5 Blood Sugar Checking Mistakes

Sugar checking looks simple. But 5 common mistakes are giving people wrong readings every day.

Let’s break them down

Two Timing Mistakes

1. Wrong PP timing

→ PP (post-meal) sugar is NOT 2 hours after finishing food. It is 2 hours from the first bite.

→ The moment the first morsel goes in, the sugar spike begins. If you count from the end of the meal, your reading will be inaccurate.

2. Wrong fasting timing

→ The moment you wake up and start moving, brushing, walking

your liver releases glucose.

→ That’s why fasting sugar must be checked immediately after waking up, before activity. Even small delays can raise numbers artificially.

Three Method Mistakes

3. Squeezing the finger

→ Pressing hard mixes tissue fluid with blood.

Result? False low reading.

4. Using sanitizer before testing

→ Sanitizer contains alcohol. It can distort readings and sometimes give false highs.

Always wash hands with soap and water and dry properly.

5. Reusing the same lancet repeatedly

→ A dull lancet damages skin, affects blood flow, and increases infection risk.

Use a fresh lancet regularly.

Your sugar machine is usually accurate. The method is often not.

Wrong readings → Wrong decisions → Unnecessary stress.

Courtesy: Dr. Pramod Tripathi