Even though they are (usually) virtually painless, nobody really enjoys a home finger-prick blood test, and everyone knows somebody with horror stories to tell about how they’ve made a mess of it, turning their thumb into a pincushion with nothing to show. As such, it’s best to make sure that yours goes smoothly, and for this, you need good circulation. This can be easier said than done, so here are a few tips to get your circulation moving.
Warm Up!
The warmer you are, the closer your blood will be to the surface of your skin. This is why people look flushed when they are hot. The flushed look is a visible sign of capillaries expanding. These are the tiny vessels just below the skin. A high-quality, reliable home blood test is designed to give a very gentle prick, accessing the capillaries. As such, the warmer someone is, the more likely they are to be able to collect the sample that they need.
Good ways to warm up include doing some exercise, drinking something hot, or rubbing your hands together.
Drink Some Water
Any kind of blood test requires viscosity. Viscosity is the slipperiness of blood. The more easily it moves, the easier it will be to conduct a finger-prick blood test at home. Lots of conditions can affect viscosity, with anaemia being the most visible. One of the reasons for this is that blood viscosity is non-Newtownian, with the result that red blood cells have a tendency to gather in the centre of blood vessels. This phenomenon, known as axial streaming, can make it hard to access with a finger-prick test. This is why it is so important that tests are high quality and reliable.
To help the process, drink some warm water. This helps the blood vessels to relax, and can increase the viscosity of the blood. As a general rule, the cozier someone is, the better.
Find Something Spicy
If exercise and warm water are not working, it might be time to try something a little more extreme. Or, more concisely, it might be time to throw some neural programming at the problem. Our brains are wired to respond to hot and spicy food in the same way that we respond to pain. As such, eating something spicy instantly dilates blood vessels. If you are trying to access your capillaries, consuming hot food will order your brain to make them relax and open for you. At Suresign, we have designed our tests to make this process as easy as possible, but a little dash of spice can be helpful.
If you are thinking about advising this method, always ensure that other methods of getting warm have been tried first. Start with mild spices, and work gently up the Scoville scale.
Don’t Waste The Test
If someone can’t get warm, and their circulation is not responding, there is no point doing a finger-prick test. It is better to wait for another day, or to look for another testing method. Sometimes, people need a little space and time to relax. Often, the more concerned someone feels about a test and its result, the more tense their body will become. If you are trying to get your blood vessels to relax, sometimes the best strategy is to simply not think about it. Make yourself something warm to drink, and wait for the right moment.
What Next?
While the quality of the test is the most important parameter, increasing circulation can increase the efficacy of home finger-prick tests. There are several techniques that can make the process easier. For more information about the Suresign range of self-test kits, please contact us today by clicking here.
