How to Choose the Best Glucose Meter for Your Needs

If you are diabetic or have other problems with sugar, a glucose meter can help you determine the approximate amount of glucose in your blood. Sometimes referred to as a glucometer, the best glucose meter for your situation is one that is easy to use and will deliver accurate results. There are many types of blood glucose meters available, so here’s what you need to know about choosing the right one. What Affects Your Blood Glucose Level? Your lifestyle can contribute to changes to blood glucose levels. How much or little you exercise, what medications you’re on, and stress can all affect your blood glucose level. For individuals with diabetes, tracking fluctuations in your blood glucose levels is a necessity to ensure optimum health. How Glucometers Work Understanding the basics of how a glucometer works can help you decide which meter is right for you. Most blood glucose meters require test strips. These strips are typically brand-reliant and as such, you’ll need to choose the right test strips to go with your meter. The test strips are inserted into the device. Next, you’ll clean the tip of your finger with an alcohol wipe and use a lancet (a special needle) to prick the finger and obtain a drop of blood. You’ll touch the test strip to the drop of blood and await the reading on the screen of the glucose meter. Choosing a Meter When glucose meters are stored and used properly they provide accurate readings. When choosing a meter, here are some factors you may want to consider: Insurance Some medical insurance will cover specific glucose meters. Call your insurance company to find out if they will cover certain brands and start your search with devices you can pay for with insurance. Also ask whether or not the insurance company will cover test strips and how many per year. Cost of Device If you do not have insurance or your insurance will not cover the glucose meter, consider price when determining the best glucose meter for your needs. While many devices are inexpensive, the cost of test strips and accessories can add up over the course of a year, so factor in the total price for using the unit you intend to buy and compare. Accessibility Features If you have impaired vision, you may want a glucose meter that has large buttons and easy to handle test strips. Devices can feature large, illuminated screens to make viewing your test results easier, or you may be able to get a device with an audio reading of your glucose levels. Technology Features Some glucose meters are more advanced than others and can store your test results rather than needing to keep a separate log. Test results stored can include time and date of the test, results, and may compare results over time to help you manage your health. Best Glucose Meter Recommendation MedlabGear.com features the EasyTouch Health Pro Glucose Meter Kit in our diabetic supplies. It’s a small glucose monitoring system that does not require any coding and offers a read-out in 5 seconds from a tiny .5 ul blood sample. To help you remember to test your blood, the device features four alarms.