Important Aspects To Be Considered While Purchasing a Glucose Meter

All diabetic patients, whether suffering from type 1 or type 2 diabetes must regularly and constantly monitor their blood sugar levels in order to remain in a good state of health. Almost all diabetic patient realize the importance of testing their sugar levels in the blood but a majority of them are often confused as to which glucose meter is the best suitable for them.

When a person is first diagnose d with diabetes he rushes to the nearest chemists and purchase all his medication along with a Glucose Blood Meter kit. This purchase is made without considering the effectiveness of the meter kit.

Whenever a person purchases a diabetes Glucose Meter kit he must consider certain important aspects to ensure the effectiveness of the device.

While purchasing a Glucometer make sure to purchase the one that is dependable. It is not at all necessary that the most expensive meter is always the best. Besides choosing the one that suits your budget you must also make sure that it has maximum features that are suitable to your requirements. A glucose monitor kit that maintains a good balance between its cost and features should be considered the best.

When purchasing testing strips for the meter make sure that they are compatible with the measuring device. Some models are compatible with cheaper strips as compared to other models.

Nowadays you can purchase meters that are available with a memory that can store the results taken. But it is beneficial to maintain a written logbook so that you can show the results to your doctor and accordingly gather useful advice for further treatment.

Every time you use lancing device and lancets along with the glucometer make sure to use a fresh lancet to ensure less pain and hygiene as well as accurate results.

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Careful Maintenance Of the Glucometer Is Important

Whether a person suffers from type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus), it is important for him to regularly carry out Blood Test for Sugar. Monitoring blood sugar levels or carrying out Diabetes Test at regular intervals is important and can be easily accomplished by making use of Glucometer. But before purchasing a Glucometer it is important to check its accuracy as well as the error percentage associated with the device.

According to the guidelines established by the IOS or International Organization of Standards it has been stated that most of these devices are accurate only 95% of the time. Since these meters are used to test the overall blood sugar levels, therefore, it is important to take care of this device. This means you should keep it in a proper place, especially when you leave it at home.

But besides taking care of the device there are several other factors that should be taken into consideration. There are many external factors that can greatly affect the accuracy of this device. Storing it under proper temperatures and away from humid places is important. Just like you store your other supplies make sure to keep the glucose meter in a cool and dry place. A Glucometer works well when stored at temperatures ranging between 50 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 to 40 degrees Celsius. If in case you are carrying your glucose meter along with you then make sure not to leave it in a locked car as a locked car becomes much hotter than the defined range.

Even the size and quality of blood samples being tested can also affect the readings. Keeping the meter clean using strips that are unexpired makes a lot of difference. Keep these factors in mind to increase the efficiency of your glucose meter.

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Understanding How Diabetic Testing Strips Produce Accurate Results

Diabetes Blood Sugar Test Strips have made it easy for diabetic patients to test their blood sugar levels on their own on a regular basis. The Blood Sugar Testing Strips that were patented in 1996 have proved to be quite beneficial to the medical community. With the advancement in technology, the usage of diabetic strips has also advanced.  Basically they are still the same as they were created originally. These strips consist of a chemically treated paper that is commonly coated with mediators and enzymes. These coenzymes and indicators react according to the level of glucose in the blood and in turn provide an electronic reading on the monitor of the glucometer in which it is placed. It produces accurate results with the help of a small sample of blood, usually only one or two drops.

In the beginning the strip used to display a color that had to be matched with a predefined chart. But these results were not accurate as diabetic patients are usually associated with poor vision and can misjudge the color. However with the advancement in technology the results are now displayed digitally and are more accurate. This has made it easier for patients to test glucose levels easily and more accurately.

But it is important to purchase quality medical supplies from renowned companies to ensure accurate results. Storing testing strips properly is also important. If opened these strips should be placed in a closed vial or a foil wrapper and that too at room temperature. Since these strips are disposable, therefore users should use them only once and should be discarded properly.

Besides monitoring blood glucose levels using glucometer and testing strips it is also important for a diabetic person to follow a proper diabetes diet in order to remain healthy and active.

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What are Diabetes Test Strips and How Do They Work?

Today diabetes glucose meter strips has made it possible for diabetic patients to manage this disease on their own. Diabetic Test Strips are revolutionary products that hve been developed and improved since past several years to give exact results and allow people suffering from diabetes to control it and lead a healthy life.

Blood sugar test strips being used by people today are based on the detection technology known as blood analyte levels. This was applied for a patent in 1994 and got the approval in 1996. Kevin J. Phillips is the first inventor of these diabetic strips.

In the beginning it was difficult for people suffering from diabetes to test their blood sugar levels on their own. This difficulty was because of the complicated equipments that were necessary to find the analytes present in the human blood originally. The equipments that were used originally were known as spectroscopic and spectroscopy equipments that were too big in size and were quite expensive to be effectively used by an individual for himself.

