Important features of a blood glucose meter to consider include:
- Fast results
- Small blood sample size
- Size of meter
- Easy-to-read numbers on display
- Ability to check blood sugar in other places besides finger
- Data management (such as tracking date and time of blood sugar results)
- Cost of supplies and insurance coverage
- How easy is it to use the meter and strips
Many people think that there is no point in self-testing because they believe that they know when their blood glucose levels are too high. Unfortunately this is often not true and unless your blood glucose level is very high, the way you feel is not always a good or accurate guide to what is happening.
A blood lancet, or simply lancet, is a small medical implement used for capillary blood sampling. A blood lancet is similar to a small scalpel but with a double-edged blade or needle. Lancets are used to make punctures, such as a finger stick, to obtain small blood specimens and blood lancets are generally disposable.
Lancet devices are used with a lancet to prick your skin to obtain the blood sample that you need to monitor your blood glucose levels. These diabetic products come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some lancet devices also come with a special cap to permit alternate site testing. This means if your fingers become sore over time, or if you prefer not to prick your fingers, you may be able to use the palm of your hand, arm, thigh or other sites to obtain a blood sample.
There are many types of lancets and similar equipment available in the markets but you will find that the Accu Chek Fastclix lancets, the Accu Chek Multiclix lancets and the Accu Chek Softclix lancets are amongst the best. These should be used with the Accu Chek test strips for the best results.
People living with diabetes test their blood glucose anywhere from weekly to three to seven times daily or more. When performed properly, regular and frequent testing are important self-management tools that can help diabetics avoid long-term risks and complications. However, even slight environmental variations can skew results and lead to problems including costly retesting and inaccurate adjustments to blood glucose levels.
Apart from knowing how to use the Accu Chek glucose meter properly, you also need to know how to both read the results properly and how to understand just what the readings mean to you and your health. In this way you can manage your illness and take measures to try and keep it under control.