People who have been diagnosed with diabetes require consistent, constant, and regular monitoring. Proper monitoring can only be done through the use of the right equipment. One such type of equipment is the glucose meter. The glucose meter plays a very important part in the lives of people with diabetes, as this equipment performs many different roles, one of which is to provide reliable and accurate measurements of the amount of glucose concentration in the blood. It is highly recommended that people with such condition purchase one or find a way to get a glucose meter.
So if you are one of the many other individuals who have been diagnosed with this particular type of medical condition, you will find this article extremely helpful. This article will provide you with information not only about glucose meters, but also pertinent details on those that you can get for free.
A Brief Overview on Glucose Meters
Glucose meters, or glucometers, are medical devices used to determine the approximate glucose concentration in the blood. It is one of the most important elements in home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) for people suffering from hypoglycemia or diabetes mellitus. A small amount of blood (a drop is sufficient) is obtained through the use of a lancet that pricks the skin. The blood is then placed on a test strip (disposable). The machine then reads and calculates the level blood glucose present in the drop of blood. The results are displayed in measurements of either mmol/l or mg/dl.
Glucose meters have long since been used to manage both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The primary goal of the use of such medical devices is to achieve levels of blood glucose concentration that are closer to normal, for as much of the time as possible. The benefits of using this piece of equipment in conjunction with the other steps in home blood glucose monitoring is a reduced occurrence rate as well as severity of the long term complications brought about by hyperglycemia. Using this device also helps reduce the short-term, but potentially life-threatening effects of hypoglycemia.
Glucose Meter Pricing
You will find glucose meters being offered at discounted rates from manufacturers itself. You can also consult with your primary health care giver about getting a free glucose meter from him or her. There are also some health educators that offer these glucose meters for free. So in a nutshell, when it comes to pricing, the cost of the glucose meter itself is not the biggest hindrance to people with diabetes. It is the overall cost of the disposable test strips that you need to use not only once, but many times in a day.
The price of disposable test strips can run from anywhere to $0.50 up to more than $1.00. Keep in mind that this price is per strip. Since you cannot use these strips more than once, you would need to use another one to get another reading. Most home blood glucose monitoring requires testing twice a day. So if you compute your overall expenses on disposable strips alone, you are looking at $365.00 to $730.00 per year. This can even go up if you have to test more than twice a day.
This significant amount of expenses is the main reason why you should do everything that you can to find not only a glucose meter, but also cheaper and discounted disposable testing strips. By doing this, you will be able to get more out of your home blood glucose monitoring efforts, thus; reducing your likelihood of suffering from both the short and long term effects caused by such medical conditions.
Reliability and Accuracy of Glucose Meter
Now that you know that glucose meters can be obtained for free, you may be wondering whether or not they provide reliable and accurate readings. The simple answer is yes. However, there is a deeper and much more complex answer to this question.
A glucose meter that has been given to you for free can provide reliable and accurate results as one that has been purchased for an expensive price. However, this is only true for glucose meters that come with sterling reputations. So in much more simpler terms, as long as the glucose meter has not been tampered with and is from a reputable manufacturer, you can rest assure that the results you will get from its use are reliable, accurate, and approximate.
How to Ensure that the Glucose Meter is Providing Reliable and Accurate Results
This part is extremely critical. Again, you need to ensure that the results being given by the glucose meter are reliable and accurate. If the medical device fails to do this, you are looking at serious complications and side effects. So what can you do in order to ensure that glucose meter is reliable and accurate?
You can make certain of a glucose meter’s reliability and accuracy by comparing the results that it has provided with the results taken by your doctor using his or her own equipment. Since you can trust your doctor to provide you with solid data, then comparing the results will help you determine whether or not the glucose meter is indeed providing exact, accurate, and correct information.
As long as you keep in mind the lessons that you have learned from this article, you do not have to worry about the reliability and the accuracy of the glucose meter that you have been provided with.
