How To Measure Blood Glucose Level Using Home Glucose Meter

Diabetes was once considered a disease condition of the rich. This is because it affected mainly persons living sedentary lifestyle. Also, the cost of management was on the high side for majority of Nigerians. Unfortunately, the spread of this condition is alarming. Maybe because more people are living sedentary lifestyle.
Diabetes is a disease condition in which the blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal. This is as a result of poor utilisation of insulin by tissues in the body or poor production of insulin. The end result of it is poor wound healing, high infection rate, erectile dysfunction for men, stroke, ketoacidosis, hypertension, heart problems, skin complications among others. The major sign is frequent urination with glucose.
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A person experiencing one or more of the following may suspect diabetes. Only a laboratory test can confirm the condition. They calculate the quantity of glucose in the blood. Blood or urine sample can be use but blood sample gives better result. A diagnose diabetes will require either lifestyle modification or with drugs. Both methods cannot cure the disease but it is only part of management plan.
Since the disease cannot be cured, it is vital to regularly monitor the glucose level at all time to check if intervention is yielding positive result or not. Depending on the severity, a daily check is necessary although in some situation more than once a day is recommended.
Since it will be very difficult to pay a visit to a health care center everyday just to monitor glucose level, it is easy and cheaper to get a home blood glucose monitoring device. They are many products in the markets with different functionality. To make the right choice, it is necessary to consider the following.

Choosing Blood Glucose Meter

Blood glucose monitor

They all measure blood glucose level. However, some have extra functionality. Besides, the effectiveness may vary. Below are what you should consider.
1. Cost: we live in a country whereby the minimum wage is very low. Blood glucose meters are expensive. However, they are not like blood pressure machine that once you buy you don't have to spend money in it again. The test strip of the blood glucose level cost is the main thing to consider here. Some machines are cheap but their test strips can be way expensive. No two strips can work in same machine. For that reason you can't interchange test strips. Take your time and look out for machine with cheap and affordable test strips.
2. Accuracy: Diagnostic laboratory measure blood glucose in plasma but home monitoring machines measure blood glucose in the whole blood. Fortunately, some machines incorporated some algorithm for automatic conversion to give reading of blood glucose level in the plasma. These machines will obviously be more expensive.
How many health personnel can vouch for the product? Since health personnel are in the business, they will know which product give a near to perfect reading.
3. Size: many machines are palm size and weight some few milligramme. However, some can be bulky to carry about. Also, persons with poor eyesight should get machine with a big screen display using coded colours.
Talking about size we also have to look at the testing plate which comes in strips and other shapes like disc, drums and cartridges.
4. Code: some machine require coding the machine each time a new set of strips is to be use for that machine. However, some few others have a universal code for all their strips. This removes the pressure of coding all the time and wrong buying of test strip with wrong code
5. Volume of blood needed: recent blood glucose monitor require less than an mm of blood. Older versions require much more higher volume. This will lead to a greater punch of the fingers or any location just to get more blood. This will increase pain and loss of blood.
6. Testing time: nobody wants to wait for a long time to obtain result. Some offer almost instant result.
7. Result: buy a machine that gives reading in the unit you are familiar with. This is a minor requirement because there is only two units of measuring blood glucose level and both are convertible to the other other without much stress. Please ask your pharmacist for the right value.
8. Data analysis: some others offer data transfer in an easy method withing the monitor and a computer or synchronize to the Internet.
9. Audio: some machines can talk while majority just beep when reading is compete. You like talking machine, then go for it

Factors That Affect Results

The reading may not be accurate for several reasons. Diagnostic laboratory results are accurate because they follow certain guidelines. Knowing some of them can save one the risk of getting wrong result which can be dangerous.
1. Blood glucose monitoring machine: some machines will give near accurate result than others
2. Strips: some strips can cause false result
3. Disease: some disease can alter the correct result of glucose level. Any disease that cause anaemia will affect the accuracy of the result
4. Drugs: taking certain drugs have direct implications with reading. For example, vitamin C.
5. Environment: altitude, temperature, and humidity (High altitude, low and high temperatures, and humidity can cause unpredictable effects on glucose results).

Calibrate

It is good to calibrate the machine or check if it is working right before using it. Otherwise you may be treating yourself the wrong way.
Measure your blood glucose level in a diagnostic laboratory and confirmation the result with that of the machine at home.

Before You Begin

Some machines come with a fluid. The fluid contain content like that of a human blood. You are to test the fluid with the machine as if it is your blood. The result you get is suppose to tally with the result stated in the machine. If not the machine is faulty.

Precautions

Read the manufacturer manual for every details. Some will not give accurate result of just any body part is use to collect blood. Also, fasting blood glucose reading is more accurate than random blood glucose reading. However, random blood glucose reading after two hours aftera eating is acceptable.

Blood Glucose Machine

They come with the machine, a battery, test strips and a gun.

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Procedure

Blood on test strip

a. Wash your fingers with warm water to ease blood flow
b. Open the gun. There are different methods from different manufacturers
c. Insert the Lancet with the square or round side inside the gun. Twist round or any other method specified by the manufacturer the pin cover. It will fall off exposing the pin
d. Cover the gun
e. Adjust the length of the pin using the control on the gun. A person with a big finger should use the longest while the shortest is for those with small finger. The gun is set
f. Insert the battery into the machine
g. Insert a test strip
h. This will bring the machine on
i. Set the time. After some few time, it will display a light, a beep sound or a symbol the machine is ready for use
j.  Cock the gun
k. Bring it close to the side of the finger and not on the pad as this reduce pain. Shoot your shot
l. Press the finger to bring out enough blood and use the tip of the blood to touch the blood line in the strip. It will automatically spread to the whole line. But in situation whereby the blood is not enough, it will not spread and the result will be wrong
m. Take your reading
n. Use cotton wool, remove the test strip from the machine. Discard it properly.
o. Remove battery from the machine
p. Open the gun
q. Remove the Lancet by pulling it out all the way
r. Hold the Lancet and push the pin down on the pin cover to cover the pin back
s. Dispose it off properly
Buy now from Konga: Blood glucose meter
Buy now from jumia: Blood glucose meter

Reading

Normal reading is <140 mg/dl for random blood sugar and <100 mg/DL for fasting blood sugar
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