For some time now, software and hardware companies have been making smart devices to take care of our health. These devices mainly measure the pulse, but they also help us to motivate ourselves and stay active. Long before that there were already some devices to take care of us, such as heart rate monitors while we do sports or glucometers for people who have problems with blood glucose. In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about these devices that can literally save lives.
Best glucometers
| The best |
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Sinocare Blood Pressure... | See features | 1.036 reviews | View deals |
| Price quality |
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Sinocare Blood Pressure ... | See features | 103 reviews | View deals |
| Our favorite |
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Glucose meter in ... | See features | 1.133 reviews | View deals |
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Glucometer Sinocare Safe... | See features | 68 reviews | View deals | |
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Glucometer Sinocare Safe... | See features | 82 reviews | View deals |
Sinocare Glucose Meter
Although you get used to everything, drawing blood is not something you like. For this reason, Sinocare has designed glucometers that ensure that this discomfort is minimized. Less unpleasant prick In addition, this glucose meter is made in the USA and includes modern chips that, according to the manufacturer, are very accurate. The same brand also manufactures some high conductivity strips, included in the package, that will avoid interference, which will also help to make the readings more accurate.
What we have here is actually a kit that includes, in addition to the device, a container or suitcase to also put the 25 strips that it includes and the lancets and a lancing device. As for the duration of the reading, this Sinocare is one of the fast ones and ensures that we will know the blood levels only 5s later of placing the test strip with 0.6 micro liters of blood in the meter.
But that's not all: to help us better control our glucose levels, this glucometer has a memory in which we can save up to 200 results and includes a record of 7 days, 14 days and 28 days, so it will not be necessary to write down the results on paper as I have seen someone you know do. And all this for a really affordable price.
Sinocare Safe AQ Diabetes Test Kit
This kit is also from Sinocare, so it shares many of its specifications. Its red color is obvious, so I personally think you have to like the color or it will attract a lot of attention every time you take it out of its case. Case that is included in this kit, with the 25 test strips and the lancing device, which Sinocare ensures has a design that minimizes discomfort when pricking the finger to obtain the blood (0.6 micro liters).
Like its more serious white brother, the Safe AQ is a fast glucometer, and the results will appear on the screen after 5s after depositing the strip in the hole designed for them. The strips that it includes are those that minimize or avoid interference, so, together with the company's chips, they will make the results are accurate.
SEEYC Blood Glucose Meter
And we went from a device with a more cheerful color to a more serious one, since this SEEYC glucometer comes in a black color that, personally and whenever there is a choice, would be the color of my choice. This kit also includes a case, lancets and strips, 50 in this case, and its design ensures that we minimize the discomfort derived from a puncture. On the other hand, the price is a little higher than that of the previous two, but SEEYC has managed to certify this glucometer to comply with the ISO 15197 standards, so precision is assured.
Among other specifications, this glucometer calibrates automatically, so it is difficult for us to make a mistake when making our readings. The readings will be fast, just 5s, and you will be able to take them with 0.6 micro liters, which is a small drop. And something that never hurts, they offer us 18 months of guarantee and a month to return it if we are not satisfied.
Adia glucometer (mg / dl) incl. 10 test strips
If what we are looking for is something very inexpensive without having to sacrifice memory for it, we may be interested in a glucometer like this one. Have 365 memory locations, so we can control ourselves for a whole year at one measurement / day. Its low price does not translate into many limitations, since it is calibrated automatically and it only takes 5s to display the results.
This by adia is a kit that includes a case, 10 test strips, a lancing device, 10 lancets, diabetic diary and, it never hurts, batteries. The company also recommends that we consider their strips for the future as they are cheaper than the competition.
Contour XT Glucometer
So far, all we have seen are quite cheap glucometers, which I think is fine, but perhaps, considering that we are dealing with health, it is worth something less cheap and with a more recognized brand and with a more trajectory. long as is BAYER. For that price increase, which I personally do not think is that high, we will get a greater guarantee on a device that is capable of store up to 480 records, which far exceeds a year with log per day.
In addition, this Contour XT is capable of calculating the 7, 14 and 30 day average. As if that seems little, it is difficult to go wrong with this device, since it calibrates automatically and, in addition, notifies us when the values are higher or lower than advisable and displays the pre and postprandial test results. What if we have a bad memory? No problem: this little device has alarms to remind us to take measurements.
What is a glucometer
According to its etymology, "glucose" comes from the Greek, a word that means "must" or "sweet wine." On the other hand, "meter" can refer to a unit of measurement (distance) or to a measuring device. Therefore, the compound word "glucometer" means, without looking at it in the dictionary, device for measuring sugar, or "device to determine the amount of sugar in a liquid" according to the RAE.
Leaving the definitions behind, a glucometer is a device that serves to measure blood glucose concentration and indicate or help to know if they are within normal or not. Its size allows diabetics or anyone who wants to control their sugar levels to always carry them with them.
How a glucometer works
If the question is what a glucometer has inside, that depends on the model and brand. On the other hand, if what you want is to know how to use it, we will explain that in a later section in this article. Now, the operation of a glucometer, as we also explain in the next point, is similar to that of other readers, such as barcodes or QR, but, logically, much more sophisticated because it is not a simple reading, but from an analysis.
Yes, basically what the glucometer does to us is an analysis. The difference with the others in which they draw blood from our arm is that We do these with the lancets and the information is read by the glucometer. Normal glucometers, those that require a prick, collect or calculate blood sugar from the drop that we put on the test strip, special strips that help the calculation. Those that do not require a prick analyze the information collected by the filament that is placed under the skin, which in turn collects it from the changes that occur in the interstitial fluid.
Are there glucometers without prick?
All technology is advancing and achieving incredible things, and improving the one used to read sugar levels was not going to be less. For some time now, there are glucometers that use a system based on a reading device and a sensor that is placed on the body, something reminiscent of those used to read barcodes or to verify that we have bought a train ticket. The sensor is the size and shape of a patch that sticks to the body, more specifically the arm, and has a very small sterile filament that is placed under the skin.
This sensor, although technically it does puncture, is not the usual puncture nor does it draw blood as in long-life glucometers, it obtains information from the interstitial fluid, which is a fluid that surrounds the cells of the tissues and in which the reflect changes in blood glucose about 5-10min apart. Perhaps this is the only negative point for those who want more precision, although it is constantly collecting information and we will always know how we have been.
Therefore, they exist, but if you want precision, in the same way that in something less serious like the pulse it is better to wear a chest strap rather than a watch, the glucometer more reliable is the one that obtains the information directly from the blood.
How to use a glucometer
We just mentioned that there are glucometers that do not require a prick. These are not the "normal" ones, and their use is as simple as cleaning the area, placing the patch under the arm, with the filament under the skin as indicated by the manufacturer, and then we will pass the reader through the area as if whether it is a barcode. It is more difficult to do it in one "prick", for which we will have to follow these steps:
- Although it is likely that outside the home is not an option, you must clean the area with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball. Wherever we are, we have to clean our finger how we can.
- Next, we have to prick our finger with the lancet to get some blood out.
- It is probably not necessary, but if we do not see blood, we press our fingertip so that at least one drop comes out.
- We put the drop on a test strip.
- We put the test strip in the hole of the glucometer specially designed for them.
- We wait a few seconds. After a short time that does not usually exceed 5-10s by much, we will see the result on the screen.
This is no longer part of the process but, for hygiene, it is recommended store the test strip in a napkin of paper, for which the same one that we have used to clean our finger after the blood extraction is useful. If it can be, we throw it directly in the trash.
