Blood Sugar Meter - Easy-To-Operate Equipment For Each Diabetic

| Wednesday, June 29, 2011
By Sheryl Duvan


The failure of the body to produce enough hormones called insulin or cannot use insulin properly causes the occurrence of the disease called Diabetes. People with diabetes suffer from having too much glucose build-up in their bloodstream. The glucose which is a form of sugar, because of insufficient insulin, instead of entering the cells and be used in the form of energy is stuck in the bloodstream which may lead to serious health problems. Living with diabetes can be both challenging and difficult.

For diabetes patients it is important that their blood sugar level is monitored on a regular basis. With the regular monitoring of the sugar level, it will help in knowing the other factors which may affect the blood sugar level like the food, activity levels, stress, medicine, and insulin. The procedure of monitoring the blood sugar level is done by pricking a finger with a small needle to produce a small amount of blood that will be placed on a test strip and inserted in a computer called the blood sugar meter which will calculate the glucose level of the patient.

The blood sugar meter or also called the glucometer is an important tool that monitors the blood sugar level. It is vital for patients who need regular checking of sugar level especially patients with diabetes to determine whether their blood sugar shoots up or is lower than normal. There are different types of blood sugar meter available in the markets that have different features, sizes as well as dimensions. Here are some of the things to be considered in choosing for the best blood sugar meter.

The first thing that needs to be considered when a purchasing blood sugar meter is the reliability and accuracy of the readings the machine produces. Blood sugar meters are of no use if the user is having doubts on the integrity of the machines readings. Inconsistent and unreliable results lead to improper treating of the disease which can further cause more complications.

Another thing to consider in choosing a blood sugar meter is the easy operation of the device. It is important that the device is easy to operate, and the user must also know how to properly use the glucometer. A pharmacist or an educator can help you with in using the device for the first time, but if you still do not get it working the second try, then you should find another one that is easier for you to operate. The blood sugar meter's size can also affect the ease of use the machine, and the recommended size is the size of the palm of the hand, though there are smaller and larger ones.

Lastly, the speed of producing results of the machine should be considered. The advisable speed of the readings should be around 5 to 45 seconds. The results then must be displayed in an easy to understand manner. Commonly glucose value is measured in mg/dl or mmol/l, however preferred measurement unit varies by country. Countries like the U.S., France, Japan, Israel, and India uses mg/dl, while Mmol/l is preferred of countries like Canada, Australia, China and the UK. Many of the available blood sugar meters in the market can easily toggle between the two measurements.

Other important factors considered when buying blood sugar meters include that size of the blood sample needed when testing. As far as many diabetics are concerned, less blood is always better. Alternate site testing is also important in choosing as it allows the patient to choose where blood sample comes from, may it be on forearm, earlobe, thigh as well as the fingertip. Finally and probably also very important especially for those under a budget is the cost factor. There are those blood sugar meters that you can afford to replace periodically depending on the features of the meter.

Nonetheless, always remember that the best blood sugar monitor is the one that suits your needs. The perfect meter for me may be different form the perfect meter for you.




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