Diabetes test strips earlier used to change color due to the occurrence of a chemical reaction that takes place between the chemicals present in the blood and the chemicals present on the strip. The change in color indicated the level of glucose in the human blood. A standard scale was mentioned on a chart and the diabetic patient had to simply match the color of the testing strip with the color mentioned on the chart to know his glucose levels.

It is important to use good quality strips and to check the expiry date before purchasing. Expired strips produce incorrect test results. Therefore, strips taken out from a package should be used within a specific period of time and should be opened only when the patient is ready for the test.

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Understanding The Exact Working Of A Glucometer

Glucometers are small battery-operated devices that help diabetic patients monitor blood glucose levels anywhere and at anytime easily and conveniently. These glucometers work by testing a drop of blood that the patient places on a disposable test strip. Nowadays glucometers are being used by almost every diabetic patient to test glucose levels in blood every day. These glucose meters are smaller in size and help produce fast and accurate results. With passing time tehse glucose meters are improving and getting more sophisticated.

Many of the glucometers available in the market nowadays include various additional features such as expanded memory that helps store blood results. It also records insulin dosage and are computer compatible. Using a companion software package a person can analyze the data collected and decide upon medication dosages, food, exercise and more.

As compared to the devices used before, glucometers being used in today’s age are much smaller in size and are capable of producing faster and much more accurate results. Glucometers being used today allow better glycemic control than instruments that were used in the past.

A variety of Glucometers available in the market today can be largely differentiated on the basis of several features. These features include size of blood sample required, memory capability, testing time, ability to download results into the software used to manage collected data and the capability to perform diabetes tests from alternate sites such as thighs or forearms. Besides being common amongst diabetic patients these devices are also used by doctors at their clinics.

But in order to ensure accurate results a person must purchase the best glucometer available in the market. The best glucometer in India can be easily purchased by renowned companies and that too online from the comfort of home or office.

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Manage Diabetes With a Proper Diabetes Diet Plan

All diabetic patients are recommended to monitor their blood sugar levels using glucose blood meters and insulin pumps. But to lead a healthy life diabetic patients are also recommended to follow a proper diabetes diet plan. Eating healthy food will help stay active if the patient strictly follows the diabetes diet meal plan suggested by the consultant physician.

When a diabetic patient begins to follow a diet plan he should first write down everything that he eats and should make it a point to check his blood sugar levels both before and after meals. This will give the patient a chance to see how different food items included in the diet will affect his blood sugar levels. Jotting down the changes in the diet is a good practice and must be followed by all diabetic patients when he begins to follow a diet plan or whenever his treatment changes.

Carbohydrates along with fats and protein contribute a great deal to produce energy for the human body. These constituents in the diet greatly elevate blood glucose levels in the bloodstream. Therefore, it is suggested that a diabetic patient should consume these constituents in small quantities in his diet. A diabetic patient should consume food items that include all types of nutrients but in smaller quantities that the body of a diabetic patient can tolerate and help trigger energy levels.  

All types of diabetic patients, whether diet-controlled, insulin-dependent or oral medication should make it a point to follow a proper diabetes diet. Usually the diet doesn’t suggest people to lose weight but any activity that helps lose weight will help diabetic patients lead an active life. In fact in some cases losing weight in large amounts will help the patient consume lesser amount of medication or may be no medication at all.

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Some Useful Facts About Diabetes Mellitus?

Before a diabetic patient begins his medication to treat diabetes it is important for a diabetic patient to understand what is diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes that is also known as diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which occurs in a human body when the insulin being produced by the pancreas are unable to reduce the glucose levels in the blood. Diabetic condition also appears when the pancreas does not produce enough quantity of insulin. Insulin plays a major role in taking glucose from the blood to the body cells of different organs that produces energy. If the glucose levels are too high in the blood then it will be easily eliminated by the kidneys through urine. Besides diabetes mellitus there is another type of diabetes known as gestational diabetes that usually occurs in pregnant women.

There are no specific symptoms to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Usually increased urination, thirst and appetite might occur if a person is diagnosed of diabetes. Along with this fatigue, blurred vision, infections and erectile dysfunctions can also be considered as symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

This type of diabetes is diagnosed by a doctor after conducting some tests. After the patient has been diagnosed with diabetes he will be advised to keep his sugar levels under control. Nowadays doctors advise patients to test sugar levels in blood on their own. This can be done using a glucometer along with testing strips. The doctor will also provide the patient with a specific diet plan that will help him know what to eat and how much and also what to avoid. The doctor will also advise the patient as to where can he purchase his diabetes supplies from.

Simply search online to find several suppliers who readily supply diabetes supplies at your doorsteps.

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