blood glucose levels | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

Diabetic Testing Equipment

Diabetic testing equipment comes in a wide variety of forms and functions and appearances. These days, due to the growing number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year, diabetic testing equipment is becoming big business, and the medical supply companies which manufacture and sell diabetic testing equipment are making staggering variety different types of meters and lancets. Most of these types of equipment offer different amounts of memory take different amounts of blood, have different options as far as what bells and whistles are built into the machine. No matter what extra options and bells and whistles may be in a particular make or model of the facts of exactly what type of equipment is needed is actually quite simple.

Blood glucose levels are tested by a machine called a glucometer. To use the glucometer, the patient must select a site, usually a fingertip, from which to draw a tiny blood sample. A single use test strip should be first inserted into the glucometer then the test site should be cleaned with an alcohol pad. Once the alcohol is dry, the fingertip is pricked with a device called a lancet which will allow the patient to squeeze a drop of blood onto the surface of the skin. The test strip is touched to the drop of blood and the blood is drawn into the glucometer which reads the blood sugar level. This may sound complicated but it is actually quite simple and with a little practice can be done in just a few seconds.

Those with diabetes may have to check their blood sugar many times per day just to keep the levels as close to the 60-100mg/dl normal range as possible. But, with care and an understanding and use of diabetic testing equipment the diabetic can live a long and healthy life.

Diabetic Menu Planner

Diabetic Menu Planner, the phrase probably conjures up images of bland foods, with very little sugar, and nothing at all fried in order to keep the fat content of the food down. The truth is a diabetic menu planner is not a bad meal plan, and with careful consideration those who suffer from type 2 diabetes can enjoy a good tasting and varied menu. As a matter of fact, once a diabetic menu planner is examined and seen for what it is then it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for some of us who are non-diabetic to follow the same food regimen. One thing that menus for diabetics have in common with most menus for weight loss is control of carbohydrate intake.

The whole reason those with type 2 diabetes have to follow menu plans is because their body does not process glucose, the sugar derived from food, correctly. This puts some people under the incorrect belief that the type 2 diabetic can eat anything they like with no worries as long as there is no sugar added. This is simply not true. Many common foods, especially starchy foods like rice, potatoes, and even white bread are quickly broken down by the body into simple sugars, and if too much of this is eaten it can lead to unhealthy or even dangerous blood glucose level increases for the type 2 diabetic.

The whole goal of planning a menu for a diabetic is to control the way their blood glucose behaves by eating complex carbohydrates and proteins. One of the rules of the thumb is that unless the food is a protein, like chicken or fish, white foods are bad foods. When a diabetic carefully plans their intake of carbohydrates they can better control their amount of body fat, and keep their blood glucose levels fairly close to normal. By using an appropriate diabetic menu planner a type 2 diabetic may be able to effectively manage their disease with diet and exercise alone and so live a full an healthy life.

What is a Normal Glucose Level

For an ever increasing number of people what is a normal glucose level is a really important question. The number of people diagnosed with heart disease, hypertension, and many forms of cancer, has been fairly steady or even slightly declining in recent years, but the number of people with diabetes continues to skyrocket. For those with diabetes what is a normal glucose level is important because low blood glucose levels can be just as much of a concern as high blood glucose levels due to the simple fact the for the body to operate at optimum levels the blood glucose generally needs to stay somewhere between 60 and 10 mg/dl. Diabetes is the number one cause of abnormal blood glucose levels due to the way it affects the way the body is able to metabolize the glucose that is taken in as food.

Glucose is a type of sugar that the body gets from carbohydrates, sugars, and fatty foods that are consumed. Glucose is important because it is used by each cell of the body as a source of fuel, and when glucose levels fall the body begins to shut down just as surely as a car shutting down when the fuel tank is empty. For most diabetics there is a fine line between too much and too little glucose, and they must check their glucose several times a day in order to balance their medication dosage and diet to keep glucose within healthy levels. All it takes is one misjudgment in insulin dosage, or one forgotten meal or snack to cause blood glucose levels to plummet to the point that the diabetic will lose consciousness and could even die without prompt treatment.

If you or someone you know is a diabetic the only way to keep from suffering from low blood glucose levels or high glucose levels is by staying on top of your glucose checks, keeping your diet right, and following your doctors recommendations. You surely don’t want to be on a long trip when your car runs out of gas, and you don’t want to allow your body to suffer from lack of fuel or from an overload of glucose. Be sure and ask your doctor what is a normal glucose level.

The dangers of low blood glucose levels

What is the danger of a low blood glucose level? A Low blood glucose level is extremely dangerous. It can cause confusion, dizziness, altered mental status, and even fainting, all of which can lead to serious harm to the person.

Hypoglycemia (as it is called) is the opposite of Diabetes. With diabetes the low blood glucose range is about the same as a normal person average glucose levels, meaning the glucose levels are extremely high (and this is dangerous in the long run). However with hypoglycemia the low blood glucose level is extremely low. This is caused by either lack of food or too much insulin in the body. This can be reversed if food is taken such as simple sugars to boost the body and complex carbohydrates following quickly afterwards.

The average low blood glucose level is 60.8 mg/dl and the high blood glucose level being 104.4 mg/dl. The amounts for a person suffering from hypoglycemia can be as low as 50 mg/dl. At these levels the brain does not get the amount of glucose needed, and this can result in serious damages. At first the person will suffer dizziness and confusion, but as it progresses shaking, altered mental status, and fainting will occur al are very dangerous.

There is several ways to treat a low blood glucose level. The first is going to your doctor (which is always best, especially if you suffer with this often). The second (which your doctor may prescribe) is using a blood glucose meter. A blood glucose meter is a small hand held item that is used to measure the amount of glucose in the blood. The unit uses small plastic strips to measure the amount s in the blood and display the results on the side in seconds. So using this unit is the best way to treat a low blood glucose level.

What are glucose machines?

What are glucose machines? Blood glucose machines are unit that are used by diabetics to measure blood sugar levels. Diabetics have to have these or risk major health effects and even death. Diabetes is a severe disease where the body doesn’t create the amounts of insulin created for the body to function correctly.

Insulin is a very important chemical that is created by the pancreas that changes the glucose (sugar) in the human’s blood into fuel that the body can use. If too little of the chemical is produced the glucose levels rise and can cause serious damage. The lists of damage include heart disease and damage, nerve damage, blindness, and kidney damage. All of which increase the chances of death. Hypoglycemia is where the body has too much insulin and is just as dangerous with fainting, dizziness, confusion, headaches as its symptoms.

Glucose machines are used to keep these under or above levels of glucose in check. By checking the blood levels periodically the blood glucose level can be kept at an even rate. Blood glucose machines are small units that are a necessary weapon in the diabetic war. The unit is generally no bigger than an average person’s hand, making it small and portable. There is no best glucose machine, it all depend on the users preference and what the like more as using this is a part of a diabetics survival. Glucose machines use “test strips” which are plastic strips that carry the chemicals needed to measure the blood glucose levels. It then displays the results on a small screen to the side, usually fairly easy to see. When getting glucose machines, you must be sure you know how to operate it effectively and utilize all of its resources, because your life depends on your ability to use the unit.