How To Choose The Right Glucometer?

Diabetes has emerged as a major health concern in India, with an estimated 80 million people having diabetes and more than 25 million being prediabetic. Once someone develops diabetes, a silent battle starts with their own health. However, the battle cannot be fought alone without expert guidance and care. In India, the cases of diabetes are on the rise due to the evolving lifestyle of the population, which includes stress and poor food habits. Thus, people search for a reliable diabetes doctor in Siliguri or a location of their convenience to diagnose and manage diabetes.

Contemporary diabetes care and management prioritise self-monitoring, which has led to the growing use of glucometers. However, the key is to learn how to choose the right glucometer because accurate readings are required to make informed decisions. In this blog, you will learn about the steps to take before selecting the right glucometer. Let's start by knowing what a glucometer is.

What is a Glucometer?

A glucometer is a small and portable medical device that helps in measuring the concentration of glucose in the blood. This device has been a major revolution in terms of diabetes care and management because it is used by people at home to keep track of their blood sugar levels. All one has to do is put a small drop of blood in the test strip of a glucometer, and the blood sugar reading appears. Therefore, by performing daily blood sugar checks, you can analyse which foods or activities are leading to spikes or reductions in blood sugar level.

Here are the steps that you can follow to check your blood sugar level by using a glucometer:

Take out a blood sample: A lancet is available with a glucometer, which can be used to prick the fingertip and obtain a small drop of blood.

Use the test strip: You need to put the obtained blood sample in the test strip, which consists of enzymes.

Analyse the results: For analysis, you need to put the strip inside the glucometer, which will display the results of your blood sugar reading on the digital screen.

Note the readings: You need to note down your blood sugar readings on either a physical notebook or a digital application. Please note that consistent and regular reading holds the key.

How to Choose the Right Glucometer?

Choosing the right glucometer is crucial because false or inaccurate readings can lead to negative health consequences in diabetes management. These are the steps that can help in choosing the right glucometer:

• Consider user-friendliness: This is crucial because you need to use the glucometer multiple times daily. Thus, you need to consider glucometers, which have test strips that are easy to hold and use. If you have vision problems, it is also important to look for glucometers that have large digital displays so that readings can be properly noted. Overall, the user-friendliness of a glucometer holds the key to ensuring the convenience of use.
• Check for blood volume requirement: Some glucometers require a large volume of blood sample, and some work on smaller volumes of blood sample. The one that requires larger volumes of blood samples can be painful to use, which makes it inconvenient for daily usage. Thus, check for modern glucometers, which require a smaller volume of blood samples.
• Check for accuracy: This is a critical step because your diabetes care and management rely on the results displayed by the glucometer. It is highly recommended to read the specification of the meter mentioned on the cover of the glucometer and identify the error range. According to clinical suggestions, there is a prescribed error range for glucometer readings. For example, if the concentration of your blood glucose level is above 100 mg/dl, then the results of the glucometer must be within +/- 15 mg/dl of the laboratory test results.
• Prioritise choosing the ones with rapid test results: Since you need to check your blood sugar levels multiple times in a day by using a glucometer, it is important to choose a glucometer that displays test results within seconds, because you might be occupied with work or other things. The rapid development of technology has empowered people to choose a glucometer that delivers quick and accurate results.
• Analyse cost: This step is based on considering the cost of a new glucometer and the cost of strips in the long run, because the test strips can prove to be expensive. Thus, you can choose a glucometer that is compatible with reasonably priced test strips.
• Consult with a diabetes specialist: It is advisable to consult with a diabetes specialist near you to gain suggestions about the best glucometers available.  Such specialists have all the relevant knowledge and information that can just fit your needs of diabetes monitoring and management.

Final Thoughts

The growing number of diabetic individuals in India and around the world has made it mandatory to improve self-awareness and self-management regarding diabetes. The silent and lifelong battle with diabetes cannot be fought solely by clinical intervention because a diabetes specialist will not be present with you 24 hours and 7 days a week. Thus, the key is to become self-aware and learn self-management of diabetes by visiting a reliable diabetes clinic, such as Kins Diabetes.

In such clinics, you can consult a top diabetes specialist who has all the relevant knowledge and experience to enlighten you about how you can monitor your diabetes at home by choosing the right glucometer. Remember that the battle with diabetes begins at home because your lifestyle factors determine the extent to which your blood sugar level is controlled.

Are you worried about managing your diabetes? Consult a top diabetes doctor in Siliguri or a location of your convenience now.