# Why did most blood-sugar testing devices require you to test on your finger tips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358 "2004-01-14T05:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/1 "2004-01-14T05:33:07Z")
The title basically sums it up, I’m aware of recently released testers that allow you to test your blood sugar from different places, but I’ve never understood why originally it _had_ to be done on the finger tip. Thanks for your replies ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/2 "2004-01-14T06:42:16Z")
While you could take blood from other places (like around the umbilicus), the fingers are pretty easy to get as the capillaries are close to the surface. Although the fingertip pads have many nerve endings, the sides of the fingers have relatively few. Also avoids awkward stances, like if you took blood from the toes (many diabetics can’t even see their toes). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/3 "2004-01-14T15:10:07Z")
I believe that capillary blood is more sensitive to changes in glucose levels and therefore the blood itself is more useful than blood from larger vessels. At least that’s what the rep for my meter told me. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/4 "2004-01-14T16:14:25Z")
The newer meters and their test strips need a lot less blood to work with. It’s fairly easy to get a pretty good sized drop of blood from a finger stick, less so from sticking one’s arm or leg. If the initial finger stick doesn’t provide enough blood to make a good sized drop, then the finger can be “milked” somewhat. Even though the sides of the fingertips are less sensitive than the pads, I still dreaded taking my sugar readings. Finger sticks ALWAYS hurt, in my experience. I’ve VERY glad that the technology has improved to the point where I can stick my arm and get enough blood for a reading. I test myself more often, and I’m able to keep a tighter control on my blood sugar. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/5 "2004-01-14T16:18:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I believe that capillary blood is more sensitive to changes in glucose levels and therefore the blood itself is more useful than blood from larger vessels. At least that’s what the rep for my meter told me. I don’t think this is the case. If anything, capillary blood from the skin is _less_ reflective of the glucose level than, say, blood from a vein. In truth, though, there’s essentially no difference. With respect to the OP, we sometimes get blood from the earlobe. As **Dr\_Paprika** said, you can take blood from pretty well anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/6 "2004-01-14T16:51:57Z")
Is it not because finger tips heal the fastest? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/7 "2004-01-14T16:59:17Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Finger sticks ALWAYS hurt, in my experience. Got _that_ right. I donate blood and for some reason, the Red Cross changed from an earlobe stick to a finger stick for collecting a sample to test the hematocrit. I much preferred the earlobe. DD ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/8 "2004-01-14T19:55:42Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > With respect to the OP, we sometimes get blood from the earlobe. As **Dr\_Paprika** said, you can take blood from pretty well anywhere. In addition to what these guys said, when we start IVs in the field, we almost always check a blood sugar off the blood left in the flash chamber. St. Urho Paramedic/Firefighter ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-most-blood-sugar-testing-devices-require-you-to-test-on-your-finger-tips/224358/9 "2004-01-15T00:20:20Z")
I have some friends who are diabetic, and must do this daily. They say to stick the side of your finger, rather than the fingertip! This is less painful and less likely to bother you later (typing after sticking a fingertip is quite annoying, they say). And apparently there is no problem getting enough blood from the side, and the blood works fine for testing.