Top 10 Reasons Diabetes Glucose Meters Will Read Wrong!
Summary
TLDRDr. Ahmed Ergan explains 10 common reasons for inaccurate glucose meter readings, including expired test strips, extreme temperatures, dirty or wet fingers, a filthy meter, dehydration, insufficient blood on the strip, inadequate technique, using blood from non-fingertip locations, and high vitamin C levels. He also introduces the CareSense Plus meter for its large screen and quick readings.
Takeaways
- 📅 Check the expiration date on your test strips as expired ones can lead to inaccurate results.
- 🌡️ Extreme temperatures can affect glucose meter readings, with cold meters producing low and hot meters producing high readings.
- 👐 Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before testing to avoid contamination from sugar, dirt, or alcohol.
- 🧼 Cleanliness is crucial; a dirty meter can cause incorrect readings, so keep it clean and free from dust and contaminants.
- 💧 Dehydration can lead to higher glucose levels, so ensure you are well-hydrated before testing your blood sugar.
- 🩸 Apply a generous drop of blood to the test strip for accurate readings; avoid adding more blood after the initial drop.
- 🔌 Ensure the test strip is fully inserted into the monitor, check batteries, and replace the monitor every 4-5 years for accurate readings.
- 👆 Use blood from your fingertip for testing, as it is more accurate than blood from other body parts, especially when blood sugar levels are rapidly changing.
- 🍊 High doses of vitamin C can interfere with glucose meter readings, causing them to read falsely high.
- 🛠️ Regularly test your glucose meter with control solution to ensure its accuracy and maintain its reliability.
Q & A
Why might glucose meter readings be inaccurate?
-Glucose meter readings can be inaccurate due to various factors such as expired test strips, extreme temperatures, dirty or wet fingers, a filthy meter, dehydration, insufficient blood on the strip, inadequate technique, using blood from non-fingertip locations, and interference from high levels of vitamin C.
What is the first reason mentioned for inaccurate glucose meter readings?
-The first reason mentioned is the use of out-of-date test strips. Expired test strips will not provide accurate results.
How should test strips be stored to maintain their accuracy?
-Test strips should be stored in a cool, dry place, such as on top of a fridge or cabinet, and kept in their original container to avoid cross-contamination.
How do extreme temperatures affect glucose meter readings?
-Extreme temperatures can result in inaccurate readings. Cold meters tend to produce inaccurately low readings, while hot meters produce inaccurately high readings.
What should you do before testing your blood sugar levels to ensure accuracy?
-You should always wash and thoroughly dry your hands before testing your blood sugar levels to avoid contamination from sugar, dirt, or alcohol.
Why is it important to keep your glucose meter clean?
-A clean glucose meter is crucial for accurate readings. Dirt, dust, and other contaminants can cause incorrect readings.
What is the CareSense Plus device mentioned in the script?
-The CareSense Plus is a glucose meter with a large screen, making it easier to read for those with visual problems. It comes with a meter, lensing device, around 100 strips, and 100 lancets, including control solution.
How does dehydration affect blood sugar levels?
-Dehydration can cause blood to become more concentrated, resulting in high glucose levels. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is important for controlling blood sugar levels.
What should you do to ensure an accurate reading from the glucose meter?
-To ensure an accurate reading, add a generous drop of blood to the test strip the first time. Adding more blood after a drop has already been present will not improve the test accuracy.
Why is it recommended to test blood sugar levels using blood from the fingertip?
-Blood samples taken from the fingertip are more accurate than those from other locations such as the arm, leg, or toes, especially when blood sugar levels are rapidly rising or falling.
How can high levels of vitamin C interfere with glucose meter readings?
-High levels of vitamin C can cause glucose meter readings to be falsely high, leading to inaccurate results.
Outlines
📈 Inaccurate Glucose Meter Readings: Common Causes
Dr. Ahmed Ergan discusses the top 10 reasons why glucose meters might provide inaccurate readings. He starts by emphasizing the importance of using test strips before their expiration date and storing them properly to avoid cross-contamination. He also highlights the impact of extreme temperatures on meter accuracy, suggesting that meters should be used in a room temperature environment. Additionally, he advises washing and drying hands thoroughly before testing to avoid contamination from sugar, dirt, or alcohol. Dr. Ergan also mentions the importance of cleaning the meter itself to maintain accuracy. He introduces the CareSense Plus meter, noting its large screen and comprehensive package, and demonstrates its quick and accurate readings using control solution. The video serves as a guide for diabetics to ensure reliable glucose monitoring.
