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.

Fasting blood glucose level

Let’s face it we all hate to hear our doctor’s tell us that we need to come in for a fasting blood glucose level test. Is it because of the stuff we are required to drink or because we have to go for long periods of time without food or drink? Who knows, we just hate it.

A fasting blood glucose level test is used for many reasons such as family history and diabetes prevention. For many of us, if asked we can tell you someone in our family that we are related to who is diabetic, so by being able to monitor our fasting blood glucose level we can prevent from being diagnosed with diabetes. A fasting blood glucose level test is also performed if a patient starts having signs or symptoms related to diabetes.

A fasting blood glucose level test can be performed in several different ways such as coming into the doctor’s office first thing in the morning after you have been fasting, they will generally stick your finger, take blood or ask for a urine sample and then you may be asked to drink a bottle of basic sugar water or glucose within a certain timeframe and then have your fasting blood glucose level checked again.

Often times even during pregnancy you will be asked for a fasting blood glucose level if you fall into a certain age category, have a family history or are having signs and symptoms of diabetes. Often times when someone is having multiple births or pregnant with multiples such as twins or triplets they may be tested for fasting blood glucose level. By being able to test for diabetes during pregnancy the baby can be prevented as well from possibly having gestational diabetes later on after birth. If a woman is diagnosed as having diabetes during pregnancy she can take the precautionary measures in preventing from later having full blown diabetes.

The Normal Fasting Glucose Level

Not long ago, a normal fasting glucose level was never a chief concern for very many people, as the main health worries of the day were heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure.

Sure there have always been diabetics, but in recent times the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has skyrocketed, even as the number of people diagnosed with heart disease, hypertension, and many forms of cancer have begun to decrease. If the current trend continues, diabetes and diabetes related issues may well become the most important health care concerns of the new millennia. This means that for a growing number of people, having a normal fasting glucose level is more important than ever.

The symptoms to watch for in cases where diabetes may be developing include increased thirst, increased hunger, increased urination, increased fatigue, blurred vision, and lightheadedness. If a person is experiencing two or more of these symptoms it may be time to schedule a test with their physician to determine if they are maintaining a normal fasting glucose level. This is especially true if there is anyone else in their family that has diabetes.

The most common glucose tolerance test is the oral glucose tolerance test, or OGTT. For the OGTT the patient is usually asked to fast for 8 to 10 hours. After the fasting blood glucose level is determined, the patient is given a solution to drink which contains a known quantity of glucose. The blood glucose of the patient is them measured at intervals to determine if their body is correctly metabolizing the glucose which has been ingested. The normal fasting glucose level is usually considered to be between 70 and 99 mg/dl and any reading outside this range may mean that more tests should be run and a possible diagnosis of diabetes.

The benefit of using blood glucose logs.

For diabetics using blood glucose logs is a great thing. Blood glucose logs allow you to track the changes in your blood glucose readings. This is helpful for knowing what kind of food can increase your blood glucose and what lowers it. Also it is good in knowing what kind of exercise can help lower the amount of the glucose in the blood. Making a blood glucose log book will be very useful for many things including taking it to the doctor for a look over.

Blood glucose logs are very important. The American diabetes association promotes the use of blood glucose logs. These are used by many with diabetes and are used to watch for severe changes in the blood glucose levels.

If you are a new patient who has just been diagnosed with diabetes and are looking for great ways to keep your blood glucose logs you can download them off of the American diabetes association website, they have blood sugar logs Spanish and also in English.

A blood glucose log or a blood sugar log sheet can come in very handy when trying to keep an accurate reading of your blood glucose levels. Keeping your blood glucose log location within reach makes it easy when you need to go to the doctor’s office for a check-up or you need to contact them in case a problem should arise. A blood glucose log can mean the difference between life and death for someone who has problems often controlling diabetes.

Blood sugar log sheets, blood glucose log files all can come in handy when someone is coming in to try and help someone who is elderly, someone is going for a check-up regarding their diabetes or someone who may be new to having diabetes so that they can keep an eye on their sugar level for monitoring. Do you keep a blood glucose log?

Diabetes Testing Machines

Diabetes Testing Machines.

Diabetes testing machines used to be big bulky contraptions that could only be found in a medical laboratory or a doctor’s office. Nowadays, however, the most common place to find diabetes testing machines is in the home of those afflicted with diabetes.

The new style diabetes testing machines

These are small enough to be held in the palm of the hand, as a matter of fact many of them are so small that they can be put in a case with extra test strips, calibration solution, lancets and alcohol wipes and still not take up much more room than a man’s wallet.

The days of AAA batteries are gone for most diabetes testing machines, the newest will run for an amazing length of time on small round watch batteries, and they are designed to warn you if the battery begins to run low.

The diabetes testing machines also take far less blood than was needed in days past, and this has really decreased the discomfort of those who need to check their blood sugar many times daily. Though most diabetes testing machines still require test strips, and finger pricks, they have come a long way from what they were a few years ago. Some of the new machines even feature a USB plug so that the patient can plug them into their computer and download the glucose readings; this makes it possible chart, track, and trend blood glucose readings with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Perhaps the best thing about diabetic testing machines is that some machine manufacturers and some insurance companies will provide the machines free of charge to the eligible patient. This has made the latest technology available to thousands who would otherwise have been unable to afford it.

Diabetes testing machines provide a valuable service for millions of diabetics each and every day, and the machines of today are unsurpassed in reliability, ease of use and best of all attainability.