If you have diabetes or have a member of your family with it, then certainly having a device to analyze and read glucose levels at home is important, necessary and indispensable. Learn about the importance and benefits of using Blood Glucose Monitor And how to choose the best type of it and how to use it in this article.

Benefits of a home sugar machine

If you are diabetic, the presence of this device makes you more regular in monitoring your sugar level. Therefore, this device has several benefits:

• help discover High blood sugar level quickly before complications occur.
• Help keep diabetes under control.
• Help monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
• Help put A healthy diet for diabetics It depends on your blood sugar.
• Recording the measurements of the device will help the doctor to follow the development of your condition between each visit to another.

How to choose the best glucose meter

There are several criteria and specifications that you can search for when making a preference between glucose meters to choose the best type as follows:

• Some insurance companies offer their services with some brands or distributors to reduce the price of the product. Ask the insurance company you deal with about that.
• There are a lot of types with different prices, make sure you can get a product with satisfactory quality at a reasonable price.
• Ease of use and maintenance.
• Some devices contain special specifications and additional features such as easy-to-use buttons, a clearer screen, and the presence of headphones that make it easier for people who have vision problems.
• The ability to store information and measurements and retrieve them when needed.
• The presence of a guarantee certificate or after-sales service from the distributor or the manufacturer.

How to use a home glucose analyzer

The device comes with thin plastic strips and an adjustable pen that has a very thin tip that is used to prick to take a blood sample, and you can follow the following steps when using the glucose meter:

• Set the device to the desired unit of measurement and make sure that there is no previous measurement or number recorded on the screen.
• Wipe your finger with a small amount of alcohol.
• Use the pen and adjust the tingling point with it and prick your finger and press it until a drop of blood appears.
• Place the drop of blood on the measuring tape in the designated location (follow the instructions on the device packaging).
• Place the tape measure in the place designated for it in the device (the tape location and the method of placing it varies according to the type of product).
• Wait for the measurement results to appear on the screen and then record them.
• Finally remove the tape measure from the device.

How to read the measurement

There are types of devices that measure the value of glucose in the whole blood and there are types that measure in the blood plasma only as in laboratory laboratories, and you should know that the measurement of glucose in the plasma can be higher than the measurement in the whole blood by 10% – 15%, Therefore, you must be sure of the type of glucose meter you have and the technology used in it.

Most devices come in mg/dL or mmol/L units. Here are the normal ranges for blood sugar:

• The normal fasting range is between 72-99 mg/dL or 4-5.4 mmol/L.
• Normal range (2 hours after eating): up to 140 mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L.

In the case of diabetics, the target glucose level should be as follows:

Factors affecting the accuracy of diabetes devices

Sometimes the device may give you different and incorrect readings at the same time with repeated measurement. This is due to several factors, including:

• There is a problem with the measuring tapes due to their storage or expiration date.
• Significantly high room temperature in the place where the device and measuring strips are stored.
• Poor skin at the injection site.
• Not adjusting the device before using it.
• There is a problem with the screen or its battery is dead.
• Not placing the tape measure correctly.
• Not enough blood on the tape measure.
• Taking a blood sample from another part of the body other than the finger.
• Anemia can affect the result of the analysis due to a lack of red blood cells in the sample.

Glucose meter without puncture

In fact, medical inventions that aim to facilitate patients’ lives and spare them suffering as much as possible do not stop. A device has been developed to measure glucose in the blood without the need to prick the skin to take a blood sample to avoid pain, so chips were invented that are placed under the skin that act as sensors that monitor the glucose level in the blood and send The measurements are for a device that you can wear, or for an application that is downloaded to the mobile phone or smart watch, and an alert can be set if there is a high or low level of glucose in the blood.

However, the matter is not without some defects, as this device is very expensive and not widely available. It also requires the placement of a subcutaneous chip that must be replaced every 7 to 14 days. It is also not very reliable and another analysis is required every period to confirm the measurements.

Finally, you can always consult a doctor about the type of glucose meter that you can buy and about the instructions that you must follow when using it, and do not forget that periodic follow-up with the doctor is indispensable.