💧 Hydration and Technique for Accurate Blood Sugar Testing
Continuing the discussion on glucose meter accuracy, Dr. Ergan points out that dehydration can lead to concentrated blood and falsely high glucose levels, urging diabetics to stay hydrated. He also stresses the need for a sufficient amount of blood on the test strip for an accurate reading, cautioning against adding more blood after the initial drop. Proper technique is crucial, including fully inserting the test strip into the monitor and checking the batteries and monitor condition regularly. Dr. Ergan advises replacing the monitor every four to five years. He also addresses the importance of using fingertip blood for testing, as samples from other body parts may yield less accurate results. Lastly, he warns that high vitamin C intake can interfere with glucose meter readings, causing them to appear falsely high, which is an important consideration for those managing their diabetes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Glucose Meter
💡Test Strips
💡Extreme Temperatures
💡Dirty Fingers
💡Wet Fingers
💡Filthy Meter
💡Dehydration
💡Insufficient Blood on the Strip
💡Inadequate Technique
💡Failure to Use Fingertip
💡Vitamin C
Highlights
Out of date test strips can lead to inaccurate glucose meter readings.
Test strips should be stored in a cool, dry place to maintain accuracy.
Extreme temperatures can affect glucose meter readings, with cold producing low and hot producing high results.
Dirty fingers can cause inaccurate blood sugar readings due to sugar, dirt, or alcohol.
Hands should be thoroughly cleaned before using a glucose meter for accurate readings.
Wet fingers can dilute the blood sample, leading to skewed glucose meter readings.
A clean glucose meter is essential for preventing inaccurate readings due to dirt or contaminants.
Dehydration can result in high glucose levels, affecting the accuracy of blood sugar readings.
Drinking water before testing can help ensure stable and accurate blood sugar levels.
A generous drop of blood is required on the test strip for an accurate glucose meter reading.
Adding more blood to the test strip after the initial drop does not improve accuracy.
Ensuring the test strip is fully inserted and batteries are in good condition can improve glucose meter accuracy.
Replacing the glucose meter monitor every four to five years is recommended for maintaining accuracy.
Using blood from the fingertip provides more accurate glucose readings compared to other body parts.
High doses of vitamin C can interfere with glucose meter readings, causing false high results.
The CareSense Plus meter is highlighted for its large screen, ease of use, and quick readings.
Testing the glucose meter with control solution is crucial to ensure its ongoing accuracy.
Transcripts
10 common causes of inaccurate glucose
meter readings
are you like one of my patients who
constantly claims that their glucose
readings are incorrect well most of the
time they blame the food or the
medication but most patients are unaware
that these factors actually influence
glucose meter accuracy hi my name is dr
ahmed ergan i am here today going to
teach you 10 reasons why your meter
might be giving you false readings now
number one is out of date test strips
check the expiration date on your test
strips expired ones will not provide you
with accurate results it is critical to
keep them in a cool dry place such as on
top of a fridge or cabinet where they
will be protected from direct sunlight
and to keep them in their original
container to avoid
cross-contamination with other household
items number two
extreme temperatures can result in
inaccurate readings glucose meters are
an indispensable tool for diabetics even
when you're on dexcom or libre but
they're notoriously unreliable
now temperature is one factor that can
actually influence glucose meter
readings the meter may actually give you
a false reading in extreme cold or heat
if you find that the temperature is
affecting your glucose meter try sitting
in a room that is closer to the room
temperature
and taking that reading again
according to studies
cold meters produce inaccurately low
readings whereas the hot meters produce
inaccurately high readings so it is best
to avoid extreme temperatures if you
want an accurate or more accurate
reading number three dirty fingers well
due to the presence of sugar and dirt or
alcohol on your fingers you may be in
trouble before testing your blood sugar
levels you should always wash your hands
sugar
on the finger or the dirt or alcohol can
cause all sorts of problems with
accuracy so before testing make sure to
thoroughly clean your hands
otherwise you may receive a false
reading and believe that your blood
sugar is normal when it's not and this
could have serious consequences
please
wash your hands before using a glucose
meter for the sake of your health number
four wet fingers well keeping your hands
is essential for getting an accurate
reading as we said but many people are
