If you have diabetes, it is important to check your glucose levels regularly. A glucometer makes this process easy to do. These are portable devices that use a small blood sample to tell you what your blood sugar levels are at that specific time. Since glucose meters test in real time, this helps you make better decisions about what you are eating and how to dose your insulin if you take this medication.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR BLOOD SUGAR TESTING
It is important to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range at all times. Since diabetes can make this difficult, regularly testing your blood sugar can help you make the right decisions to ensure proper control. The following are reasons why you need to test your blood glucose levels according to the schedule recommended by your doctor:
• Helps you evaluate your diabetes treatment regimen to make sure it’s working for you
• You will be able to determine how stress, illness and other factors are affecting your blood sugar levels.
• Makes it easier to see when your glucose levels are too high or too low so you can take appropriate corrective action
• You will know how your exercise regimen and diet are affecting your blood sugar levels.
• Helps you assess how your medications are working to help keep your diabetes under control so you know if changes are needed.
HOW OFTEN TO TEST YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
How often you need to test your blood sugar levels is highly individualized. It will also depend on the type of diabetes you have and if you are going through a period with new treatments or if your sugar levels fluctuate a lot. You should talk to your doctor regularly and always make sure you are testing often enough to keep your sugar levels as controlled as possible.
If you have type 2 diabetes and don’t need insulin, testing once or twice a day is often recommended. However, if you have good control of your levels, your doctor may not need you to check them daily. If you use insulin for this condition, it is often suggested to test three to four times a day, especially if your insulin dose depends on your blood sugar levels throughout the day.
If you have type 1 diabetes, it’s common to check your blood sugar levels four to 10 times a day. In most cases, the test will be done before bed, at mealtime, and during exercise. Your doctor will provide you with detailed instructions on when to check your blood sugar and how your levels at each check will affect your diet and insulin intake at that time.
HOW DOES A GLUCOMETER WORK?
When you use a glucometer, it gives you a small blood sample, most often from the tip of one of your fingers. In order for the meter to read the blood sample, the sample is placed on a diabetic test strip. This strip goes into a small port at the bottom of your glucose meter. It is important to ensure that you have the strip inserted correctly into your meter so that your results will be accurate.
Inside the test strip are different chemicals. Your blood will react with these to help make your blood readable by the glucometer. Electrical currents are passed through your monitor’s test strip and show you a reading, which is your blood sugar level. On average, a glucose monitor works within seconds to give you a reading. In most cases, this process takes less than 30 seconds so you can get a quick, real-time reading of your glucose levels.
ALTERNATIVE SITE VS. BLOOD TEST FROM FINGER
In some cases, it may not be possible to get your blood sample from your fingertip. When this happens, your doctor might recommend a blood sugar meter that can use a sample from another area of your body, such as your thigh or the palm of your hand. Just make sure that when you obtain a sample from an alternate site, it is a site on your body that is approved in the specifications of your blood sugar monitor and associated test strips.
You may consider an alternate site meter if you have been monitoring your blood sugar for a long time and your fingers hurt easily. In some cases, it can be difficult for people to get a blood sample from their fingertips. Without a proper blood sample, you may get an inaccurate reading or no reading at all. Because of this, obtaining a viable sample from another part of your body can ensure accurate monitoring of your blood sugar levels.
Compared to a blood sample from your fingertip, blood from an alternate test site may not be as accurate. This is important to consider, especially if your blood sugar has been falling or rising frequently or rapidly recently. Even if your meter allows alternate testing sites, you can still obtain a blood sample from your fingertip. If you think your sugar levels will be especially high or low, it may be best to use your fingertip during these times when possible, as long as the sample size is adequate.
WHAT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN CHOOSING A GLUCOMETER
The glucose monitor you use should be one that you always have access to. It’s important to consider not only your blood sugar meter, but also the strips and lancet that work with it. There are several factors to consider to ensure you are making the right choice, including:
• Call your health insurance company and find out how much they will cover for your monitor. You also need to know which glucose test strips will be covered and how many will be covered during each month.
• If you have vision problems, you may want to consider a meter that audibly tells you what your blood sugar reading is. There are also blood sugar meters with extra-large displays and buttons that are easier to see if you have vision problems.
• An easy-to-maintain meter ensures you always have it ready to go. Talk to your pharmacist for more information on meters that require little maintenance and calibration. This is important because with regular maintenance, you’ll know you’re getting the most accurate results when you measure your blood sugar levels.
• Information storage and retrieval is another important consideration. It’s good to keep track of your glucose levels long-term. When your meter can store your information, you can go back and see what your blood sugar levels have been like over the course of a month or more, depending on the storage capacity of your meter.
• Know the blood sample size your meter and test strips require. Some require more or less blood than others. If you have difficulty getting a larger sample regularly, consider a meter that requires less blood to give you an accurate result.
CONCLUSION
A glucometer is one of the most important tools a diabetic has in their arsenal. It allows him to test his blood sugar at any time of the day so he can take control of his health. The important thing is that you choose one that you can easily use and that is within reach of your pocket, that way you will always have your glucose meter with you and ready to use. Share this article on social networks and place a link on your website.