Regular blood sugar testing is essential for the diabetes patient. Typically sugar level of blood is tested by meter and strips. The sugar test is essential because diabetes symptoms cannot be determined without sugar testing. This equipment is known as blood glucose meter, checks the amount of sugar or glucose of your body. This equipment is portable and easy to use and handle. The diabetes patient need to monitor their sugar level once in a day. And the people who take insulin to control diabetes should monitor sugar level several times in a day.
Many types of glucose meters are available in market. Some are store hundreds of records. This will help you to observe records and predict glucose level for a certain period of time. Also You can monitor major changes in sugar level. Some equipment provides connectivity with computer so that you can store your record and plot a graph for analysis. Some new meter provides facility to communicate with insulin pump so that it is easy to decide a necessary insulin level for you. Insulin pump is used to deliver quantity of insulin as per your body and sugar level.
A proper way to check your sugar level, firstly timing of testing glucose is different for individual’s therapy and expectations. Whenever you change your food, medications, environment, and exercise You should test sugar level. Before meals, 1-2 hours after meal and bedtime, during night as needed is good way to check glucose level.
A traditional way to test your blood sugar is perforate your finger with a small needle, put a drop of blood on the strip and place that strip in to the meter. Then meter can measure your sugar level in blood. Current meters are of different quality like portability, size, speed, and cost. These meters are gives results in few seconds and are available to any pharmacist. To use the equipment you should take some precautions. wash your hand properly because anything on your hand can change readings, collect amount of blood as required, if reading seems incorrect the recheck with another meter. Clean glucose meter regularly. Check battery if it is low then may be it will give incorrect readings.
A standard and maintained reading of glucose is:
| Pre-meals | Post-meals–2 hours | Bedtime |
| 80-120 mg/dl | less than 180 mg/dl | 100-140 mg/dl |
A blood glucose testing meter kit includes:
1. A meter for blood glucose level testing.
2. Testing strip which are used in certain meters.
3. Solution of Sugar control. A solution is provided by every meter. Some of the meters are operated without control solution.
4. Small needles to prick your skin.
5. a pen sized holder in which hold a needle. It also decides a position and angle that how deep pricking is needed.
6. Cotton balls used to stop bleeding after pricking.
