Title : : How to Test a Blood Sugar | Blood Sugar Test Machine 2017
If you were recently diagnosed with diabetes or have another blood glucose control issue, you will likely have to test your blood sugar on a routine basis. This may seem difficult to do at first. However, regularly checking your blood sugar can help you monitor how well your medications or treatments are working, and is an important part of a diabetic care routine. Testing your blood sugar is an easy procedure at your doctor’s office, and can be done simply at home once you purchase a glucose meter and become comfortable with how to use it.
Identify your needs. Choosing the right glucose meter is the best way to be able to check your blood sugar yourself. Some glucometers store your readings in their memory while others do not, and the machines vary in how much blood is needed and how easy they are to use. Start by thinking about what you need in a glucose meter – prioritize easy of use, price, memory capabilities, and whether there are extra functions.[2]
Look at some of the different products that are available and compare them to find the best one for you.[3]
Some special functions that machines may have include checking for ketones (for Type 1 diabetics), using alternate languages, “flagging” capabilities, and being able to upload data to a computer.
The doctor or specialist who takes care of your diabetes probably has a lot of experience in helping patients choose the right blood sugar monitor. Ask something like, “Do you have a brand of glucose meter that you recommend?”
Read user reviews and check ratings. Some meters are more reliable than others in terms of readings, integrity of data archived, and especially accuracy.[4] Take the time to check into consumer ratings and comments, so you are sure to get a quality machine.
Purchase the supplies you need. It’s easy to obtain a glucose meter kit – you can get one at your local pharmacy or on the internet. Most kits contain lancets (testing needles), a lancing device, testing strips, and a meter to read the results. Buy from recognizable sites like Amazon or directly from the company’s website, and only buy new products.
Before buying your glucometer, check what test strips will be easily accessible to you. Glucometers use specific test strips, and some are much more expensive or harder to get than others, so choose a machine for which the strips will be easy to get.
Minimize your costs. Before you buy your glucose meter, check with your insurance to make sure they will cover the brand of machine and test strips you need.[6] Your doctor can probably give you a prescription for your glucometer, which will help keep costs down. Try to purchase test strips, which can be expensive, at online retail websites. You can also try to save money by using a pharmaceutical assistance program.
When getting test strips online, check the expiration date on the strips and determine if you can reasonably use all those strips before that date.