a finger dripping bloood on a glucose mointor that is turning into a line graph

The Benefits of Glucose Monitors

People with diabetes are always trying to figure out the best way to monitor their blood sugar levels. One of the most effective ways is with a glucose monitor. There are many benefits of using a glucose monitor to manage your diabetes. But with all the choices available, picking a glucose monitor can be overwhelming, expensive, and not to mention, difficult to use once purchased.

In this post, I'm going to tell you about the benefits of using glucose monitors and give you some tips on how to make it easier to choose the best one for yourself! So if you're struggling with choosing a glucose monitor or just want more information in general, please read on!

The importance of glucose monitors

A glucose monitor is a very easy way to keep track of your blood sugar levels for yourself and your doctor. The benefits of glucose monitors are twofold:

  1. Glucose monitors can keep track of your sugar intake and help regulate it accordingly.
  2. Glucose monitors can help you to better understand what's going on in your body, like how many carbohydrates are getting through to make sure there aren't any dangerous upsets or spikes!

Keeping up to date on everything you eat and how it affects your health is an important step in preventing complications from developing later down the road.

How to choose the right glucose monitor for you

Fortunately, glucose monitors are available in many different styles so it really just comes down to your lifestyle and your preference! There are two popular styles of glucose monitors that you can choose from including single glucose monitoring (SGM) or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

How to use a single glucose monitor

The SGM uses a small lancet device that sends a very tiny incision into your finger in order to extract blood. Lancets are disposable devices made specifically for taking samples of blood, which can then be used in a glucose monitor. They are very inexpensive when compared to the CGM option. However, the lancets are not supposed to be reused because they are not meant to last! Many people with diabetes are squeamish about this process though so they might be better suited for the other latter option.

How to use a continuous glucose monitor

A continuous glucose monitor may have many benefits for users such as the ability to track blood sugar levels over the course of a week without doing any extra testing. A CGM requires users to wear an adhesive sensor on their body which uses a needle-like device called a "probe" inserted under the skin that is attached by tubing into a transmitter that reads glucose levels throughout the day within the probe.

Tips to successfully use your glucose monitor

Once you've chosen the right glucose monitor for you, it's important to know how to use it! Here are three tips that will help make your life a little bit easier.

1. Don't let inexperience discourage you

A lot of diabetics feel very uneasy about this process and aren't sure how to get used to it. It takes time but with some patience, you'll be able to do it without any problems in no time!

2. Be gentle

A blood sample isn't a quick task and can lead to a painful experience if done wrong or too abruptly. For example, always keep your fingers on the plump side because they're going to take more skin there than others!

3. Notice what you eat

Taking note of what you eat is an integral step to the glucose monitoring process. When you know what makes your body react, it can help you prevent any dangerous reactions or changes.

You are in control

Diabetes can be a scary word, but it doesn’t have to control your life! You can take back some power by using glucose monitors. That means no guessing games or worrying about what might be wrong when your blood sugar levels seem off.

We hope these tips helped to give you more information on the benefits of using a glucose monitor and brought more understanding of using these helpful devices.

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This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Type2Diabetes.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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