Things to know before using Testing Strips

What is Diabetes Mellitus ? Diabetes mellitus, also commonly referred to as diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects ability of your body to use the energy derived from food. There are about three primary kinds of diabetes that people suffer from:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes

All types of diabetes mellitus have something in common. Normally, your body breaks down the sugars and carbohydrates you consume into a special sugar referred to as glucose. Glucose works towards fuelling your body cells. However, the cells require insulin (hormone) in your bloodstream to get glucose utilize it for energy. When an individual suffers from diabetes mellitus, the body either doesn't make enough insulin or is unable to produce insulin or a combination of both.

The Testing Strips for diabetes will allow you test your blood sugar safely at home. This is the best way to monitor your blood sugar levels. The test strips are made from plastic. The last part of the strip is usually covered with enzymes. Dehydrogenise or glucose is the most common enzymes used to coat diabetes testing strips.
Here are certain things you require considering prior to buying testing strips:

The Price

Since testing strips are the costliest elements in the process of, you need to know the amount of money involved. The diabetic test strips are a monthly expense for you. So try to get these from a place where you get the lowest price. You need to research online to get compatible yet affordable testing strips for your glucose monitor.

Expiration Date

The glucose meter readings can be useless if your test strips cross expiration date. Hence, you need to always check the dates before buying them.

Coding

Many diabetic meters can coded for each batch or vial. The newer monitors don't need any coding. Make sure you look for "no coding" if you wish to avoid the coding system.

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Benefits of using Glucose Blood Meter

Testing blood glucose on a regular basis is the base for effective diabetes management. However, readings may fluctuate based on the amount of insulin, diet regime, and exercise one indulges in at any given point of time. Many people across the globe have started integrating the regime of using continuous monitoring devices at home. However, many still shirk away from their glucose testing obligation. But this perception towards diabetes testing should be avoided.

The Glucose Meters can help you and your doctor assess the fluctuations in glucose levels of body. This is definitely a resource you should gather information about and incorporate the practice in your daily life. This is especially important if you have been facing problems with continually high periods of glucose (hyperglycemia). Patients with low levels of glucose (hypoglycemia) should also use this.

These days, with easy accessibility to a number of glucose meters available on the market, there’s no reason you should avoid the vital process of keeping a check on blood glucose levels. Since the Glucose Blood Meter allows you to test glucose levels within the privacy of your home, these are very useful to know how a specific exercise regime or diet plan is faring. You would be able to understand how different activities interfere in your glucose levels. This will also help your doctor assess the readings and offer you a diet plan accordingly.

The info is very helpful for entire healthcare team to understand the best way to adjust timing, diet plan, physical activities, and insulin to balance glucose levels in a better way. All this is possible via using Glucose Blood Meters and monitoring glucose level at regular intervals.

To sum up, glucose meters are a boon for diabetes patients.

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Undertaking the Glucometer Test – The Steps Involved

Health care practitioners usually recommend their patients to keep a check glucose levels regularly. In fact, this is an obligatory routine diabetics must maintain at any cost. Doctors prepare a schedule for patients wherein they mention perfect diet, exercise regimen, and treatment to help maintain a healthy body. The schedule is based on glucose readings. This means that the patient needs to be comfortable with the idea of self testing glucose levels in the body. Blood Test for Sugar is not a difficult process as one can do it within the privacy of home in no time! Using Glucometer will help.

What’s the Process?

Prepare the Lancet

First and foremost, you must prepare the lancet device. The device will prick your skin. So you need to insert a lancet into the device and then push down until you hear a click.

The Steps Involved

Step 1

As soon as you hear a click, twist the top off the lancet to make the needle visible. Make sure you maintain a distance from lancet button to avoid accidental pushing.

Step 2

The glucose strips box will have a unique code. Take a strip out of the container and close it back immediately to avoid ruining other strips.

Step 3

You must push the glucose strip into the glucometer to get a pre-coded data. Proceed to the next step of you get info similar to that of the box code. In case, there’s a difference, you must change it through pushing the button on the left side.

