For diabetics, blood glucose monitors, or meters, are a health management necessity. These small, computerized tools measure your glucose level and display a number on the screen. Blood glucose meters vary in price, size, ease of use and features....
Glucose monitoring is perhaps the single most important tool you have to control your diabetes. It allows you to track your blood glucose levels throughout the day, tracking any changes and reporting them to your doctor to ensure optimal care for...
Finding the right blood glucose meter depends on its ease of use, the amount of blood required, the least painful implementation and readable results. DiabetesBB.org recommends these five blood glucose meters: LifeScan OneTouch Ultra2 Blood...
Diabetes continues to be a prevalent illness in the United States, affecting a reported 7.8 percent of the population, according to the American Diabetes Association. Long term exposure to high blood sugar increases the risk of developing...
Diabetics and pre-diabetics use blood glucose meters to monitor the concentration of glucose in their bloodstream. Many insurance companies will pay for some, if not all, of the cost of diabetic testing supplies. But if you don't have insurance,...
Regular testing of blood glucose levels is essential for diabetic patients, as it allows them to determine how well their diabetes is being controlled by their medications and lifestyle changes. There are a variety of manufacturers that make...
In patients with type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed by the body's immune system. As explained by the National Institutes of Health website Medline Plus, beta cells normally produce the hormone insulin, so patients with...
If you've recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you're probably imagining a life that is about to be turned upside down. While there are a number of new things you'll need to learn about diet, exercise and medications, one of the most important...
A glucose monitor is a valuable tool that allows people with diabetes to manage this chronic disease largely by themselves. Once a diagnosis has been made, a health-care professional usually prescribes a glucose monitor, test strips and lancets...
The simplest parts of a glucometer are the test strips, which are designed to pick up a consistent amount of blood and then to deliver it to the glucose meter. In general, using a glucometer involves putting one of these strips into the glucometer...
High blood sugar is the hallmark of diabetes mellitus, but it can also occur with a variety of other conditions. The definition of "high" depends on your recent activities. For example, it's normal for blood sugar to be higher after a meal than it...
Diabetes affects 26.3 million individuals in the United States, costs $174 billion and is the seventh leading cause of disease-related death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite new drugs that have...
If you are pregnant, display symptoms of high or low blood sugar, or have diabetes, you may need to check for the presence of glucose -- sugar in the blood. Self-testing is not difficult, but it does require a certain amount of knowledge and...
Medicare will pay 80 percent of the cost of diabetes supplies once approved, but it only pays for specific supplies. Supplemental insurance can cover the other 20 percent. The 20 percent co-pay also is subject to any deductible required by...
By definition, diabetics have a disease that involves high blood sugar -- so it might seem surprising that low blood sugar can pose problems as well. But it's a problem you're likely to face at times, no matter how diligent you are about keeping...
OneTouch manufactures blood glucose meters for individual use in the home setting. By checking blood sugar frequently, diabetics are able to monitor their blood sugar trends related to eating, exercise and stress. OneTouch meters are simple to use...
Often diabetics are required to monitor their blood glucose levels. The options that are available for blood glucose monitors may seem overwhelming. A person with diabetes needs a monitor that is easy to use, reliable and accurate. The website,...
Checking glucose levels is one of the best ways you can monitor diseases like diabetes. Diabetic patients often experience significant highs and lows of blood sugar, and you can minimize the negative effects of such changes by checking glucose...
Modern glucose monitors require only a small sample of blood to effectively measure glucose levels. Glucose levels are screened multiple times a day and even during the night for some users.
The sample is obtained by piercing the skin with a...
High blood glucose levels are associated with significant complications of diabetes. These include cardiovascular disease, kidney and nerve damage. Alternatively, low blood glucose levels can cause acute symptoms of central nervous system...
Diabetics have many tools available to better control blood sugar levels and overall health. These diabetes instruments prove pivotal in glucose control and insulin dosing. Your insurance company may provide the instruments and implements at no...
It is very important for children with diabetes to regularly test their blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association says diabetes is "high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body's ability to produce or use insulin."...
Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is the result of carbohydrates breaking down during digestion. In America, blood sugar levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. Fasting blood glucose levels are the measurements taken after you...
Managing diabetes is always hard for a child, but the challenge increases when the child is away from home. At home, he has a supply of insulin in the fridge, test trips in the cupboard and may have several different lancet pens left over from the...
A diagnosis of diabetes can be not only devastating, but also overwhelming. Whether you're an account executive, a mother-to-be or a parent of a child with diabetes, life as you know it is forever changed, with change being the key word. That...
Home blood glucose monitoring is essential for patients with diabetes or who have an increased risk of diabetes. Not only can regular use of a glucose meter give information about how well the disease is being controlled, but it can also help...
A regular daily regimen for diabetics is testing their own blood to ensure glucose measures are uniform and adequate to provide proper blood sugar levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports there are more than 25 types of glucose...
Type II diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects the way the body metabolizes glucose. Although type II diabetes is more often seen in adults, the condition is beginning to be seen more often among children, as more children are...
The frequency with which you check your blood glucose depends on what type of diabetes you have, if you have any at all, and what your doctor recommends if you don't have diabetes or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Blood glucose is the main...