Prickly business Tips to prick

Checking your BGLs isn’t fun, but it shouldn’t ruin your day. These routine tweaks can make checks less of a chore

Warm your hands The worst thing that happens when you prick your finger is that not enough blood comes out. Increase the flow to your fingers by washing your hands in warm water first. Don’t have a sink nearby? Rub your palms back and forth together.

Wipe and wait If you use alcohol pads to clean your fingers before checking, give the alcohol time to evaporate. “That will reduce stinging,” says Diabetic Living USA advisor Marty Irons, certified diabetes educator.

Start the flow Hang your hand down by your side for a few seconds before sticking your finger to increase blood flow. (Or shake it out by wiggling your hands back and forth.)

Switch it up Devise a routine so you don’t favour one finger – or one hand. Start with your left thumb and move one finger to the left each time you check.

Try a new lancet Lancets dull after a few pokes, which means it takes more force to prick the skin (bringing more pain). To prevent this, choose lancets with a very fine needle. Irons recommends the OneTouch Delica. “It has less vibration, so it’s less painful than most generic devices,” he says.

Change the settings How low can you go? Set the lancing device depth to the lowest number possible that will still draw blood.