Glucometer Types, Features, Guidelines, Results
Glucometer Types, Features, Guidelines, Results
If you got a free glucometer from your doctor, you may not have thought to check out your other options. But these days, you have a lot of exciting new choices -- not just glucometers, but other devices, apps, and web sites. These make glucose monitoring simpler, more effective, and a lot more convenient.
Just like every other piece of tech in your life these days -- your TV, computer, DVD player, e-book reader, and fitness tracker -- glucose meters are going wireless, or at least syncing data with web sites and apps. That can have a big benefit for your health. Here are some of the new things you can do with a glucometer.
Share data with your doctor or anyone else you choose, like your spouse. You can give real-time updates on how your treatment is working. Since managing diabetes is all about tight control of your blood sugar, that's crucial.
See a more complete picture of your health. When you're just looking at today's glucose readings, you're missing how it's trending overall. These devices and apps let you see glucose trends over weeks and months.
Seeing your records in colorful graphs and charts makes it easier to understand -- and to figure out if you need to make changes. For instance, a graph can quickly show if your blood sugar tends to be high in the mornings. Then you can easily share that with your doctor to see if you need to change your treatment.
Track food and more. Most devices and apps let you log the food you eat.
In that same tracker, you can see how your carbs add up, and you can add notes about exercise, or insulin if you take it.
With this kind of info, you can get a clearer sense of how your breakfast or afternoon run affect your blood sugar levels.
Sync with an app, web site, or the cloud. Several new cutting-edge glucose monitors or other devices that transmit data include:
21st Century Communication
Just like every other piece of tech in your life these days -- your TV, computer, DVD player, e-book reader, and fitness tracker -- glucose meters are going wireless, or at least syncing data with web sites and apps. That can have a big benefit for your health. Here are some of the new things you can do with a glucometer.
Share data with your doctor or anyone else you choose, like your spouse. You can give real-time updates on how your treatment is working. Since managing diabetes is all about tight control of your blood sugar, that's crucial.
See a more complete picture of your health. When you're just looking at today's glucose readings, you're missing how it's trending overall. These devices and apps let you see glucose trends over weeks and months.
Seeing your records in colorful graphs and charts makes it easier to understand -- and to figure out if you need to make changes. For instance, a graph can quickly show if your blood sugar tends to be high in the mornings. Then you can easily share that with your doctor to see if you need to change your treatment.
Track food and more. Most devices and apps let you log the food you eat.
In that same tracker, you can see how your carbs add up, and you can add notes about exercise, or insulin if you take it.
With this kind of info, you can get a clearer sense of how your breakfast or afternoon run affect your blood sugar levels.
Sync with an app, web site, or the cloud. Several new cutting-edge glucose monitors or other devices that transmit data include:
- iHealth Wireless Smart Gluco-Monitoring System and the Telcare Wireless Glucose Meter are wireless glucometers that sync with your phone. Both have apps and web sites to help you track your health.
- Ditto isn't a glucose meter. Instead, it's a small device that connects to your glucose meter. It takes readings from your device -- it works with nine models -- and wirelessly sends them to an app on your phone, which uploads it to a web site.
- Glooko is a cable that connects your phone to up to 21 different FDA-approved glucometers. As soon as you connect the two, Glooko uploads the information to the cloud.
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