unaware that they actually also have to
dry their hands
simply washing your hands is not
sufficient you should also make certain
that they are completely dry before
testing your blood sugar well the reason
for that is that the blood water mixture
i mean you can figure that out yourself
it's going to dilute the blood sample
resulting in a skewed reading so the
next time you're about to test your
blood sugar make sure you thoroughly
wash your hand
and dry your hands
it is worth that extra effort believe me
number five a filthy meter
anyone who has diabetes understands the
significance of a glucose meter you rely
on them right
well this useful little device can mean
the difference between a normal day and
a hospital visit however as anyone who
has used a glucose meter before knows
the dirt the dust the other contaminants
can cause incorrect readings this was a
major issue in the past actually but the
new technology has made it much rarer to
get inaccurate reading because your
meter is dirty but you know to be on the
safe side try not to let the meter
become too dusty muddy dirty whatever
clean it up and prevent any spillage on
it with a little care your glucose meter
can be a dependable ally in your
diabetes fight
okay since we're talking about meters
today i am also going to talk to you
about this caresense
plus
so this is
the
device that i want to show you or
feature in this video
uh what i like about this uh
meter is it's it's very large screen so
if you have any visual problems or you
like large screens that's going to
really help you
the whole package comes with um
a meter a lensing device
around 100 strips
and 100 lan sets i think all of them and
including control solution too
all of that i think is around 35 which i
thought was pretty reasonable and a good
price for a very high quality meter
so um i just checked actually um
control solution because you need to
test your meter with the control
solution to make sure it remains
accurate and it gave me this reading at
134 in less than five seconds so that's
another thing that you don't have to
kind of keep waiting for your blood
sugar to come up so it's very quick very
easy uh very practical so i like all
those things about this meter
number six dehydration we are all aware
staying hydrated is critical to your
overall health but
did you know that it is also important
for controlling your blood sugar levels
when your body lacks water your blood
becomes more concentrated which can
result in high glucose levels
that's why especially if you have
diabetes it is critical to drink plenty
of fluids throughout the day if you are
unsure how much water to drink a good
rule of thumb is to drink some water
before you start testing your blood
sugars that way you will always be
hydrated and your blood sugar levels
will be stable number seven
insufficient blood on the strip well you
gotta give some generous drop of blood
on the test strip that's required for
accurate reading adding more blood to
the strip after a drop has already been
present will not improve the test
accuracy so if you want an accurate
reading from the glucose meter add a
generous drop of blood to the test strip
the first time number eight inadequate
technique
first ensure that the test strip is
fully inserted into the monitor
secondly inspect the batteries and
replace them if necessary and the third
every four to five years replace your
monitor by following these simple steps
you can actually ensure that your
glucose meter provides an accurate
reading at all times
and number nine is
failure to use your fingertip if you
test your blood sugar levels and believe
that the reading is incorrect well
there's only one thing you can do test
again right make sure you use the blood
from fingertip not from your arm not
from your legs not from your toes this
is because blood samples taken from
other locations such as your arm and leg
whatever they're not as accurate as the
fingertip samples when your blood sugar
level is especially even rapidly rising
or falling stick to fingertips if you
want to be absolutely certain that your
reading is accurate number 10 well it
appears that vitamin c can actually
interfere with glucose meter readings as
well causing them to read falsely high
so don't be surprised if your doctor
checks your blood sugar in the lab and
that is completely different from what
your glucose meter shows when you're
taking high dose of vitamin c so we have
another video about that but it is
important to know that too much vitamin
c can cause false readings on your
glucose meter well that was it 10
reasons that your meter can be giving
you inaccurate readings so if you like
this video please write a comment share
and like and we will see you in the next
video
hey guys i hope you are enjoying this
channel so far and i hope you subscribed
already if you didn't do it and if you
did
watch this video right there i think
that will help you too
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