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What can you tell me about testing from the arm?
Testing from the arm provides an opportunity to give your tender fingertips a break. There are fewer nerve endings in the arm, so testing is less painful. Around three out of four patients who tested on their arm reported no pain at all or much less pain than a fingerstick.
Before you begin testing using blood from the arm, you should consult your health care professional. When you test under certain conditions, blood glucose test results obtained using samples taken from the arm may differ significantly from fingertip samples. The conditions in which differences in blood glucose results between the arm and the fingertip are most likely to occur are when blood glucose levels are changing rapidly such as following a meal, an insulin dose, or physical exercise. You should test using the fingertip within two hours after food intake, insulin dose or physical exercise, or when glucose levels may be changing rapidly. Testing with blood samples from the arm is appropriate only for testing prior to, or more than two hours after, food intake, insulin dose or physical exercise.
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The health information on this Web site is for general background purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific conditions. Seek prompt medical attention for health care questions you have. Consult your physician before making changes to your medication, diet, fitness program or blood glucose testing schedules.