Fit & Proper: Checking sugar levels at home

Your weekly health guide

Diabetes has gained the status of a potential epidemic in India with more than 62 million people diagnosed with the disease. This makes India the global capital of diabetes. 

Diabetes is a disorder in which your blood glucose or sugar levels are not regulated. Everything we consume as food contains sugar. Insulin, a hormone produced by pancreases whose role is to ensure that the blood glucose values are maintained within the safe range of 70-140mg/dl, has a major role in ensuring that excess glucose in blood is stored in liver, muscle and fat tissues of the body. 

Diabetes occurs whenever there is a deficiency of insulin in the body or the insulin produced is not able to work properly (insulin resistance). It makes blood sugar levels to go up, which leads to symptoms such as increased hunger and thirst, pain in  calf muscles, fatigue and listlessness. If unregulated over time, the increase in glucose levels can cause serious problems like heart disease, stroke and even amputation of a limb in extreme cases. The global rise of obesity and physical inactivity is widely believed to play a crucial role in increasing incidence of diabetes. 

Home blood glucose monitoring is considered a landmark step in the management of this global epidemic. It enables patients check the status of their blood glucose at any time of the day with a gluco-meter, which gives them a better understanding of the disorder. It also empowers patients with the knowledge of glucose level fluctuations vis-à-vis different foods, helping them follow a better diet .  

Studies have shown patients who regularly monitor their blood glucose at home, have a better glycemic control and lower incidence of depression.

However, there are potential issues associated with using glucometers at home. Patients need to be mindful of the following things.

• You need to be fully trained to use a glucometer by your endocrinologist.
• Follow your doctor’s advice on safely disposing needles. 
• It is preferable to stick to one glucometer brand. Results may differ with different brands.Use only the test strips listed by the manufacturer.
• When you purchase a new pack of glucose test strips, always check the calibration of the glucometer and the expiry date of the strips.
• Keep the lid of test strips  sealed as moisture can affect the accuracy of the result.
• Make sure to wash and dry your hands before testing.  Change the needle or lancet in the pricking pen every three days for a single user.
• Apply the correct amount of blood to the test strip. If the blood sample is too little, there could be errors in the result. But do not squeeze your finger when taking a blood drop sample.
• Do not squeeze your finger when taking a blood drop sample.
• Glucometers are most accurate for blood glucose values between 60-160mg/d. The readings tend to be less accurate for very high and very low blood glucose values.

Next week:  Heatstroke - you are not safe even in your car

Deep Dutta is a senior consultant of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Disorder at Venkateshwar Hospital