Individuals having diabetes are advised to test the levels of their blood sugar regularly. Regular testing is highly recommended because it allows one to adjust his/her strategy and keep this disease in check. It can also help ones from getting other long-term health issues that arise from this condition. Findings show that people with type 2 or type 1 diabetes can minimize the risk of developing complications by sticking to their target HbA1c and blood sugar levels.
A doctor can tell you how often how when you should check your blood sugar levels. For instance, individuals using insulin pumps are advised to check their blood sugar levels for about three times on a daily basis. To get reliable results, one should utilize the best diabetes testing kits. This article is going to highlight the best ways of testing blood sugar. They include;
Conventional Home Glucose Monitoring Method
This involves pricking the finger with a sharp, small needle known as a lancet. A drop of blood is placed on the test strip, which is then placed into the meter, which displays the blood sugar levels of a person. The meters used vary in portability, size, cost, readability, and speed. Some of the modern meters come with spoken or large displays, making them a practical option for anyone having vision issues.
With this method, one should wait for about fifteen minutes to get the results. These meters are programmed to store the information obtained for future use. Other devices are designed to calculate the average blood sugar levels over a certain period.
In addition to this, they also feature some software kits, which take the information required from the meter. They can also display charts and graphs of the past test results. One can get these meters by visiting the local pharmacies.
Using Meters that Test various Parts of the Body
With some of the modern devices, one can test the forearm, upper arm, and the thigh and base of his/her thumb. The results obtained using this method may slightly differ from those obtained from the fingertip stick. The levels achieved in the fingertips changes more quickly, especially when the blood sugar is changing very fast, like after exercise or after a meal. Individuals having low levels of blood sugar are discouraged from relying on the test results obtained from other body parts.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Methods
To get reliable results of your blood sugar levels, you should consider combining some of these devices with insulin pumps, since they are not accurate as those of finger-stick. However, these devices can help one in finding trend and patterns in the sugar levels.