Step 4

Choose the pressure setting on the lancet glucometer. This is actually pressure you prefer to prick your skin. The normal range is from 1 to 5. Very low setting will not give results whereas too high will hurt. So you need to determine the setting that works best for you while undertaking a Diabetes Test.

Step 5

Select the area you wish to prick for diabetes test. Pull down the glucometer lancet and slide on the area.

Step 6

Take the glucometer to blood source and hold it against the glucose strip. Allow the strip to absorb blood. You will soon see a symbol being displayed in the glucometer window. This is to indicate whether or not it has adequate blood to process. The glucose level will soon be displayed on the window.

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Diabetes Glucose Meter Strips Buying Guide

Once you have bought a blood glucose monitor to keep tabs on your blood glucose levels, it is time you find out the best compatible Diabetes Glucose Meter Strips. Also known as Diabetic Test Strips or Blood Sugar Test Strips, these tools contain chemicals that can react with the glucose present in your blood sample. Once you place a sample on the test strip, you should insert the strip into the monitor. This will give you results. Remember that each strip is used only once. They should be discarded soon after use. This also means you need to have plenty of them in hand.

Here are some tips to buy diabetes glucose meter strips:

Expense

Understand that over time, test strips can make for the most expensive part of monitoring blood sugar process. Hence, you should keep in mind the cost of compatible strips when selecting glucose monitor.

Number of Strips

Outdated diabetic test strips will affect accuracy of blood sugar readings. Hence, you must pay attention to the expiration date on the box. You should buy as many as you can use in that specific time period.

Blood Sample Size

The latest glucose meters available on the market will use only a small drop (may be only a speck) ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 microliters for reading. Choose your glucose monitor and blood sugar test strips accordingly.

Ease of Use

Of course, you would not like to spend an entire day or make a lot of efforts just to check out your glucose levels. It should be an easy job that does not consume a lot of time.

Generic

Buying generic strips can save you a lot of money. However, you need to check the box and make sure they work with your glucose monitor accurately prior to buying.

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Understand Diabetes Diet Chart, Glucose Blood Meters and Insulin Pumps

According to a research, it has been proved that about 4.5 million people in India are victims of diabetes. The major reason behind this is irregular meal, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. The disease is basically associated to metabolic wherein carbohydrates oxidation and glucose is not completely detected.

How important is a Diabetes Diet Chart for patients to lead healthy and happy life?

Meal plan of diabetic patient plays crucial role in maintaining blood glucose levels in the body. The doctor plans a diabetes diet chart based on the gender, age, weight, height, working, and lifestyle of the patient.

Most foods taken by the patient are converted into a type of sugar known as glucose during digestion. The bloodstream carries glucose through the body. Insulin, the hormone converts glucose into quick energy. It may even store it further use. In case, of a diabetic, the body is either incapable of making enough insulin or use it correctly. This is also the reason too much glucose is accumulated in the bloodstream.

When preparing a diabetes diet chart, the doctor usually guides patient on certain foods to avoid and those to include daily. Some of the most common foods a diabetic (both Type I and Type II) must avoid include excess amounts of salt, sugar, fats, red meat, conventional tea and coffee (not more than twice a day), high fat cheese, white flour and products made from white flour, whole milk, foods with a high glycemic index, white rice, potatoes, carrots, breads and banana.

The best foods to invite in your daily diet regime include lean fish, low fat milk, low fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, herbal teas, whole grains, whole wheat, soya breads, unpolished rice, bitter gourd juice, fenugreek seeds, Indian blackberry (jamun), garlic, onion, flaxseed, fibre, and antioxidants (green tea).

Apart from following a healthy diet, it is important for diabetics to check blood sugar levels regularly. This is possible via using certain devices such as insulin pumps, glucometers, and strips.

Understanding Insulin Pumps

The insulin pump is a special device for continuous insulin delivery. It comprises of a pump reservoir similar to that of an insulin cartridge, a computer chip, and AAA battery-operated pump. It facilitates user to control the precise amount of insulin being delivered.

