Selecting Blood Sugar Diabetic Meters
Diabetic meters, often referred to as glucometers, glucosemeter or blood glucose meters, are an important tool as part of your diabetic equipment that you can not do without. Most diabetics rely upon this transportable medical gadget to give them correct readings of their glucose range every single day. But, with the amount available, it is easier to choose the wrong one than for the right one. So what should you look out for in glucometers?
Convenience and comfort
The monitoring of your blood glucose range is a frequent routine that may even require you to draw blood samples from your fingertips every few hours. Doctors frequently suggest that although convenience shouldn't be towards the top of your list of priorities when selecting good diabetic meters it should be given a lot of thought. The least blood the meter needs, the least discomfort you should expect. These days, you can get glucometers that do not need to pierce your skin to draw blood samples. These could include using a light scan across the finger but it has been indicated these may not be as accurate though. A few of these diabetic items are non-invasive and only require tiny samples when compared with their older counterparts.
Portability
The general rule when selecting diabetic meters is to find one which isn't too small, or too large. Keep in mind that you need it small enough to take out with you, but with a large enough screen for you to read your blood glucose range easily.
Alternative sites for the fingertips
If you do have to constantly draw blood, then your fingertips will likely become quite sore. Many glucometers today allow you to draw blood from less sensitive areas of the body such as thigh, forearm, palm and upper arm. Some of these glucometers will allow the patient to rotate the location that they use which is handy if you have to test every few hours.
Cost
Diabetic meters will not be a one-off purchase so pricing is important. It isn't the device itself which affects your budget, but the disposable test strips which can vary in price greatly. If you use 3 or 4 a day, this will likely quickly mount up. Therefore, always work out your real costs in terms of the test strips.
Insurance cover
Glucometers can be covered by insurance providers, but ensure they cover other tools that you need and not just the glucometer itself. You must also make sure that your glucometer brand is included in the list that they cover, so do remember to check.
Functionality and extras
As with most devices available today, you can get diabetic meters with 'bells and whistles' on. These extras can include download options and built-in memory, along with other add-ons. Clearly, you will need to pay for these so think about whether you actually need them before you buy and then never use them.
Convenience and comfort
The monitoring of your blood glucose range is a frequent routine that may even require you to draw blood samples from your fingertips every few hours. Doctors frequently suggest that although convenience shouldn't be towards the top of your list of priorities when selecting good diabetic meters it should be given a lot of thought. The least blood the meter needs, the least discomfort you should expect. These days, you can get glucometers that do not need to pierce your skin to draw blood samples. These could include using a light scan across the finger but it has been indicated these may not be as accurate though. A few of these diabetic items are non-invasive and only require tiny samples when compared with their older counterparts.
Portability
The general rule when selecting diabetic meters is to find one which isn't too small, or too large. Keep in mind that you need it small enough to take out with you, but with a large enough screen for you to read your blood glucose range easily.
Alternative sites for the fingertips
If you do have to constantly draw blood, then your fingertips will likely become quite sore. Many glucometers today allow you to draw blood from less sensitive areas of the body such as thigh, forearm, palm and upper arm. Some of these glucometers will allow the patient to rotate the location that they use which is handy if you have to test every few hours.
Cost
Diabetic meters will not be a one-off purchase so pricing is important. It isn't the device itself which affects your budget, but the disposable test strips which can vary in price greatly. If you use 3 or 4 a day, this will likely quickly mount up. Therefore, always work out your real costs in terms of the test strips.
Insurance cover
Glucometers can be covered by insurance providers, but ensure they cover other tools that you need and not just the glucometer itself. You must also make sure that your glucometer brand is included in the list that they cover, so do remember to check.
Functionality and extras
As with most devices available today, you can get diabetic meters with 'bells and whistles' on. These extras can include download options and built-in memory, along with other add-ons. Clearly, you will need to pay for these so think about whether you actually need them before you buy and then never use them.
About the Author:
For much more on diabetic meters, treatments, cures and just general info about diabetes (particularly Type 2), visit www.diabeticcures.org.
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