Keep tabs on your blood sugar level
MoNIToRING blood sugar levels helps diabetics and doctors understand how food, exercise, medication and other factors affect the blood glucose level.
With this valuable information, adjustments to diet, exercise routine and diabetic treatment plan can be made, and hence, reducing risks of related complications such as blindness, kidney disease and nerve damage.
It is particularly important for those taking insulin or other diabetic medications, women with gestational diabetes (diagnosed during pregnancy), and those having difficulty in controlling their diabetes.
The blood sugar metre is a small device that measures and displays the blood sugar level.
There are many blood sugar metres to choose from, so start by thinking about what's important to you.
Do you use your blood sugar results to dose insulin? Make sure you're using a metre and test strips that provide accurate results.
Would you like to reduce the pain during testing? Pricking for blood from the finger may not be comfortable, but you can choose a system with a lancing device specifically designed to minimise pain.
You may also be tracking results using the blood sugar metre on a computer.
Most blood sugar monitors have built-in memories, with most storing at least 500 past results, and many can even connect and be uploaded to the computer for data management.
Are the test strips easily available? For convenience, choose one that is usually found in most pharmacies.
Are the test strips stable until the expiry date printed on the packaging?
Some test strips need to be disposed six months after breaking it from its packaging.
If you cannot finish the bottle of strips within six months, your cost of strips is indirectly higher.
You should refer to the strip inserts for this information.
Does your doctor or nurse educator suggest a specific metre? He or she likely has a wealth of experience with an array of metres and can guide you properly in choosing its use.
For more information on blood monitors and metres, look out for Roche Diagnostics' advertisement in this StarSpecial.