heart-wrenching and pathetic.
In fact, as long as the blood collection is appropriate, too much blood is pierced, one is easy to contaminate the test strip, and the other is that the wound is not easy to recover. Don't be so cruel to yourself, why bother...
I suggest you:
First, choose an instrument that requires less blood;
Secondly, now human beings have invented a lot of adjustable blood collection pens, which can adjust the intensity according to their own skin, the general blood collection pen has a "1-5" scale, which is the depth of the skin, the beginning can choose 3, and then can be adjusted according to the skin condition, choose a shallow needle depth, collect the least amount of blood on the line!
After the alcohol dries thoroughly, the blood is collected
If you have noticed the above, it may not hurt if you collect blood, but it does not mean that the blood collection will be successful.
Responsibly, I would like to add 4 special reminders[3]:
1. Before collecting blood, wash your hands (especially the blood collection area) with soap and warm water, and wipe them clean with a clean napkin or cotton ball.
2. Before blood collection, not only use alcohol to disinfect the fingers, but also be sure to wait for the alcohol to dry out before collecting blood. Otherwise, the alcohol will be mixed into the blood after acupuncture, and it will also chemically react with the components in the blood glucose test strip, resulting in low blood sugar.
3. It is best to take the first drop of blood. If you prick it, the amount of bleeding is too small, or there is no bleeding, don't squeeze the blood out. Because there is not only blood squeezed out, but also tissue fluid, the measured blood sugar will be lower than usual, and it is not accurate!
4. Do not press or move the blood glucose dipstick or blood glucose meter during the test.
When is the best time to measure blood sugar?
To get this straight, I specifically consulted the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Diabetes Diagnostic standards (2019). The standard says, let's look at the score [4].
1. If you are receiving intensive insulin therapy (such as multiple injections of insulin per day, or receiving insulin pump therapy), it is recommended to check your blood sugar multiple times a day, such as before eating, before snacking, before going to bed, before exercising, before driving, when you suspect that you have low blood sugar.
2. If your insulin injection frequency is relatively low, the usual blood glucose monitoring is also needed, which can make yourself more aware of the usual situation and help the doctor diagnose.
The specific time point is also measured by the situation [3].
1. Preprandial blood glucose, suitable for people with high fasting blood sugar or low blood sugar risk.
2. Blood glucose 2 hours after a meal, suitable for fasting blood glucose has been well controlled, but glycosylated hemoglobin still can not meet the standard; People who need to understand the effects of diet and exercise on blood sugar.
3. Blood glucose before going to bed, suitable for patients with insulin injections, especially those who inject insulin before dinner.
4. Night blood glucose, suitable for those whose blood sugar has been close to reaching the standard after treatment, but the fasting blood sugar is still high; or people with suspected nocturnal hypoglycemia.
Do you take your blood sugar? I hope that human beings can live more peacefully with me!
Review expert: Zheng Chao | Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine
bibliography
GUO Shunxi. Clinical nursing experience of finger blood collection in diabetic patients[J]. Practical Journal of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2012, 20(8): 1413-1414.
Sun Likai, Cao Hui, Zhou Yanqiong. Continuous quality improvement in alleviating finger blood collection pain in diabetic patients[J]. Nursing Medicine, 2016, 23(12): 29-31.
Diabetes Branch of Chinese Medical Association. Guidelines for clinical application of blood glucose monitoring in China (2015 edition)[J]. Diabetes World(Clinical), 2014, 10(5): 206-218.
[4] Chamberlain JJ, Kacie Doyle-Delgado，Lacie Peterson, et al. Diabetes Technology: Review of the 2019 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes[J]. Ann Intern Med, 2019, 171:415-420.
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