Glucometers: The Basics

If you’re diabetic, or know someone who is, chances are that you’ve at least seen a glucometer. If you don’t know what one is, they’re a necessary tool used with diabetes to check blood sugar levels at certain times of day. They’re manufactured by many different companies and come in different styles and with different options. Glucometers test blood samples from patients to determine the level of blood sugar; this allows the diabetic to monitor their blood sugar level and administer sugar or insulin as needed.

A lancet is used to puncture the skin, usually on a finger tip, and obtain the blood sample. This sample is the placed on a test strip which is placed into the glucometer. The small computer inside the machine then calculates the level of sugar present in the sample and displays this as a number on the built in screen. Levels between 80 and 100 are normal, while above indicates the need for insulin and below indicates the need for a source of sugar. Normally, these sources of sugar should be small and contain refined sugars, like a piece of candy or chocolate.

With the aid of a glucometer, patients can avoid debilitating conditions like diabetic comas. A diabetic coma results from both extremes in blood sugar levels. These comas are frightening and can be life threatening, but with the aid of a glucometer, medication and a healthy diet, the risks of these can be greatly lowered.

All glucometers work on the same principle; a blood sample is analyzed for sugar levels. Glucometers differ mainly in size, placement of test strip and the location where blood samples can be obtained. Most have to have a sample from a finger tip, but this can be a painful experience, especially when the tests must be performed multiple times in a day. Newer glucometer models allow for samples taken from the inside of the forearm and other areas, though these glucometers tend to cost a little more than older styles.

Some glucometers require the test strip to be inserted after placing the sample on it, though these are older models and are becoming increasingly rare. Newer models require the test strip to be placed into the top of the glucometer, with the absorbent strip facing out, toward the patient. The sample is then touched to the top edge of the test strip, which wicks the sample into the strip itself and is then tested by the computer, and results displayed for the patient’s information.

Glucometers are battery powered for portability, though some have rechargeable batteries like a cell phone. Most work on simple AA batteries, though. Many diabetics carry a small, preloaded syringe of insulin with them and keep a glucometer for home use and one in their vehicle or on their person. A glucometer must be used with the correct test strips, or the sample will be analyzed improperly, or not at all. To determine which test strips are right for a certain glucometer, read the information in the User’s Manual that comes with all new glucometers. This will give specifics like brand of test strip recommended and style needed.

Testing for Diabetes

Diabetes is a growing concern. With the increase in a lazy lifestyle and obesity, cases of diabetes are growing at an astounding rate. More and more people are being diagnosed with this life altering disease, from children to the middle aged and elderly. This disease can cause kidney damage, loss of eyesight and weight gain, nerve damage and blood vessel damage. Diabetes affects millions of people and certain people are more at risk for this disease than others. So, who should get tested and when? The answers may surprise you.

Classic symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, especially at night, extreme thirst and sudden weight loss. These are only the basic symptoms there are a host of associated symptoms, including frequent yeast infections (women), swollen ankles, wounds that are slow to heal and even more. Not everyone experiences these symptoms; some people have few or no symptoms at all. Age groups, amount of exercise and family history all play roles in who develops diabetes as well. Certain ethnic groups are more susceptible to diabetes, also.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, mention them to your doctor. They’ll assess your case and can run several types of tests to determine whether you have diabetes and which type. There are a couple of different tests they may perform, depending on the doctor’s preference. A Fasting Plasma Glucose Test is the preferred method of testing for many doctors and is best performed in the morning, at least 8 hours after eating. This test measures the amount of glucose in your blood and compares it against an average rate. An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test can also be performed and is similar to the previous test. The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test is performed 8 hours after eating, immediately before and 2 hours after drinking a large dose of glucose dissolved in water. The results of this test are compared to normal readings and a diagnosis is made.

Overweight and obese people are at considerably higher risk of developing diabetes and anyone over 45 years of age should get regular checks. Minorities are also at higher risks of developing diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure and uncontrolled cholesterol are also implicated in diabetes.

Several methods have been shown to drastically reduce the risk of diabetes. Regular exercise, losing weight, a low calorie, low fat diet and regular checkups with a doctor are the easiest ways to reduce risks of developing diabetes and can help control existing cases, as well. Being aware of your risks is the first step in prevention, followed by brisk exercise and diet modifications.

Diabetes can be a debilitating disease, but it can be caught early or prevented entirely by a few simple to implement methods. Not all diabetes cases will have to be controlled with insulin; many cases, if caught early enough, can be managed simply through diet and exercise, eliminating the painful shots of insulin and the fear of insulin dependence.

[tags]diabetes, testing[/tags]

Pros and Cons of Insulin Pumps

The insulin pump is a medical device that is used for managing insulin levels in the body to treat diabetes mellitus. With the help of this device, a patient can administer the right amount of insulin in his or her body, in order to maintain the right insulin level. Thus, this device helps to ease the process of maintaining insulin levels in the body.

The device includes:

• A pump, along with the controls, batteries, and processing module
• Inside the pump, there is a disposable reservoir for keeping insulin
• A disposable infusion set, along with the cannula is included for inserting in the skin
• A tubing system is included for interfacing the disposable insulin reservoir to the cannula

The insulin pump acts as an alternative to daily injections of insulin that are administered by an insulin pen or syringe. It helps a diabetic patient go through intensive insulin therapy, if the patient requires the insulin injection in tandem with lowering fat and blood glucose monitoring. Through the insulin pump therapy, a patient can replace slow acting insulin for insulin requirements, with the constant introduction of rapid acting insulin dosage. This device helps an individual administer single type of fast acting insulin injection in the following two ways:

• Bonus dosage of the drug to correct a high glucose blood sugar level.
• Basal dose to constantly pump a dosage of the drug to stem over the insulin need, during meals and during the night.

Advantage of administering insulin dosage with the help of the insulin pump:

• It is more convenient to use them than using syringes.
• With it, one can easily administer rapid acting insulin dosage.
• With the help of the insulin pump, a diabetic patient can deliver the right amount of insulin that is needed by the body.
• In the long term, this device helps an individual save more money than multiple daily injections.

Disadvantages of administering insulin dosage with the help of an insulin pump:

• The insulin pump is more expensive than the syringes used for injecting insulin.
• It needs to be worn most of the time, so the users do not have the freedom to participate in certain kinds of activities like water sports or other rough activities.
• Some patients feel that wearing it all the time is uneasy.
• As it treats with the help of rapid acting insulin dosage only, a patient has the chance of suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis if the pump does not contain enough fast acting insulin dosage.
• As it is battery operated, if the device remains discharged, a patient’s administration of insulin may be affected, which may lead to complications.
• Its users need to administer the effective delivery of insulin, as it is battery operated, else there can be some malfunctions to the device.

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