Diabetic Testing - Knowledge is Power!

Regular diabetic testing is essential for proper management of diabetes. Depending on the severity of the diabetes, a diabetic may be instructed to test their blood sugar levels as often as every two hours. Most of the medical complications associated with diabetes are caused by the long-term effects of high blood glucose, and low blood glucose must be controlled as well. Diabetic testing equipment is available from most medical supply stores and pharmacies.

There are many options available. The oldest technique still in use involves blood glucose testing strips that are compared against a color chart like ph testing paper. There are also many glucose monitors available that will electronically read glucose levels of their own type of testing strips. All of these diabetic testing techniques require collecting blood for the test, most often by pricking the fingertip with a special lancet and squeezing a drop of blood out of the finger. The finger is then pressed against the diabetic testing strip, allowing measurement of blood glucose either with an electronic blood glucose meter or testing strip color chart.


Many electronic diabetic testing glucose monitors are available with speech adapters, allowing diabetics with vision problems to hear their blood glucose test results. Another (recently FDA approved) glucose monitor reads blood glucose levels through the skin every 20 minutes, and only needs to be calibrated twice a day with a finger prick blood sample. For diabetics who are unable to obtain a large enough blood sample with a regular finger lancet, special lancets with integrated pump devices can be used to collect blood samples from other locations.

There is a lot of current research into 'non-invasive' diabetic testing equipment,but no home blood glucose testing techniques available today have entirely eliminated the need for a lancet. Until then, talk to your doctor about your best options for diabetic testing equipment, and find the testing technique that will make it easiest for you to control your blood glucose levels.


Photo: Pixabay


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...