Diabetic Testing
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 me controlled as well. Diabetic
testing equipment is available from most medical supply stores and pharmacies.
There are many options available in diabetic testing equipment. 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 off
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.
Follow this link for more on diabetic testing products at the Open Directory
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