Getting a blood sample

[DianeS]

Hi - I'm using a glucose meter for levels, but am having real trouble getting enough blood out of my fingers. I know you don't need a lot, but it's daft I can't get them. The needles are sharp, the brain is willing.

Whereabouts on your fingers do you get the best results please?

 

[Leadinglights]

The best place is just to the side of the pad of the finger. If you place your thumb against the pad of say the middle finger and then prick just to the side of that and press gently then the drop should appear. Warm fingers help and massaging the finger towards the tip as well prior to pricking.
There are some YouTube videos on technique if you are still struggling.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

There are some YouTube videos on technique if you are still struggling.

There's also this, which is mostly about reducing pain (but to do that you have to make it work): https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/painless-pricks.html

 

[helli]

I second warm fingers. Shouldn’t be a problem today but if my fingers are cold, it is like blood out of a stone unless I cuddle a cuppa first.
The other thing to bear in mind is that you can adjust the depth of the lancet. I am aim for deep enough to get blood but no deeper because it can hurt if too deep.

 

[rebrascora]

Firstly warm active hands will give you a better blood flow, so holding a warm cuppa or washing/soaking them in warm water will help to stimulate blood flow, as will using a keyboard to type or shaking them or playing the piano perhaps 🙄 . The recommendation is to prick the side of the finger tip pad, but this is more to do with there being less nerves on the sides so less painful rather than better blood flow. Stimulating your blood to flow and of course having the lancing device set at an appropriate depth. Most of them are adjustable so if you have warmed your hands and wriggled your fingers a bit, then start on the lowest depth setting and start testing and gradually dial it up until you get a little blob of blood. Some slight massaging of the fingertip may help too but you shouldn't need to squeeze hard and in fact squeezing is more likely to make your fingers sore than pricking them. It is an acquired skill though so don't be too discouraged. Many of us had problems at first.

 

[DianeS]

Thank you