According to WHO statistics, diabetes mellitus has received the informal status of an epidemic of the 21st century: today at least 430 million people suffer from this disease, and by 2030, according to medical forecasts, these numbers may almost double.
Alas, at the moment in the arsenal of modern medicine there is no drug that can rid humanity of this ailment, and there is not yet a treatment method that can eliminate the existing complications associated with blockage of blood vessels. However, there is a completely affordable and effective way to prevent the occurrence of complications in diabetes mellitus: regular monitoring of blood glucose levels at home.
At least 430 million people suffer from diabetes, and by 2030 these numbers may almost double.
Regular measurements provide instant and timely information about blood sugar levels. They are performed using a glucometer from 1 to 7 times a day, but the time and number of measurements may vary depending on the treatment and are adjusted by the supervising medical staff.
But to get accurate measurement results, you need to measure on an empty stomach, before or two hours after eating. Only then will the information allow specialists to correctly select the dose of medications and objectively judge the correctness of the treatment.
Measurement types
- Every day, once a day: on an empty stomach before meals or two hours after the main meal.
- For insulin injections, measurements should be taken before each meal before the injection is given.
Experts assure that there is nothing complicated in this procedure: you just need to follow simple, precise and understandable rules for each patient, developed on the basis of many years of experience working with hundreds of thousands of patients:
- Pay close attention to the expiration date of the needles and strips.
- Store all measurement accessories in a cool, dark place at room temperature.
- Before the procedure, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and wipe them dry with a clean towel. Rubbing alcohol may increase the result.
- The lowest force (smallest number on the trigger) is sufficient for the thrust. But if this is not enough to get a drop of blood, then you can increase the force of the injection by increasing the pressure on the trigger.
- The injection is made in the inner lateral part of the upper phalanx of the finger.
- Dip or lean, depending on the device, the indicator into the drop of blood to get the result.
- Remember that the needle and indicator must be changed after every measurement!
- A difference of up to 15% between glucose values when re-measured in one-time interval is acceptable, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.