Know your Sugar Tests for Diabetes The key to maintaining health and vigor with diabetes is knowing how to test your own blood, and knowing how much testing is really needed.
Depending on the person, sugar tests should be performed anywhere from once a week to five times a day.
The most complex sugar test for diabetes is the plasma blood test.
This test is used by doctors for determining the best treatment plan for someone just diagnosed with diabetes.
Sometimes, these tests can take up to two hours, and are usually done in hospitals and at the doctor's office.
A more routine variety of sugar tests for diabetes are the whole blood tests that many people do in their home.
This test requires only a drop of blood and it takes only a moment to determine what level the glucose is in the blood.
This test has revolutionized diabetic care, because now people can test what foods they respond well too, and which foods are harder to break down.
Managing Diabetes at Home Now that you understand the difference between routine sugar tests, let's focus on managing diabetes at home.
While modern medicine has made diabetic home monitoring easier than ever, the hard part is actually changing your lifestyle in the long-run.
Diabetic monitoring at home is essentially the daily measurements of glucose levels with a blood sugar meter.
The meter, also known as a glucometer, gives important information about the short-term health of the circulation and metabolism.
However, what you decide to do with that information is really what can decide your long-term health.
This means an exercise routine, a high fiber diet that is low in sugars and high in fresh leafy vegetables, and also - brace yourself - quitting smoking altogether.
The better you can accomplish these lifestyle changes, the more likely you will begin to enjoy the quality of life of your earlier years.
Blood Sugar Meters Come Down in Price The good news for seniors, as well as other people on a fixed budget, is that blood sugar meters are coming down in price.
Like other high-end technological devices, the manufacturing prices for blood sugar meters have dropped due to advances in production efficiency overseas.
However, one way that the diabetes supply market has responded to this manufacturing trend is an increase in the cost of many diabetic supplies such as diabetic blood sugar strips.
This disposable strip is necessary for daily monitoring of diabetes, and many cheaper strips are not usable with specific brands of blood sugar meters.
Even accounting for this shift in the cost of diabetic supplies, it is easier these days to save money while purchasing a high quality blood sugar meter.
The key to Diabetes Home Management is Healthy Habits Adjusting to life with adult onset diabetes takes some getting used to.
However, most adults find that monitoring their blood sugar levels is easy to do once they develop the habits.
A few moments before meals is all it takes at first, and some need to monitor only once a week once they get a feel for how their glucose levels are effected by diet, exercise, and insulin treatments.
Home glucose meters are the technology that makes this self-care easy and affordable.
Be sure to do some independent research to find the right glucose meter for you.
Some are made for those with poor eyesight, and others are loaded with special features such as data analysis and computer connectivity.
Home diabetes care can be convenient and easy to manage, but it's important to remember that short-term choices affect long-term consequences.
That's why following your medical team's advice is crucial, especially right after a diagnosis of adult onset diabetes.