3 Ways to Test Your Blood Sugar If You Are Diabetic

Article Summary:

Nothing is more important than monitoring blood sugar levels if you are diabetic. What are the best methods? What are the most popular and economical? Find out three popular test methods.

Full Article:

As is always the case with innovation, as time marches on there are newer and better ways to do the things we need to have done in our lives. One area of life that has shown tremendous progress over the years is the world of medicine. Better medications, more effective procedures and surgeries, and better information relating to our diet have helped people to better maintain healthy lifestyles well into their old age. One such group is diabetics.

Diabetics have benefited from advances in medicine and overall knowledge with the increased efficiency of insulin shots and different types of medication to help them regulate their blood sugar. There are also devices on the market to test blood sugar now that were not available just a few short years ago. Below are three of the most popular methods diabetics can use to test their blood sugar.

Alternative site meters-prior to just a few years ago, pricking your finger was the only site on the body in which you can test your blood sugar level by yourself. Now, there are monitors that will allow you to test your blood from many other sites on the body. It must be noted that these results often differ from regular finger prick results and should be taken into consideration when used as part of your regular blood sugar monitoring.

Wrist worn devices-just like something out of a James Bond movie, diabetics can now wear a device on the wrist that through a series of gentle electrical impulses will monitor their blood sugar on an ongoing basis throughout the day. These can give a good baseline reading but because of their newness, the jury is still out on how effective they would be in long-term monitoring of diabetic blood sugar levels.

Traditional blood sugar test kits-although this is mentioned third on the list, the traditional method is still the most popular and most feel gives the best results as well. A quick finger prick, a drop of blood on a teststrip, and inserting the strip in a small electronic monitor is fast and efficient and will let the diabetic know just exactly where their blood sugar is it any time.

While there are more ways to test your blood sugar on the market than just the three listed here, these are perhaps the most commonly used today. Many more may come and go as folks try to improve a process that is basically already perfected. Having and using a test to on a regular basis is one of the most effective things that diabetics can do to prevent serious side effects from the disease.

With all of the choices available to monitor your blood glucose levels it’s easier than ever for a diabetic to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Don’t take shortcuts on your testing. Be sure to have plenty of quality test strips on hand by finding a good supplier with decent prices so you don’t worry about running out. http://www.DiabeticDiscounters.com

Sphere: Related Content



This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 11:15 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply



Latest Diabetes News:

Link Between Hepatitis C And Insulin Resistance Surprises Scientists
9 Mar 2010 at 2:00pm
Scientists in Australia found that when they studied insulin resistance in people with Hepatitis C little or none of it was in the liver and nearly all the insulin resistance occured in muscle, which surprised them because Hepatitis C is a liver disease that not only leads to cirrhosis and cancer, but also makes people three to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes...
09 March 2010 - A prediction of obesity trends for adults and their associate...
by Beth Hall
9 Mar 2010 at 10:34am
Report from the National Heart Forum Modelling Team including predictions for the burden of diseases attributable to obesity including diabetes, published 17th February 2010.
09 March 2010 - Guideline on self-monitoring of blood glucose in non-insulin ...
by Beth Hall
9 Mar 2010 at 10:23am
Recent guideline from the IDF on SMBG, published in 2009.
09 March 2010 - Guideline on oral health for people with diabetes
by Beth Hall
9 Mar 2010 at 10:09am
Recent guideline on oral health form the IDF and the World Dental Federation, published in September 2009.
09 March 2010 - Global guideline on pregnancy and diabetes
by Beth Hall
9 Mar 2010 at 9:54am
Recently published guideline from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), published September 2009.
Obesity As Protection Against Metabolic Syndrome, Not Its Cause
9 Mar 2010 at 4:00am
The collection of symptoms that is the metabolic syndrome - insulin resistance, high cholesterol, fatty liver, and a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke - are all related to obesity, but, according to a review in the March 9th issue of the Cell Press publication Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, not in the way you probably think they are...
Higher Fast Food Prices Lead To Lower Weight, Diabetes Risk
9 Mar 2010 at 3:00am
A new study that followed participants for 20 years shows both weight and risk for diabetes decreased for people in communities where fast food prices increased. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, published in the March 8, 2010, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, also showed the reverse when fast food prices fell, then consumption, weight and diabetes risks rose...
Is There A Link Between Drinking Too Many Sugary Drinks And Diabetes?
9 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
A new study claims that having sugary drinks every day could put people at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. American researchers found that the excessive consumption of sugary drinks, which can contain up to 200 calories each, contributed to 130,000 cases of Type 2 diabetes and 14,000 cases of heart disease between 1990 and 2000 in the USA...
Eye Disease Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes
9 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population, could be associated with poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research¹ announced this week at leading health charity Diabetes UK's Annual Professional Conference. The study looked at 1,066 people with Type 2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75 years old...
08 March 2010 - Self monitoring of blood glucose in non-insulin-treated type ...
by Beth Hall
8 Mar 2010 at 9:37am
New report from NHS Diabetes, published in March 2010.