Patients with diabetes suffer from elevated blood sugar levels, either as a result of not producing enough insulin or from having the body not properly respond to insulin levels. Since elevated levels of blood glucose can cause a number of problems, including poor circulation and heart disease, most patients with diabetes must regularly monitor their blood sugar levels using blood glucose monitors.
Types
Blood glucose monitors come in two different forms. The most common type of blood glucose monitor allows patients to take periodic blood samples and measure the blood glucose levels in the test sample. Lab Tests Online notes that some patients use continuous blood glucose monitors, which are small devices implanted in the abdomen that measure blood glucose levels every five minutes.
Process
According to Medline, most blood glucose monitors (that are not continuous glucose monitors) have three separate components. The first is the lancet, which is used to draw blood from the patient for testing. The second part is the testing strip, which is typically a small piece of paper. Finally, blood glucose monitors have the reading device, which measures the glucose on the testing strip and typically has a digital readout.
Mechanism
Blood glucose testing strips are coated with special chemicals that react with glucose. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that sometimes these chemicals generate a small electric current in the presence of glucose. Other kinds emit light. The testing meter measures these signals (the light or electrical current) and the interprets them as blood glucose concentrations.
Frequency
The FDA explains that in some cases blood glucose levels may need to be checked several times a day in order to determine the effectiveness of any treatments for diabetes. At a minimum, most patients will need to measure both their fasting blood glucose levels (blood glucose when no food has been consumed for four hours) as well as their blood glucose levels after a meal.
Accuracy
There are a number of factors that can influence the accuracy of blood glucose monitor readings. Foremost is the quality of both the test strips and the monitor, as well as the skill of the person doing the testing. Patients with high hematocrit (a measure of the amount of cells in the blood) may have abnormally low blood glucose readings. Humidity, temperature and altitude can also affect the results of a blood glucose monitor.
