7 things to Know Before buying a Glucometer

Looking for a glucometer? Confused about which one to buy? Here is a complete guide sugar pregnancy test that can help you choose a good glucometer. If you have diabetes, blood glucose levels must always be monitored. It is not always possible to visit a doctor daily for a glucose test then a blood glucose meter is needed to monitor and display the level of sugar in your blood.

How to Choose the Right glucometer?

There are various types of blood glucose meters ranging from the basic ones to more advanced meters. Learn your options before buying a glucometer model for you!

Some options are listed below:

1. Ask your doctor

2. Look for insurance coverage

3. Cost

4. Ease to use and maintain glucometer

5. Special feature

6. Information storage and retrieval

7. Support

1.   Ask your doctor

Ask your doctor about glucometer, Credits: pixabay

Check with your doctor and ask for any recommendations in which glucometer to use. After all, your doctor may suggest the best one for you.

2. Look for Insurance coverage

Look for insurance coverage, Credits: pixabay

Check whether the glucometer you want to buy is covered in your insurance or not. Some companies restrict coverage to particular models or limit the total amount of permitted test strips.

  3. Cost

check the price of glucometer Credits: pixabay

Glucometers price may vary depending on various brands. Be sure to choose the best in the amount you can afford.

4. Ease of use and maintenance

Certain glucometers can be tough to use while others can be used more easily. Check how to disinfect, clean and calibrate the glucometer and also its maintenance.

5. Special features

Ask your provider in case you need any special features like easy to use test strips, glucometer with large handle buttons or one touch glucometer. In case if you are visually impaired try asking for an audio enabled glucometer.

6. Information storage and retrieval

If you want to observe the trends of your blood sugar level look for a glucometer that stores and retrieves information. Recent advances in meters can help you share your real time data directly with your doctor with the  use of a smartphone.

7. Support

look for customer support, Credits: pixabay

Sometimes you may face difficulties using your glucometer even though the instructions provided by the manufacturer involve all the details. Check if the glucometer has a customer service or a toll-free number that you can dial for assistance

What are the Advances in glucose monitoring tools?

Recent progress in the monitoring of blood sugar includes the removal of discomfort. Even though the finger pricking method is considered to be the gold standard, some manufacturers are using sensory devices that can be placed under your skin to read your blood sugar levels. Glucometers that not only read your blood sugar levels but also count total carbohydrates, blood and ketone bodies

Factors that can affect glucose readings

There are a number of issues with the accuracy of the results. Here are other factors that can affect your glucose readings:

1. User error

2. Contaminated testing site

3. Surroundings

4. Incompatible test strips

5. Using the test properly

Let’s discuss them one by one here:

1.   User error

Lack of proper knowledge on using the meter, is a major problem for showing erratic results. Be sure that you review the user guide and practice blood glucose monitoring with the doctor for your measurements.

2.   Contaminated testing site

Residues of food, or lotion on your hands while testing can give errors in the result. Before testing, ensure that the hands are washed and dried.

3.   Surroundings

The blood glucose readings can also be affected by environmental conditions such as humidity, altitude, and room temperature. Follow the guidelines in specific cases for getting correct readings.

4.   Incompatible test strips

Testing glucometer strips that are manufactured by third-party can be cheaper which may tempt you to try them in order to save money. However, these test strips may not be compatible with your machine machine and may result in errors. Be sure to check the compatibility and expiration date of the test.

5.   Using your meter properly

Check user manual manuals issued by the vendor to ensure correct readings.

Can A Glucometer be used as a Sugar Pregnancy Test?

Glucometer cannot be used as a sugar pregnancy test machine to detect the blood sugar levels in pregnant women. This is because there are couple of different ways to check for gestational diabetes.