Diabetes and How to check blood glucose at home

Diabetes and 

How to check blood glucose at home

 Introduction:

Diabetes is a serious problem all over the world. It’s meaning increasing blood sugar in the blood. The main organ that produces insulin to control blood sugar in the blood was the pancreas specifically Langerhans Island.

There are many types of diabetes:

1-      Type one diabetes that is affecting mostly younger kids

This type of diabetes will affect mostly kids and younger children that may for many reasons Langerhans Island will be destroyed that will be no insulin production to reduce blood sugar which will affect negatively a child's health status.

2-      Type two diabetes is affecting adults and nowadays it's affecting children also.

This type will affect mostly adults and now a day is affecting children because of the lifestyle. This type will affect Langerhans Island but it will not be destroyed, so there is insulin production but the amount is not enough to ingest sugar in the blood.

Signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia: 

There were 3 signs and symptoms the person may face that confirmed that the person is having high blood sugar that was: 

1- Polydipsia ( excessive thirst)

2- polyurea ( excessive urination)

3- polyphagia ( excessive hunger)

There were other signs and symptoms also that were:

1- Tiredness 

2- Fatigue

3- can cause nausea and vomiting 

4- headache 

5- Dry mouth 

 and the management of hyperglycemia was to check blood glucose levels and seek medical attention to reduce blood glucose levels as soon as possible.

Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia: 

Hypoglycemia is more dangerous than hyperglycemia because can cause brain damage if not managed quickly the signs and symptoms were: 

1- Headache

2- Fatigue 

3- Blurred vision 

4- Excessive sweating 

5- Dizziness 

6- loss of consciousness and coma 

The management of hypoglycemia were to check blood glucose level and if the blood sugar were too much low, if the patient is conscious can give one piece of candy or juice or one teaspoon of honey to increase his blood glucose level and seek medical attention directly. But if the patient loses consciousness the patient directly as soon as possible must be transferred to the emergency department by calling an ambulance to prevent brain damage due to loss of glucose in the blood. 

Management of blood glucose at home: 

For preventing this type of diabetes the person must regularly check his blood sugar at home or in the clinic. Many people don’t know how to check their blood sugar at home this is the tips to check your blood sugar at home:

Equipment needed for checking blood sugar:

1-      Blood glucose machine

2-      The pen needle mostly comes with the machine

3-      Strips

4-      Alcohol swab

5-      Cotton or gauze

6-      Gloves

https://youtu.be/ubeopoKaQt0 

The procedure:

1-      Wash your hands and put on clean gloves.

2-      Prepare all the equipment by checking the machine if it’s working and putting the strip in it, preparing the pen needle, an alcohol swab, and cotton must be available.   

3-      Tell the person that it will be only a small prick you will not feel that much pain

4-      Choose the finger that you will prick must have a good blood supply to be easily blood going out for the test.

5-      Clean it with an alcohol swab and let it dry.  

6-      Prick on the side of the finger not from the center because all nerves are in the center of the finger

7-      Clean the first drop because can affect the reading and let the blood go freely and put it on the strip

8-      Wait until the machine will process and read the result.

9-      The normal range of fasting blood sugar is from 60 – 110 mg/dl ( 3 – 5 mmol/dl)