1. Check it out
People with diabetes need to keep a close watch on their blood sugar level. When the levels are too high or too low, the diabetic can quickly take a shot of insulin or eat something to increase or lower the sugar count. In the past, tests were bulky, requiring privacy and a lot of blood. Newer tests making checking blood sugar levels quick and easy. There is no excuse for a diabetic to lose control of their health maintenance.
2. Traditional Approach
The kind of test most used monitors blood sugar levels in a small meter that is portable and uses strips of paper. To check the levels, you need to prick your finger with a lancet and put a drop of blood on the meter paper. In fewer than 15 seconds, the meter displays the important number. A variety of displays are available, including large print and talking blood sugar monitors for the visually impaired. Some meters are faster than others and costs vary according to the various features. Most meters store the information for future comparisons or for your doctor to monitor changes. More advanced meters come with software packages that input all the information into a chart.
3. Save Your Finger
New meter machines can be used on other parts of the body to spare your fingertips from the contact pricking required by the older meters. You can test your blood in the upper thigh, forearm, inner thigh and inside the thumb. These alternate testing sites can produce different reading however and should be taken into consideration when gauging the blood sugar levels. The fingertip is the most reliable area to test, especially after a rigorous workout or when you are feeling off.
4. Painless Approaches
A new approach in blood sugar monitoring uses a laser to painlessly reach under the skin to extract the information. When you are in need of continuous monitoring, you can get a small catheter inserted in your finger, which collects blood samples on a constant basis for up to 72 hours. This machine relieves you from the need to keep puncturing the skin.
5. Watch the Wrist
A Gluco-Watch is wrapped around the wrist and measures your blood sugar levels through tiny electrical impulses that radiate under your skin. It draws fluid from underneath the skin on a regular basis. This device is one of the more accurate substitutes for finger pricking, which is still required a few times a day as a backup to other forms of monitoring.
