Blood Glucose Testing: Preparation and the Procedure

Blood glucose testing is common for people who have diabetes.  Those who think they might have diabetes or are at risk of contracting the disease can also benefit from a blood glucose test.  This same test is sometimes used for people who have or might have hypoglycemia.

What is glucose in blood test?

Glucose refers to a simple sugar that the body creates naturally.  Any carbohydrates that you eat are turned into glucose.  People with diabetes are unable to keep their glucose levels low.  They must take medicine and follow diet and exercise plans to stay healthy.

How to prep for a blood glucose test

Blood glucose testing can be done at the doctor or at home.  People with diabetes often need to self-test several times per day.  Those who are trying to determine if they have diabetes, are struggling to keep their blood sugar steady on their current plan, or have other concerns may get tested by a medical professional.

Diabetics don’t need to prepare for their tests as much as those who are going into a doctor do.  If you test your blood glucose levels multiple times per day, just stick with the plan your doctor put you on.  This usually means testing before meals and before bed.

Blood glucose tests at a hospital or urgent care are either fasting or random.  A person who is taking a fasting blood glucose test cannot eat or drink anything but water for eight hours before the procedure.  This test is used to determine what your natural blood sugar level is like.  There is no prep needed for a random test.

Be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you take and recent medical procedures you have undergone.  These things can often impact your blood glucose levels and lead to unclear or even incorrect results.

Blood glucose test procedure

Most blood sugar tests are done with a simple finger prick.  This is how people test their own glucose levels at home.  It is also common in doctor’s offices.  The finger should first be cleaned so there is no chance of contamination.  A bandage can be applied after the pricking if the finger continues to bleed.

Sometimes more extensive tests require a doctor to draw blood from a vein.  In this procedure, a band is wrapped around the upper arm to make the veins in the arm swell.  A needle is then inserted into the swollen vein to draw the blood out.  Again, the arm is cleaned first, and a bandage is applied afterwards.

What do test results look like?

What exactly is a normal blood sugar level?  After a fasting test, your blood glucose level should come back between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter.  A random test usually leads to a result closer to 125 mg/ dL.

If you have a fasting blood glucose test and your results are around 100–125 mg/dL, it is likely that you have prediabetes.  A blood glucose level of 126 mg/dL and higher indicates that you have diabetes.  For a random test, 140 to 199 mg/dL indicates prediabetes.  A level of 200 mg/dL or higher means you probably have diabetes.

Looking for a doctor that provides blood glucose testing?

If you are concerned that you may have diabetes, getting a blood glucose test done is a good step to take.  BASS Urgent Care can get you in and out fast.  They have high-level laboratory services like blood glucose testing in the quick, easy environment you would expect from an urgent care center.  Call (925) 329-3718 to schedule an appointment, or just walk in from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.