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Home Diabetes Testing - The Critical Facts
By John Hofmann
Home diabetes testing can set your mind at ease if you are anxious about your blood sugar levels. A straightforward test can be completed at home, but if you maintain any grounds to think that you possibly will be at risk of developing diabetes, or that you may already suffer diabetes, you ought to discuss this with a health professional.
Diabetes is a disease where the levels of glucose in the blood can get above normal due to the body's usual regulatory instrument, involving insulin, is not working appropriately. This may be due to the cells in the pancreas that churn out insulin have been dejected or destroyed by an auto immune response (type 1 diabetes) or else because the body has become impervious to to insulin and the pancreas cannot keep producing a sufficient amount insulin to supply the body (type 2 diabetes).
The test for diabetes involves reading the level of glucose in your blood. This is very simple. In the majority of cases it involves getting a drop of blood from the fingertip or forearm and using various form of analysis to find out how much sugar it contains. Too much sugar, and you could either have diabetes or be at peril.
Home testing kits will include a lancet pen (a special kind of sterilized needle on a spring, where you can accurately and quickly prick your finger) and some testing strips. The strips are inserted into the testing meter and the drop of blood fills the reservoir in the strip, which is then analyzed by the electronics inside the meter. Carefulness must be taken to clean thoroughly the site of the needle prick to avoid misreadings due to oil residue and even sugar residue left on the finger. The testing meters are very sensitive and so are the strips. It can really ruin your day if you get a super high reading just because you forgot to wash your hands!
Most tests for diabetes are done previous to meals (at least two hours after last eating, best done in the morning). This is called a fasting blood glucose test. Normal results are between 60 and 110 mg/dl.
Results between 6.2 and 7.7 mmol/liter may well indicate a person who is pre-diabetic or at chance of getting diabetes, but this is not high enough that diabetes would be diagnosed right now. Past 7.7 mmol/liter may indicate that you be inflicted with diabetes. In either situation you must see a doctor or other medicinal professional right away to situation a further test. They will most likely test you before and after drinking a high sugar drink, to see how your body reacts to glucose.
There are other factors that can affect blood glucose levels, counting other conditions such as anemia and gout. Weather conditions and altitude can also make a difference. Excessive blood sugar is not always correlated to diabetes. But this is a chronic condition so abnormal results should be checked out. Talk to your doctor or medical professional if you think you might suffer from or if you have any more inquiries regarding home diabetes testing.
Learn more about Diabetes Testing and Diabetic Health!
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