What are Diabetic Testing Machines?

diabetic testing machines
diabetic testing machines

When someone mentions diabetic testing machines the device they are referring to is usually called a glucometer. Diabetic testing machines are designed to read the level of glucose, or sugar, in a drop of blood so that the blood sugar level can be tracked.

The use of diabetic testing machines is pretty simple and straight forward. To use the machine a special test strip is placed in the machine, then a drop of blood is collected by pricking the skin (usually on the finger) with a lancet, the drop of blood is placed on the test strip and the machine “reads” the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Though there is a huge variety of different makes and models of diabetic testing machines on the market, they all work in virtually the same way, some may require a little smaller drop of blood and some may “read” the sugar level quicker than the others, but the basic principal remains the same. (more…)

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Peripheral Neuropathy

 

peripheral neurophy
peripheral neurophy

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that means nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. This damage may occur due to some sort of trauma to the nerves or as a result of any of several disease processes. Peripheral neuropathy may occur in any one of several varieties, but the most common type, and the type most people think of when the name is mentioned is symmetric polyneuropathy which generally effects the feet and legs and is commonly seen in diabetic patients. The reason this type of peripheral neuropathy is so common is that while heart disease and hypertension rates are currently on the decline, the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year continues to climb steadily each year. (more…)

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The Importance of a Normal Fasting Blood Glucose

If you or someone you know has a family history of diabetes or has already been diagnosed with diabetes a normal fasting blood glucose is one of the most important things that can be had to control the detrimental health effects of the disease. While glucose is important to the body because every cell in the body uses glucose for fuel, when glucose levels rise to the point where a normal fasting blood glucose cannot be maintained the high glucose levels can begin to damage nearly every body system. Most people are familiar enough with…

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Hemoglobin A1C Test for Diabetics

When it comes to managing diabetes effectively the key is proper glucose management, and the best way to check the efficiency of the patient’s glucose management regimen is with the hemoglobin a1c test. Most diabetics are familiar with checking their blood sugar by glucometer, sometimes many times daily. So How Does the Hemoglobin A1C Test Work? The glucometer measures the level of glucose in a drop of blood which is placed on a test strip and read by the machine. The hemoglobin a1c is also a blood test which measures the average glucose levels over…

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Normal Glucose Levels

Normal Glucose Levels
Normal Glucose Levels

Not long ago people would laugh and call you a wimp or a worrier if you mentioned that you were concerned with normal glucose levels. of course you may first have to explain what a glucose level was. In those days people got up to a full breakfast of eggs, gravy, biscuits, and bacon so loaded with cholesterol that they should have been able to hear their arteries hardening and it was not uncommon for a person to be dead of heart attack or stroke before they reached the ripe old age of fifty. Nowadays, due to advancements in medical science and more knowledge about proper nutrition death and disability rates from heart attack, stroke, and cancer are on the decrease, but diabetes rates continue to rise making maintaining normal glucose levels ever more important for an ever growing number of people. (more…)

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