How to use a blood glucose meter

When we eat food, our body breaks it down into glucose. When glucose enters the blood stream, it makes the blood glucose level in the body to start rising.

The glucose then travels to the cells where it is to be converted into energy for the body to use on normal activities.

The Glucose will need help to enter the cells, that's where Insulin comes in. When the blood Glucose level rises, the pancreas will release insulin into the blood which travels to the cells and acts as a key to unlock the cells so glucose can enter.

When you are diabetic, the pancreas is incapable of producing insulin completely type1 or does not produce enough insulin or the cells have created a resistance to Insulin type2.

Long term exposure to High blood sugar levels also known as high blood glucose levels can be dangerous to the body, leading to nasty complications like nerve damage which can lead to limb amputations or blindness, heart disease and so on.

Diabetes is an incurable disease and the only way to treat it is by managing your blood glucose levels. This is done by diet(increases blood glucose levels) and exercise(lowers blood glucose levels) and by monitoring your blood glucose levels using a device called the Blood Glucose Meter.

Monitoring your blood glucose is a part of everyday diabetes management and should never be ignored.

What you will need

1. Your blood glucose meter

2. Test strip

3. Lancet

4. Needle

5. Alcohol swab

6. A body part, preferably a finger

Step 1

Take out your blood glucose meter and place it on a flat surface, and then turn it on. You will see a 0 on the screen next to mg/dl

Step 2

Take out a test strip and insert it into the port face side up.

Step 3

insert your needle into the lancet and adjust the to the desired depth.

Step 4

Take the alcohol swab and sterilize a spot at the end of your finger, you can also squeeze the blood down so you have enough at the end thus avoiding having to do it multiple times.

Step 5

Prick the sterilized spot and draw out a a drop of blood

Step 6

Place the drop of blood on the test strip attached to the meter and wait about 5-10 sec for the result.

Step 7

Wipe away the excess blood of your finger and put some pressure on it for a few seconds if it is still bleading.

Step 8

Discard the test strip, needle, alcohol swab and tissue you used to wipe off the blood accordingly.

Diabetes is a chronic life long disease that affects about 24 million Americans, there are about 6 million Americans that are walking around without knowing they have it, a simple test will help you determine if you are prediabetic or not, its free in most places and it can get you on your way to preventing the disease if you are, remember prevention is better than the cure and in this case you are saving yourself from a life long disease.

I would strongly urge you to get tested

You can get a free blood glucose meter by visiting the poor diabetic blog.