Diabetic Meters

Diabetic Meters

It's possible to have a full and active life even with diabetes but staying in the best of health requires good blood sugar control. Keeping track of your numbers can be important to ensuring the success of treatment. That means having a reliable diabetic meter to use at home. At Walgreens, we carry all of the most popular diabetic meters and testing supplies, making it easy to get what you need.

Why Test Your Blood Sugar?

There is no cure for type 1 or type 2 diabetes, so treatment focuses on keeping blood sugar levels controlled in order to reduce the risk of complications. Lifestyle changes like a healthy diet, a regular exercise routine and medications can help you to improve your blood glucose control. However, it can be difficult to know how much interventions are helping without keeping track of your blood sugar levels. Diabetes monitors make it possible for you to instantly determine what your blood sugar level is so that you can make good decisions about the foods that you eat, the exercise that you get and the amount of medication that you use. Tracking your numbers over time with the help of a diabetic meter will allow your doctor to observe trends in your blood sugar levels, helping him or her optimize and improve your treatment plan.

How Does a Diabetic Meter Work?

A diabetic meter is a digital device that uses electrical energy to determine how much sugar or glucose is in a blood sample. To gather the blood sample, you'll typically use a needle device called a lancet to prick your finger or another part of your body. The blood sample is gathered on a small, hard testing strip and is inserted into the diabetic meter. After the meter has analyzed your sample, the results are displayed on the screen. Some diabetic meters can store readings for future review or share them with a computer or mobile device. Your doctor or health care provider can help you choose a specific model of diabetic meter that fits your needs. Many meters come with an initial supply of lancets and strips. However, it is a good idea to stock up on supplies to ensure that you don't run out.