How to Choose and Use a Glucometer and BP Monitor at Home
Checking your blood sugar and blood pressure at home gives your doctor far better information than a single reading in the clinic. But a cheap device used the wrong way can give numbers that are off by a wide margin. This guide, prepared by the Medicine Online pharmacy team under the medical oversight of Dr. Farhan Rashid Abbasi, explains what to buy and how to use it.
Choosing a glucometer
The meter is cheap; the strips are what you will keep buying. Choose a meter whose strips are easy to find in Pakistan.
| Meter | Strips it uses |
|---|---|
| Accu-Chek Instant S | Accu-Chek Instant strips |
| Accu-Chek Active | Accu-Chek Active strips (50) or (100) |
| On-Call EZ II | On-Call EZ strips |
Strips only work with their own meter: Active strips do not fit an Instant meter, and vice versa. You will also need lancets for the pricking device.
Getting an accurate sugar reading
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water and dry them. Sugar on your fingers (from fruit, for example) gives a falsely high reading. Alcohol swabs are not needed if hands are clean, but let alcohol dry fully if you use it.
- Prick the side of the fingertip, not the pad; it hurts less.
- Do not squeeze hard: squeezing dilutes the blood with tissue fluid.
- Keep strips in their closed vial, away from heat and humidity, and do not use them past their expiry date or more than the stated time after opening.
- Write the result down with the time and whether it was before or after a meal, or use the meter's memory, and take it to your doctor.
Choosing a blood pressure monitor
Choose an upper-arm monitor where possible. Wrist monitors are portable but are more sensitive to position and less reliable, particularly in older adults.
- Upper-arm: Omron M1 Basic, Microlife BP B1, Beurer BM 40
- Wrist (for travel or very large arms): Omron RS1, Beurer BC 28
The cuff size matters. A cuff that is too small reads high; too large reads low. Measure around the middle of your upper arm and check it is within the cuff's range.
Getting an accurate BP reading
- No tea, coffee, smoking or exercise for 30 minutes before. Empty your bladder.
- Sit for 5 minutes with your back supported, feet flat on the floor and legs uncrossed.
- Rest your arm on a table so the cuff is at heart level, on bare skin, not over a rolled-up sleeve.
- Do not talk during the reading.
- Take two readings one minute apart and record both. Measure morning and evening for a week before a clinic visit.
At home, readings that are consistently 135/85 or above are generally considered high. Seek urgent care for a reading of 180/120 or above with chest pain, breathlessness, weakness, or problems speaking or seeing.
Check your device against the clinic
Once a year, take your monitor or meter to your doctor or pharmacy and compare its reading with theirs. Replace the batteries when the low-battery sign appears, because weak batteries can affect results.
Browse glucometers and test strips, BP monitors and other devices.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best glucometer in Pakistan?
Accu-Chek meters are widely used and their strips are easy to find. The best meter for you is one whose strips you can buy reliably and afford for regular testing.
Why are my left and right arm BP readings different?
A small difference is normal. If one arm is consistently more than 10–15 points higher, tell your doctor and use the higher arm for home readings.
Related guides: Type 2 diabetes medicines explained · Blood pressure medicines guide
Medically reviewed under the oversight of Dr. Farhan Rashid Abbasi. This article is for general information only and is not medical advice.
