Blood Glucose Monitors Are Crucial For Keeping Blood Sugar In Check

Blood glucose monitors are a handy, indispensable DIY healthcare tool for anyone who wants to keep their numbers in the optimal range, but they are especially important for individuals that require continuous blood sugar monitoring such as diabetics.

Blood sugar monitors enable patients to track their own numbers at home, reducing the frequency of visits to the doctor. Studies have shown that blood sugar monitors improve blood sugar levels in individuals by providing real-time information. People who use at-home glucose monitors feel more empowered and have a greater commitment to meeting their healthcare challenges head-on.

Last but definitely not least, home blood sugar monitoring provides valuable data over long stretches of time that doctors can analyze to determine the effectiveness of a current treatment approach. This optimizes the delivery of healthcare through greater access to data.

Types of Blood Glucose Monitors

Blood glucose monitors come in one of three forms: invasive, non-invasive, and continuous.

"Invasive" glucose monitors usually come as a kit that includes lancets (the needle devices used to prick the finger), alcohol pads, and other pieces of equipment in addition to the reader itself. Invasive glucose monitors are the most conventional and most widely used glucose readers in the world.

"Non-invasive" glucose monitors use chemical sensors to detect blood sugar levels through the skin. While they have the advantage of invasive monitors of being less "prickly," they are also more expensive and not as accurate as invasive readers.

Lastly, the type of monitor that might represent the future is called a "continuous glucose monitoring" (CGM) device. It stays attached to the body and uses a non-invasive sensor to constantly record every fluctuation in blood sugar. Many experts believe this type of device to be the future of blood sugar monitoring.

How to Correctly Use a Blood Glucose Monitor

The exact step-by-step process for using a blood sugar monitor will depend on the product. However, the general steps involved in the process below will usually take people from start to finish:

• Lay out the materials required which might include your glucometer (glucose meter), a lancet, an alcohol prep pad, and/or a test strip for the sample.
• Thoroughly wash your hands to prevent transmitting a pathogen to yourself inadvertently. 
• Turn on the monitor and wait for the signal to submit the sample for testing.
• Wipe the area where you will perform the prick with alcohol.
• Pierce your finger (ideally on the side for minimal pain) and place the drop of blood onto the test strip.
• The glucometer will supply the results in the form of a number within a few minutes.
• Record your results and take any specific actions provided by your doctor.

How to Read Blood Glucose Levels

Your healthcare provider will likely go over all of the ins and outs of interpreting your blood sugar readings with you before you begin at home. For a brief refresher, though, take a look at the appropriate blood sugar levels for a healthy adult:

• Normal blood sugar (fasting): Less than 100 mg/dL
• High blood sugar (fasting): Greater than 100 mg/dL

The thresholds for determining a disorder related to blood sugar, such as diabetes, vary and depend on other factors, but, generally speaking, blood sugar levels over 140 indicate prediabetes while blood sugar readings over 200 indicate diabetes.