Today we are going to talk about the ideas of self-monitoring for diabetes. Of course the main cause of diabetes is mismanagement of glucose which is produced in our body when we eat anything. This happens because the body is not able to produce insulin which does not let the level of sugar increase in our body. Sometimes our body system does not respond very well and thus such problems arise. In other words, body becomes insulin resistant, that’s how the blood sugar ranges go up in human body. We call this disorder diabetes mellitus.
But there are ways through which you can still keep diabetes in control and save yourself from health threats. We don’t worry about the problem of diabetes till it goes beyond 140. But when it surpasses this level we have to worry about it because diabetes is a disease that increases the risk of other severe problem like heart problem. So, there is a need to keep a check on our increasing levels of blood glucose in order to keep it in our control to escape ourselves from other future complications.
Here comes the role of self-monitoring diabetes. It is important because this way you can understand when to eat and what all food types you should consume.
You can do it in many ways as there are many machines used for this purpose. A meter is there to check one’s blood glucose. You are also provided with test strips which generated the readings. You need to prick your skin in order to heave little blood just to dip the strip.
You need to just be careful about the instructions of a meter you are using to get the reading of your blood sugar because we told you even in above lines that meters may vary.
Let’s talk about the precautionary measures which you need to take before checking the reading of your sugar through a machine.
You need to first of all prick your skin from a clean body part. Usually we prick a finger, so your hands need to be clean for that.
Make sure that your hands are dry when you are going to take test of reading of your sugar.
A test strip is made for one time use, so don’t use it for more than once and keep them in a dry place, so that they can be away from any moisture. Their case is the best place for them, so keep them in that.
Do not use a test strip without checking its expiration date.
There are some meters in the market that needs some coding before use. So, check that before using it.
Also, whenever you for consultation, remember to take the meter and strips there, physician can check for their effectiveness.
Precautions while pricking the skin for diabetes test
Precautions at the time of pricking the skin
The device which is used to prick the skin is known as ‘Lancet’. That’s why be careful while making its selection. Make sure it obtains the blood from the skin gently. Take some precautions while pricking the blood from skin.
Definitely the area should be clean before lancing. Otherwise the sample will not give the correct reading. Moreover, if the food contents come in contact of the meter or the sample, it could ruin them.
Ensure that you use a thin lancet because it comparatively more comfortable.
In addition, the depth setting should be done in a way, so that it does not cause any discomfort to the person whose blood is being pricked. There are settings in lancet through which you can set the depth.
Don’t take out too much blood because one drop of blood is only enough for getting sugar sample, there are meters that work on only a very tiny drop of blood.
There is a technique of taking blood from the finger. Make sure every time you prick yourself, you can do it on one side of the finger. This way it causes less pain.
The best gingers for pricking are middle, ring and little.
You can even take the blood from other body parts like thigh, but it is generally observed that fingers produce the best results, that’s why fingers are used for pricking.
While disposing the lancet, make sure you do it properly as it can be disposed only by following regulations.
Conclusion
Thus, this way you can get the best results of your sugar ranges without causing any distress to yourself. Of course, it is mandatory too because you cannot keep running out to a lab or a physician just for the sake of it. You need to do this quite often. So, keeping the Lancet and Blood Sugar Meter handy is always a better option. Diabetes patients already know the complications which are result of diabetes, so they need to be more careful and keep the regular track of changes in their blood sugar ranges.