Glucose Blood Meters

A glucometer is a technologically advanced medical device for determining the estimated concentration of glucose in the blood. It is a key ingredient of home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) by diabetics mellitus or hypoglycemia.

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Importance of Diabetes Diet and Blood Sugar Testing Strips in a Diabetic’s Life

Diet plays an important role in a diabetic’s life. Since all that we eat can affect the level of glucose in our body, it is important to take care of all that is included in daily diet. Here is a sample Diabetes Diet plan for a diabetic patient:

Diabetes Diet Plan

Morning

6 a.m. – Take ½ teaspoon fenugreek powder + water.

7 a.m. – A cup of sugar free tea and a mary biscuit.

8.30 a.m. A plate upma or oatmeal and half bowl sprouted grains. Have a cup of low fat milk without sugar

10.30 a.m. A fruit or low fat buttermilk, or lemon water

Afternoon

1 p.m. - 2 roti of mixed flour, a bowl of lentil, a bowl of yogurt, a bowl of vegetable, and a plate of salad.

Evening

4 pm - A cup of tea without sugar and a toast or a biscuit.

6 pm – A cup of soup

Night

8.30 pm - 2 roti of mixed flour, a bowl pulse, half bowl green vegetable, and a plate of salad.

10.30 pm – A cup of milk without sugar.

It is important to strictly avoid sugar, molasses, honey, sweets, and dry fruits. It is important to include a light exercise regime daily. For instance, you can go for 35-40 minute brisk walk daily. Also avoid oily food and increase the intake of fiber foods in meals.

Apart from following a strict diet, it is important that a diabetic patient checks his glucose levels daily at regular intervals. This is easy via using Diabetes Blood Sugar Test Strips.

Diabetes Blood Sugar Test Strips

Glucose testing is an imperative component of a diabetic’s daily health care. Without testing, a diabetic can easily become ill as his glucose levels may not be healthy. The test is conducted via using a glucose testing meter that uses diabetes blood sugar test strips.

The Blood Sugar Testing Strips are one of the major components of any diabetes monitoring system. A wide range of diabetes test strips are accessible these days on the market. These test strips are used in combination with a blood glucose monitor. The patient needs to prick himself to draw blood and apply to the test strip. The blood glucose monitor will detect the accurate amount of blood glucose present in the body.

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How to Choose the Best Glucometer in India?

Diabetics need a blood glucose meter. This is a small computerized device that is used to measure and display blood glucose level in the body. Many factors such as dietary habits, lifestyle, physical activities, stress, medications, and many other factors can affect your blood glucose level. Using a blood glucose meter always help in managing diabetes via tracking fluctuations caused due to these factors.

Varied types of monitor blood glucose devices are available in India, these days. It is important to choose one that fits your needs and lifestyle.

Right from basic models to more-advanced meters with latest features and options, you can choose from a variety of blood glucose meters and test strips. Here is how to choose the Best Glucometer to test your levels of blood glucose:

Know the Basics

It is important to know the basic prior to choosing a blood glucose meter. This can actually help to understand the basics of how meters function. In order to use blood glucose meters, one must insert one end of a test strip into the device. Thereafter, you need to prick a clean fingertip with lancet to draw a drop of blood. You need to touch the other end of the test strip to the blood and read the blood glucose level that appears on the screen. The readings offered by blood glucose meters are usually accurate. However, these meters can vary in features and functions.

Cost

Meters would definitely vary in price. Hence, you need to shop around before finalizing on one. Test strips are the most expensive part of monitoring. Figure out the type of strip that is most cost-effective for you.

User-friendly Features

Make sure you know about the ease of use before investing in a device. The Best Glucometer in India will be comfortable to hold, allows for easy numbers on the screen, drawing bold is easier and takes only a small a drop of blood to give results.

Maintenance

Strictly avoid buying high maintenance monitor blood gulucose device.

Support

Make sure the company gives the best customer care support. They should give you a toll-free number that you can reach out to and offer instant help when needed.

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