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Glucose Meters
Glucose is a simple sugar that is made by
your body from the foods you eat, is the
main source of energy in your body, and directly
affects your body's ability to carry oxygen
to the brain and vital organs. Normally,
the body regulates the amount of glucose
in the body. Diabetics' bodies cannot regulate
this properly, and so most use insulin injections
and altered eating patterns to achieve the
same effect. Glucose meters help diabetics
manage this balance better by measuring their
current level of glucose.
Features of Glucose Meters
Portable, battery-powered glucose
meters
allow diabetics to monitor their
glucose
level anywhere. The units are
less-intrusive
than older devices, and they
use as little
as one drop of blood from your
fingertip;
the blood is placed on a test
strip that
chemically reacts to measure
the amount of
glucose.
Meters vary in price and features.
Consider
these qualities when buying a
glucose meter:
- Amount of blood needed for testing
- Speed of giving test results
- Overall size and weight
- Ability to store test results for trend tracking
- Cost and convenience of the test strips used
Glucose meters are available over-the-counter
(without a prescription), but each diabetic
should discuss the proper use (how, when,
etc.) of a meter with their doctor. |
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