Choosing a Glucometer to Monitor Your Blood Sugar
A whopping 7.
8% of the US's population suffers from diabetes - that's 23.
6 million men, women and children across the nation.
In addition, it is believed that almost twenty-five per cent of this number are oblivious to their condition.
So far, there is no cure for diabetes, but, fortunately, it is easy to manage with the use of medical insulin.
A healthy lifestyle is also a major factor.
No smoking, no alcohol and healthy eating can all help reduce complications caused by the illness.
It is important that diabetes patients regularly check their blood sugar levels with a device called a glucometer.
This is a compact device that allows you to test the levels of glucose in your blood and tells you if your blood sugar levels are too high, low, or about right.
Because of their small size and ease of use, glucometers can be used while you are out and about.
Testing your blood sugar level with a glucometer involves placing a small drop of blood on a custom made test strip.
Your glucometer should give you an accurate blood sugar reading in just a few moments and you can take the necessary action.
Glucometers usually have a small display that shows the levels of glucose in your blood.
Also, they will record the date and time, and store old results to help you and your doctor monitor your diabetes.
The glucometers themselves are not very costly.
In fact, many distributors supply them for free.
The glucometer test strips, however, can be costly.
They vary in cost from around 35 cents to $1.
Some diabetics may use over 10 test strips each day, so the costs can soon mount.
When choosing the a glucometer to help you manage your illness there are a a few factors that you should consider.
For example: * The size of the glucometer * How big are the testing strips? * The price of the glucometer * The cost of testing strips * How fast it returns test results * The amount of blood required for a test * The glucometer's memory and data capacity * The size of the glucometer's display Regular blood tests with a glucometer help prevent many of the problems associated with diabetes, such as eye, heart and kidney issues.
Monitoring the sugar levels in your blood also helps you see how effective your medication is in treating your illness, and, crucially, helps prevent life-threatening emergencies.
8% of the US's population suffers from diabetes - that's 23.
6 million men, women and children across the nation.
In addition, it is believed that almost twenty-five per cent of this number are oblivious to their condition.
So far, there is no cure for diabetes, but, fortunately, it is easy to manage with the use of medical insulin.
A healthy lifestyle is also a major factor.
No smoking, no alcohol and healthy eating can all help reduce complications caused by the illness.
It is important that diabetes patients regularly check their blood sugar levels with a device called a glucometer.
This is a compact device that allows you to test the levels of glucose in your blood and tells you if your blood sugar levels are too high, low, or about right.
Because of their small size and ease of use, glucometers can be used while you are out and about.
Testing your blood sugar level with a glucometer involves placing a small drop of blood on a custom made test strip.
Your glucometer should give you an accurate blood sugar reading in just a few moments and you can take the necessary action.
Glucometers usually have a small display that shows the levels of glucose in your blood.
Also, they will record the date and time, and store old results to help you and your doctor monitor your diabetes.
The glucometers themselves are not very costly.
In fact, many distributors supply them for free.
The glucometer test strips, however, can be costly.
They vary in cost from around 35 cents to $1.
Some diabetics may use over 10 test strips each day, so the costs can soon mount.
When choosing the a glucometer to help you manage your illness there are a a few factors that you should consider.
For example: * The size of the glucometer * How big are the testing strips? * The price of the glucometer * The cost of testing strips * How fast it returns test results * The amount of blood required for a test * The glucometer's memory and data capacity * The size of the glucometer's display Regular blood tests with a glucometer help prevent many of the problems associated with diabetes, such as eye, heart and kidney issues.
Monitoring the sugar levels in your blood also helps you see how effective your medication is in treating your illness, and, crucially, helps prevent life-threatening emergencies.