A blood glucose meter is a device used for medical reasons that helps in determining the glucose content in the blood. This device is mostly used by people suffering from diabetes and hypoglycaemia. The process of monitoring the glucose content in the blood is done by pricking the skin to obtain a small amount of blood; the blood is then placed in a disposable strip that the meter reads to calculate the glucose level.
The blood glucose meter monitors the amount of sugar in your blood through a chemical process that involves mixing your blood sample with Glucose Oxidase. This creates a chemical reaction with the glucose found in your blood to create Gluconic acid. This chemical is then mixed with another chemical called ferricyanide found in the strip. This complex mixture of chemicals works in a way to get an accurate reading of the glucose content in the blood.
The use of a blood glucose meter is important for diabetics to monitor their blood sugar levels. It is a pain free process as the device usually comes with a lancet. A lancet comes in the form of a pen that has a needle at the tip used to puncture the skin for blood samples. It is important to know the proper use of the lancet to avoid unnecessary pain.
During blood glucose monitoring, it is important to practice proper hygiene and sanitization to avoid infections. Before anything else, you have to wash your hands with warm water or disinfect with alcohol. The purpose of this is to guarantee that your hands are clean and to remove residue from the food you eat to properly determine your glucose level. If you do not wash your hands, the results may not be accurate.
Keep in mind that the lancet used for the blood glucose meter is disposable. It is advisable to throw away the lancet after your first use. It is unsanitary to use it more than once as it has already been exposed to blood. If more than one person uses the meter, don’t share the lancet, as this can lead to serious health problems.
A talking glucose meter is a type of blood glucose meter that tells you the results of your glucose test instead of having to read it yourself. It comes equipped with speakers so that you can hear it properly. There are also some that even explains the results to you, especially if you don’t know how to read the results properly. This type can be very useful as it even has a built in memory so that you can keep track of your weekly progress by keeping the results of your previous tests.
A blood glucose meter is a very useful device for people with diabetes or even for those who just want to keep track of their blood sugar levels. It can save you a lot of time and money as you don’t have to go to your doctor as much as you used to, since you can monitor your blood’s glucose content on your own.
