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Finger prickles

J

Just Laura

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To all of you wise owls who have much more experience of this diabetes lark than I...

Is there anything that can be done to stop fingers getting scarred and marked from all the testing that needs to be done?

My littlie is just over one year on since diagnosis and already her little finger sides are looking hard and marked.
We always try and alternate fingers, and which side we 'prickle' but they still look, well, prickled!

Had thought about using creams or something overnight (though I don't know what!) but don't want anything that will affect the readings.

Any help or suggestion would be much appreciated.

x


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Make sure the finger pricker is set at the lowest depth but enough to draw blood from the finger, if you do use creams make sure that the hands are washed thoroughly before testing her bg.

Not nice to see this on your little ones fingers and understand your concerns, does she complain that they are sore?
 
Thanks Noblehead; I try and make sure the depth is the lowest possible but hate having to do it twice if the first time is no good :(

She hasn't complained at all but I've just noticed that they're looking a bit battle scarred! And we're just one year in to it.

x


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That's sad. :-(

I suppose you are using the left and right sides of all 8 fingers?

Bio Oil is reputed to be good for healing scars. You could try that.

When the sides of my fingers start scarring or "tattooing" I switch back to the pads, not at the fingertips but further back, almost at the crease of the first knuckle. I get more blood and less pain there.
 
Yes, trying all sides of all fingers.
May give the good old bio oil a try - could alternate between hands each week perhaps. Thanks for the suggestion.

It's not even as if we test all that often compared to other children - I certainly don't need to routinely get up through the nifty, thanks goodness!

She must just be delicate. Think she gets it from her mother ;)



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ask if you can use the thumb and little finger pad on the palm, touch your thumb to your little finger and they are easily seen
http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/educ...s/fingertip-versus-alternate-site-testing.htm
There is one alternate site that can be just as easy as your fingertips. "Though the palm is considered an alternate site, it is actually just as accurate as the fingertips," Bonsignore said. "If you want to give your fingertips a break but don't want to take blood from your arm or thigh, go with the palm."


http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/3/708.full

F1.large.jpg


https://www.google.com.au/search?q=blood glucose palm&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=1FFqU6TtIMnC8gfXyIG4CA#channel=sb&q=blood glucose alternate site testing&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial
alternate sites can be used for before meals, morning and night when bloods are stable
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just Laura said:
Thanks Noblehead; I try and make sure the depth is the lowest possible but hate having to do it twice if the first time is no good :(

She hasn't complained at all but I've just noticed that they're looking a bit battle scarred! And we're just one year in to it.
Click to expand...

A good tip is make sure the fingers are warm prior to lancing, cold fingers seem harder to get blood from and thus a second attempt is often necessary.
 
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