A glucometer or glucose meter is a device that helps to measure the amount of sugar in your blood. There are thousands and millions of people who are not aware of how to use glucometer despite it are essential to know these days.
The device requires only a single drop of blood to test the sugar level in your blood. Moreover, it’s a small and portable device. That’s the reason you can take a glucometer wherever you go.
If you are a diabetic patient or if you have a family member having diabetes, this product can be beneficial because it helps you by regular monitoring, and from that, it is possible to manage diabetes and useful to control your blood sugar.
There are two scenarios for extreme conditions. A person with extremely high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia and a person with significantly low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. Both situations are dangerous. Therefore, such extreme conditions must monitor the level of sugar in blood using a glucometer.
There are many advantages of using a glucometer if you are a frequent user of it.
Advantages of Glucometer :
- It helps to control your blood sugar if it is high or low.
- You can identify the patterns regarding when you have a high and low amount of glucose.
- Easy to check the levels of glucose after exercising.
When to Use Glucometer:
When you should consider testing using a glucometer depends on a doctor from whom you take treatment or consultation. Consider discussing how often and at what times of the day you should test.
Let me tell you, there are two types of diabetes and the frequency of testing depends on the diabetes type and the treatment you leverage.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
You may need to test your blood glucose four or more times a day. When you feel sick, you should consider testing sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes
If you are a type 2 diabetic patient, you need to consult a doctor and your doctor will let you know how often you should test.
Understanding the types of diabetes allows you to remind you how often you should consider testing your blood sugar levels.
Before using a glucometer, make sure you have gotten all these things with a glucometer
- Glucometer (Glucose Meter)
- Test strip
- Lancet device
- Needle (Lancet)
- Alcohol swab
- Dry swab
- Puncture-proof plastic container with a screw-on cap
How to Use Glucometer (Glucose Meter)?
With a glucometer, you will get glucometer strips. The lensing device is also given where the lancet and the needle are fixed.
After removing the needle’s tip, you will manage to arrange the lensing device properly, and it will be ready to use.
However, it isn’t that simple. To simplify the process of using it, please do consider checking the below steps.
7 Easy Steps to Use Glucometer
Make Sure about the Below Things
- The insulin and glucometer test trips have not passed expiry dates.
- The correct type of batteries.
- The box of test strips.
- The code key number should be the same as that on the box of test strips.
Calibrate the glucose meter
- Add the code key into the test strip slot.
- After doing it, check the number that appears on the screen is the same as that on the box of test strips.
Wash your hand with soap and water
Prepare the lancet device
- Remove the lancet cover and put the needle in.
- By twisting the needle cap, remove it. Avoid touching the needle.
- Replace the lancet cover and adjust the depth of the lancet device as per your skin thickness carefully.
- By pressing the release button, prime the lancet device (you need to pull and release the lever in some products)
Preparing the Glucometer
Remove the glucometer test strip from the foil or from the glucometer test strip container. Gently, insert it into the test strip slot and it will turn on the meter automatically.
Test your Blood Glucose Level
- Take one finger with an alcohol swab.
- Press the lancet device against the side of your finger.
- To release the needle, push the button. Squeeze your finger to get a drop of blood.
- Touch the end of the glucometer strip to the drop of blood.
- Over the puncture site, apply a dry swab.
- The level of your blood glucose level is displayed
- Take a pen and paper and record your blood sugar level.
Put all the Items Safely
- Remove the lancet cover.
- Before removing it, recap the needle. Throw the used needle in the plastic container.
- Replace the lancet cover and store away the glucometer.
- Consider washing your hands again with soap.
That’s it. This is how you can easily use a glucometer.
There are many glucometers available, that’s why you may get confused about which one to buy. You do not need to worry about finding the best glucometer as we have already prepared a list of the Best Glucometer in India with comprehensive analysis.
A glucometer is a must-have product for diabetic patients. I hope you understood how to use glucometer.
Please do consider this post on social media and educate people.
Thank you.