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Diabetes blood glucose testing – type 1 diabetes

Key points about testing your blood glucose at home if you have type 1 diabetes

If you have diabetes, you can test your blood glucose (sugar) levels at home using a blood glucose meter.
Testing your blood glucose levels at home is important.
For type 1 diabetes, you need to monitor your blood glucose regularly and record your blood glucose levels.
The videos on this page will show you how to do a blood glucose test.

Larger woman chopping vegetables in kitchen

The following video shows you how to do a blood glucose test. Click the video image below to be directed to the Starship website and click play on the chosen video.

Blood glucose testing witha a CareSens dual blood glucose/ketone meter

(external link)(external link)
(Starship Child Health, NZ)

Testing your blood glucose (sugar) levels at home is important. It provides you with useful information to understand how your insulin dose, diet and exercise affect your blood glucose levels. It also helps you understand how other factors, such as illness, affect your blood glucose levels.

You will need:

a blood glucose test meter
lancets (prickers)
a lancing device (a device, like a pen, to hold the pricker)
blood glucose diagnostic test strip
a notebook or diary in which to record your blood glucose levels).

In Aotearoa New Zealand, all people with type 1 diabetes qualify for a subsidised blood glucose meter.

If you are unsure how to use your blood glucose meter, there are various healthcare providers who can teach you, such as:

a diabetes nurse educator or diabetes nurse specialist
your local pharmacist
the practice nurse at your GP surgery.

Watch the videos in the tabs below to see how to use CareSens meters.

For type 1 diabetes, you need to monitor your blood glucose regularly.

Test before meals, 2 hours after meals and at bedtime.
Test at least 2 days a week unless you make dose-by-dose decisions based on your measured glucose level.
Test every day if you need to intensively monitor your type 1 diabetes.

You should change to daily testing if you:

are starting new treatment
have unstable blood glucose
have symptoms of high or low blood glucose
are changing treatment
are sick and feel unwell
have major changes to your daily routine
are employed as a driver.

Cleaning your hands well before testing is essential, as dirt, contaminants or chemicals on your fingers can affect the reading.

The best method to clean your hands is to wash with soap, ensuring you rinse well with water to remove all soap residue, and wipe them dry.

Wash and dry your hands before testing.
Insert a test strip into your meter.
Use the lancet device on the side of your fingertip to get a drop of blood.
To get a better sized drop of blood, try warming your hands before testing.
Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood and wait for the result.

Every time you measure your blood glucose, you need to record your blood glucose levels. You can record this in a diary or log book. It is a good idea to also record unusual events in your logbook, eg, having a hypo, eating sweet food.

Click the video image below to be directed to the Starship website and click play on the chosen video.

Using a log book to record blood glucose levels

(external link)
(Starship Child Health, NZ)

The CareSens blood glucose meters may record your blood glucose levels automatically. You can record this using computer software, as seen in the video below.

Click the video image below to be directed to the Starship website and click play on the chosen video.

Using computer software to record blood glucose levels

(external link)(external link)
(Starship Child Health, NZ)

CareSens Dual meter is perfect for people who need to test for blood glucose as well as blood ketone. CareSens Dual offers an ideal platform to perform blood glucose and blood ketone tests on a single meter. With the Bluetooth connectivity to compatible smartphones, you can upload the test results to the SmartLog phone app.

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Monitor - Testing Blood Glucose

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2021)

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Meter - Bluetooth Pairing 2

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2018)

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Meter - Setting the date and time 2

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2021)

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Meter - Inserting the batteries 2

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2021)

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Meter - Entering setup mode 2

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2018)

CareSens Dual Blood Glucose Monitor - Control Solution Testing

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2021)

Learn more

CareSens Dual(external link)(external link) Product details and Manual, Pharmaco Diabetes NZ

The CareSens N blood glucose meter is an excellent choice for people who would prefer a bigger screen and larger numbers. CareSens N is a simple, no-coding meter, which calculates and displays the averages of total test results, pre- and post- meal test results from the last 1,7,14,30 and 90 days. Ideal if you need to test frequently or require alarms to remind you to test at meal times.

CareSens N - inserting the batteries

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N (Refined) - Setting up your meter - set mode

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N (Refined) - Setting the alarm function

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N (Refined) - Testing with the control solution

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N (Refined) - Testing your blood glucose level

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N (Refined) - Testing at alternative sites

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Caresens N Errors and Other Messages

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Caresens N The Meter Memory

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Learn more

CareSens N(external link)(external link) Product details & Manual (English), Pharmaco Diabetes NZ

Downloadable manual translations available in the following languages:

The CareSens N POP blood glucose meter is perfect for those who need to test frequently or who would prefer a small, slim meter that is easy to slip into a purse or pocket. The CareSens N POP offers LCD backlighting, plus 1,000 test value memory, strip expiry alarm, hypoglycemia indicator, and no manual coding. The backlight makes it ideal for anyone needing to test in low-light conditions. Test records may be downloaded to SmartLog software.

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Inserting the batteries

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Setting up your meter set mode

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Setting up your meter - Setting sound and other indicators

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Testing with control solution

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Testing with control solution

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Caresens NPOP Testing your Blood Glucose Level

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2015)

CareSens N POP (Refined) - Testing at alternative sites

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Caresens NPOP Errors and Other Messages

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2014)

Caresens NPOP The Meter Memory

(Pharmaco Diabetes, NZ, 2015)

Learn more

CareSens N POP (external link)(external link) Product details & Manual (English), Pharmaco Diabetes NZ

Downloadable manual translations available in the following languages:

CareSens N Premier meter is perfect for people who need an advanced blood glucose testing meter with Bluetooth functionality. With the Bluetooth connectivity to compatible smartphones, you can upload the test results to the SmartLog phone app. CareSens N Premier offers a large screen with illuminated number for easy reading of your test results. If you are using CareSens N or CareSens N POP meters, you can keep using your CareSens N test strips.