Sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride and other minerals help keep your body's fluids in balance. These are known as electrolytes. When you develop an electrolyte imbalance and lose too many fluids, you're dehydrated. Typically, this condition results from excessive perspiration, vomiting or diarrhea without proper steps to replenish fluids and electrolytes. If you're exercising, in extreme heat or humidity or ill, it's important to take these steps to prevent dehydration or to treat it if you already have fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
Eating healthfully and maintaining a good weight while being active can help to keep blood glucose balanced. In addition to lifestyle changes, vitamin B-6 also works to keep blood sugar levels balanced.
The fasting blood glucose test is part of most regular medical checkups and your doctor may also order one if she suspects you have hypoglycemia or diabetes. If your fasting glucose is between 50 and 100 mmol/L, you have normal...
The American Diabetes Association states that reading blood glucose results may elicit feelings of anger or frustration, as they are a direct reflection of disease control. But glucose level graphs are your creation and can be ...
A blood sugar test measures your body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates. Eating food creates a moderate increase in blood sugar levels, initiating the secretion of insulin from the pancreas to stabilize rising glucose level...
This home test calculates the quantity of glucose in a tiny sample of your blood. Glucose, the primary energy source for your blood cells, is derived from the carbohydrates in your diet. Your physician determines a target level...
There are two ways to track glucose levels -- an A1C test done by your doctor every three months and self-monitoring done daily using a personal glucose monitor. You may measure your glucose level several times a day to help ke...
Glucose, or blood sugar, is a necessary form of energy for your body to function properly. Glucose is obtained through foods and beverages. If you have diabetes, you must frequently check your blood glucose levels to make sure ...
Diabetes is a condition where a person cannot control his blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association notes that spikes in blood sugar levels have been linked to heart disease, which can then lead to heart attack, str
The American Diabetes Association states that tracking your daily blood glucose levels is a very important part of maintaining your health if you are living with diabetes. Having a good idea of what your average daily blood glu...
When you have diabetes, one of the best ways to keep track of your blood sugars is to test it with a glucometer, a special machine that uses a drop of blood to measure glucose or blood sugar. Testing blood sugars can be dauntin...
For healthy individuals, the pancreas secretes insulin that helps the cells pull glucose from the blood to use for energy. Diabetics do not have this ability, either because the pancreas doesn't secrete insulin in adequate quan...
No one enjoys having blood drawn at the doctor's office, but the tests run on these samples can identify major health problems before they become acute. One common blood test measures the amount of glucose dissolved in your blo...
Diabetic patients often experience significant highs and lows of blood sugar, and you can minimize the negative effects of such changes by checking glucose levels frequently. The testing procedure for blood glucose levels is fa...
Diabetics or prediabetics may want or need to test blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels, at home. Testing at home can help an individual keep track of changes in blood glucose and help him and his doctor make ...
However, if your cells cannot absorb glucose from your bloodstream properly, increases in blood glucose can trigger the onset of diabetes or hyperglycemia, also called high blood sugar. Conversely, inadequate glucose intake can...
Abnormal blood sugar readings can indicate a medical problem. A person with diabetes must check his blood levels a few times a day to help keep his blood sugar within a normal range. Based on a patient's medical condition, a do...
Diabetes suffers know that complications related to their condition could leave them visually impaired or even blind. According to the National Institutes of Health, uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to bleeding in the r...
The HbA1c test stands for hemoglobin A1c. The test indicates what level of blood sugar a person maintained over the course of the three previous months. It presents information that the standard glucose test does not. Often use...
According to the American Academy of Rheumatology, antinuclear (ANA) bodies refer to proteins that form in your body and attack the normal proteins in your cells. A blood test called a fluorescent antinuclear antibody test (FAN...
Monitoring of blood glucose is important for many patients with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association states that "typical" blood sugars are 70 to 130mg/dl before a meal and below 180mg/dl after a meal. Your physician may...
There are six tiny, needle-like lancets in each drum; the Multiclix is spring-loaded to trigger each lancet to a depth that you determine, hopefully drawing a single drop of blood. That blood is then applied to a test strip and...
While a fasting blood sugar test, one taken when you have not had anything to eat or drink for the previous eight hours, is typically used to diagnose diabetes, testing at other times throughout the day can help you keep your b...
There are some blood tests that are extremely sensitive to food or drink. It is necessary for a patient to fast for several hours prior to having one of these tests drawn. It is important to find out if fasting is required fo...
Turn your Accu-Chek advantage meter off and use your fingers to gently slide the old code key, which looks a bit like a camera memory card, up and out of the back of the meter.
The Accu-Chek Advantage provides an uncomplicated way for diabetics and others to monitor their blood glucose levels at home. Always make sure to run a control test before first using your meter to test your blood as well as an...
If you think you have diabetes, testing your blood glucose will be an essential component of an overall management plan. Your blood glucose levels change based on your eating habits and activity level. You need to test regularl...
Left unmanaged, diabetes can result in heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage and blindness. When diabetics are first diagnosed, their doctors tell them how important it is to manage their blood glucose levels. Diabetics l...
In order to do this, you need the right amount of a hormone called insulin. If the body does not produce enough insulin or it can not utilize insulin the way it needs to, your blood sugar levels may go too high. If you suspect ...
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 i...
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 ma...
The most important is a hemoglobin A1C (hgA1C), which is performed every 6 months or so, usually depending on the preference of the doctor treating the diabetes. Traditionally, the hgA1C has been a test that requires visiting a...
