Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not make, or does not properly use, insulin. Insulin is the hormone that helps your body use the energy from sugar, starches and other foods. The result is that your body doesn't get the energy it needs, and unmetabolized glucose (undigested sugar), builds up in your blood causing damage to the body and its systems.
Glucose is a form of sugar produced when the body digests carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Glucose is the body's major fuel for the energy it needs. When insulin is absent or ineffective, the blood glucose (blood sugar) level increases. High blood glucose levels can lead to both short and long-term problems.
At present, no cure is available for diabetes. But with regular self-monitoring of blood glucose and a proper combination of diet, exercise and medication, people with diabetes lead active, healthy lives.
Self-monitoring of blood sugar levels with the help of medical device:
A glucose meter (or glucometer) is a medical device for determining the approximate concentration of glucose in the blood. It is a key element of home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) by people with diabetes mellitus or with proneness to hypoglycemia. (In hypoglycemia, blood glucose can drop too low, especially if you are using diabetes medications or insulin). A small drop of blood obtained by pricking the skin (Usually from fingertips) with a lancet device and placed on a disposable test strip, which the meter reads and uses to calculate the blood glucose level. The meter then displays the level in mg/dl or mmol/l digitally.
Glucometer readings are good enough for self monitoring of blood sugars. A difference of 5-10% is acceptable between glucometer and lab values. This is because home blood glucose meters measure the glucose in whole blood while most lab tests measure the glucose in plasma (one of the components of blood) and Glucose levels in plasma are generally 10-15% higher than glucose measurements in whole blood.
Different types of meters are commercially available. They differ in several ways including amount of blood needed for each test, testing speed, overall size, ability to store test results in memory, cost of the meter, cost of the test strips used, etc. Some glucose meters allow testing blood from alternative sites, such as the upper arm, forearm, base of the thumb, and thigh. Latest technological advances have allowed cutting down the cost of the devices. They also offer advance features like temperature corrected results. You should get training from a diabetes educator. You should know how to use your glucose meter and interpret its results. Make sure your meter works properly.
Many glucometers have data transfer facilities. Data can be transferred to computer through cable or infrared for the readings, graphs, monitoring insulin doses, etc with the help of diabetes management software. You should be technical minded for this.
Tests after diet, exercise or medication help to understand its impacts on blood sugar levels and help us to adjust the medication as per needs.
