7 Things to Know Before You Buy One – Blood Glucose Meter
Blood glucose meters are important tools in the management of diabetes. You must check your blood glucose many time a day with a blood glucose meter if you suffer from type 1 diabetes. There are many different types of blood glucose meters you can purchase. They are also different in the various features they have. However, most give accurate measurement of your glucose. To know the blood glucose meter which suits you best, the following questions can assist you.
Seven points to take into consideration before purchasing a blood glucose meter.
- Do you want a small meter or a big one?
Many of the meters are approximately 3 – 4 inches long and wide. The difference in their weight is between 1 and 5 ounces. Size actually matters only if your pocket is where you keep your meter. In more spacious places such as am purse or a backpack, it makes no difference what size your meter has. However, there is another factor to be taken into consideration, your eyesight. Small meters usually have small screens to show the results. Can you read the words displayed? Perhaps, you may want to look for special features such as bigger, backlit screens and audio as well as written results given.
- How much blood being drawn is preferable?
The latest models need only 0.3 microlitres of blood for a test. The size of this amount of blood is equivalent to the size of a pin head. Although most meters need about 1.0 microlitre, a few require much more blood to give accurate results.
- Do you require a large built-in memory to keep blood glucose readings?
Built in memory is a feature in every meter. A few allow minimal data banking of between 10 – 125 test results while most are able to record from 250 to 500 test results. Only the One Touch UltraSmart meter can record 3,000 test results.
Request from your supplier a list of glucose meters available with their price as well as their features given.
- Do you wish to download the blood glucose results to your computer?
This feature is present in almost all meters, together with the capability of e-mailing the results to your medical practitioner. However, many of the software cannot be used with Apple computers. If this feature is very necessary, you should look into compatibility before purchasing.
- Do you prefer a meter which allows testing on other sites too?
Blood for glucose tests is usually from a finger prick with a lancing gadget. However, there are people who prefer to have the prick made at other sites. Most meters can use alternate site testing (upper arm, leg, forearm). Only a small number of meters limit the sites to certain areas, such as the palm, upper arm, and possibly a few other areas.
- What is your budget for the meter as well as the test strips?
The cost of a meter can be between $20 – $90. Of course, there are times when rebates are given for certain models. Your doctor or the manufacturer may even offer you a free meter. The actual expense is in the purchase of test strips for glucose testing which can be from 50 cents to a dollar for each strip. The price of the test strip you buy depends upon the model you have purchased.
- How much insurance cover can you get for glucose management?
Prior to the purchase of the meter and strips, find out from your insurance company whether the expenses incurred for the meter and strips are covered. There are insurance companies which give coverage only for certain blood glucose meters.
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