Your guide
to buying a blood glucose meter
Buying a glucose meter can seem like a daunting task but
with our guide it will be a lot easier. What do blood glucose
meters do? Effective management of your diabetes
often requires regular testing, especially if you are aiming for tight control.
Blood glucose meters are small
portable meters which accurately measure glucose concentrations in finger prick
blood samples. Measuring your blood glucose can provide useful information
for you and your carers to · assess 'trends' in your day to day glucose
levels
· evaluate factors causing high or low
blood sugars
· assess the impact of diet,
exercise, work and stress on your blood sugar
· take decisions when
you are sick
· take decisions on changes in treatment Which
meter is the most accurate? All the meters we stock are the same
in accuracy. No one meter is more accurate than any other, as long as they are
used correctly to the manufacture's instructions. What
are the units I need to measure in? There
are some countries, including the UK, where blood glucose is measured in millimoles
per litre (mmol/L) whilst in others, such as in America, where it is measured
in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl). The important thing is to know what
unit of measurement your machine is measuring in!!! It is easy
to convert from mmol/L to mg/dl, all you do is multiply the mmol/L reading
by 18.
| If your reading was 6.4 mmol/L then, 6.4 x 18
= 115.2 mg/dl it really is that easy!!! |
The table
below shows more conversions
| mmol/L | mg/dl | | 1 | 18 |
| 2 | 36 | | 3 | 54 |
| 4 | 72 | | 5 | 90 |
| 6 | 108 | | 7 | 126 |
All
our meters measure in mmol/L only
How
often should I measure? How often you measure your blood glucose
levels really depends on the recommendations of your physician. Some diabeteic
may need to monitor
their levels more often then others. What should I be looking
for in a glucose meter? A glucose meter is an item you may well
have to use regularly throughout your life. It is important the meter you choose
meets your needs. Here are some key points to consider: Size: If
your going to be on the move it may well be handy to choose a small meter to fit
snugly into your pocket, the One Touch
Ultra is one of the smallest meters available. Alternative site testing:
With most glucose meters you need to prick your finger tips to measure your blood
glucose. However, with the One Touch
Ultra and Accu-chek Aviva
you can test on your arm too, giving those precious finger tips a rest. Note:
results taken from the arm may differ significantly from the results taken from
the finger tips. When blood glucose levels are changing rapidly, finger tip samples
show these changes more quickly then arm samples Accessories: All
the blood glucose meters we keep
come with everything you need to start testing your blood glucose levels: 10
test strips
10 Lancets
Pricking device
Batteries
Control solution Be
careful many of our competitors sell the meter by itself without the accessories!!!!
Special features: If you like your gadgets with your meter then
the Accu-chek Compact Plus
is a good choice. The meter comes with a drum which carries test strips within
the machine. All you have to do is turn on the meter and it automatically produces
a strip to start testing with. Handy when on the move. If you like the
idea of being able to draw graphs and record your blood glucose readings on a
PC then with the One Touch Ultra
you can send off for the appropriate software and connection lead. They do charge
for this. Complexity: The technology features we discussed above
are great if it helps you but if you're looking for ease of use choose a simple
straight forward meter without the gadgets, such as the Accu-chek
Aviva which is easy to use. Amount of blood: Meters can vary
with the amount of blood needed to test with. The less blood required by a meter
means that it should be less painful. One of the best meters in this area is the
One Touch Ultra which requires only 1 microlitre
of blood. Manufacturer support: Both Roche
and Lifescan who manufacture
the two main brands of meters have excellent customer support. Depending on the
country you live in you may be able to get a lifetime warranty for your meter,
free controls solutions and free batteries for life. Time: All the
meters we sell give you very fast readings but some are faster then others. If
speed is important to you then the One
Touch Ultra can give you a reading in 5 seconds!!
Safety:
The Accu-chek Aviva has one
of the safest pricking devices of all the meters. The needle is hidden within
a drum and only exposed when the finger is pricked with the device. Once used
the needle returns back into the drum. This is a great feature and should reduce
accidents especially for those with poor sight or with difficulty in handling
small lancets.
Always remember decide what's important to you and
choose your meter according to your needs. Have a look at our comparison
table to see the main features for each meter.
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