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How to test for hypoglycemia at home?

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Oct 31, 2024.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

You will need a blood glucose meter if you want to test your blood glucose levels for hypoglycemia at home. These are available online or at your local drug store and are safe, easy, and quick to use. There are lots of different types of meters and they can vary in their portability, speed, size, cost, and readability (with larger displays or spoken instructions if you have vision problems). Most devices deliver results in less than 15 seconds and store this information for future use.

Blood glucose meters are a useful way to test how low or high your blood glucose levels are because diabetes does not always cause symptoms, especially in the early stages.

To test your blood sugar levels at home you will need to:

Some meters may also calculate an average blood sugar level over time. Some also feature software kits that take information from the meter and display graphs and charts of your past test results. Blood sugar meters and strips are available at your local pharmacy.

Some insulin pumps have an inbuilt blood glucose meter called an “interstitial glucose measuring device” which consists of a tiny sensor placed under your skin. Although they are not as accurate as finger-stick glucose results, they can help you find patterns and trends in your sugar levels because they check blood sugar levels every 5 minutes.

Related questions

When should you test for hypoglycemia at home?

Your doctor may tell you to test 3 to 5 times a day, over the course of several days, to get an idea of how your medication for diabetes is working. You should also test if you suspect your diabetes is not being well controlled, if you are unwell, or if you have recently changed medicines. Testing several times a day allows you to see any fluctuations in your blood sugar readings. Usual times to test include:

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

Symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) include:


References
  • Home Blood Sugar Testing Web MD. 2021. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/home-blood-glucose-testing

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