This process is facilitated by a glucometer. These are portable devices that use a small blood sample to tell you what your blood sugar levels are at any given time. Because glucometers test in real-time, it helps you make better decisions about what you eat and how to dose your insulin if you're taking this medication.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR BLOOD SUGAR TESTING
It is important to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range at all times. Since diabetes can make this more difficult, testing your blood sugar can help you make the right decisions to ensure adequate control. Below are the reasons why you need to measure your blood glucose according to the schedule recommended by your doctor:
• Help you test your diabetes medication regimen to make sure it's working for you
• You will be able to determine how stress, illness, and other factors affect blood sugar levels
• Makes it easy to see when your glucose levels are too high or low so you can take the right corrective action
• You will know how your exercise regime and diet affect your blood sugar levels
• Helps you test how your medicines are working to help you control your diabetes, so you'll know if changes need to be made.
HOW OFTEN TO TEST YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
How often you need to test your blood sugar is individual. It will also depend on the type of diabetes you have and whether you are going through a new treatment period or whether your sugar levels fluctuate a lot. You should talk to your doctor and always make sure you test often enough to keep your sugar levels under control.
If you have type 2 diabetes and do not need any insulin, testing once or twice a day is often recommended. But, if you have good control of your levels, your doctor may not need to check you daily. If you are using insulin for this condition, testing three or four times a day is often recommended, especially if the insulin dose is dependent on your blood sugar levels throughout the day.
If you have type 1 diabetes, it's common to test your blood sugar four to ten times a day. In most cases, you will test before bed, at mealtimes, and while you exercise. Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on when to check your sugar and how your levels at each check will affect your diet and insulin intake at that time.
HOW DOES THE GLUCOMETER WORK?
When using a glucometer, you give it a small sample of blood, most often from one of your fingertips. For the meter to read a blood sample, the sample goes onto a diabetic test strip. This strip goes into a small port on the bottom of your meter. It is important to make sure you insert the strip into the meter so that your results are accurate.
Inside the test, the strip is various chemicals. Your blood will react with them to make your blood readable on the meter. Electric currents pass through the test strip from your check and show you your blood sugar reading. On average, it takes a few seconds for a glucose watch to provide you with readings. In most cases, this process takes less than 30 seconds, so you can read your glucose level in real-time.
ALTERNATIVE SITE VS. BLOOD TESTING ON THE FINGER
In some cases, obtaining a blood sample from one of your fingers may not be possible. When this happens, your doctor may recommend a blood glucose meter that can use a sample from another area of your body, such as your thigh or the palm of your hand. make sure that when you get a sample from an alternate location, it is a location on your body that is approved in the specifications of your blood sugar watch and associated test strips.
If you check your blood sugar for a long time and your fingers hurt, you may want to consider an alternative meter. In some cases, it may be difficult for people to get a blood sample from their fingertips. Without the right blood sample, you may get inaccurate or no readings. For this reason, obtaining a viable sample from elsewhere in your body can ensure accurate blood sugar monitoring.
Compared to a fingerstick blood sample, blood from an alternate test site may not be as accurate. It's important to take this into account, especially if your blood sugar has been dropping or rising or recently. Even if your meter allows for alternative testing sites, you can still usually get a blood sample from a fingertip. If you think your sugar levels are going to be particularly high or low, it may be best to use your fingertip at these times if possible if the sample size is adequate.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A GLUCOMETER
The glucose check you use should be one that you always have access to. It is important to consider not only the blood sugar meter but also the strips and lancet that work with it. There are several factors to keep in mind to make sure you're making the right choice, including:
• Call your health insurance company to find out how much they will pay for your watch.
• If you have impaired vision, you may want to consider using a blood glucose meter that will tell you what your blood sugar is. There are also blood sugar meters with extra large screens and buttons that are easier to see if you have vision problems.
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