Having a blood glucose meter on hand is essential to living well with diabetes, helping you monitor your blood sugar levels on a regular basis.
Let’s learn more about when and why you might need to upgrade your blood glucose meter.
What should I look for in my blood glucose meter?
There are a wide range of options out there to help you live well with diabetes and monitor your blood glucose levels, but it’s important to consider 1:
- The size of the device: Are you looking for something you can easily take on the go with you?
- The amount of blood needed: Do you have trouble getting blood from your fingers? Or require multiple test strips to monitor?
- Your quality of vision: Do you need a glucose meter that has large buttons and a large numeric display for your readings?
- Easy to understand readings: Do you have trouble understanding your readings? Some blood glucose meters, like CONTOUR®NEXT from Ascensia Diabetes Care have an intuitive smartLIGHT ® target range indicator which shows your readings in 3 colours for better understanding: red for below, green for within and amber for above target ranges.
By working with your doctor, your diabetes care team and your Blooms The Chemist Pharmacist, you can find the right blood glucose meter to suit your needs.
Has technology advanced for blood glucose meters?
If you’re more technologically savvy, you can easily find a blood glucose meter that suits your needs 2.
Some glucose meters allow you to link your device to an app to so you don’t need to write down your readings individually and can check them whenever you need to.
Other types of blood glucose meters have a wide test strip dosing area so you will need less blood, and some have a spill resistant vial that can hold your strips in place.
All these advances in technology are designed to make it easy for people who haven’t used a blood glucose meter before to monitor their blood glucose levels and live well with diabetes.
How do I know if I need a new blood glucose meter?
You generally need a new blood glucose meter if your results aren’t displaying properly, you’re having issues with your device or you just want to try a new brand and the features that they offer.
While it is recommended that you replace your blood glucose meter every four to five years 3, if your current meter isn’t meeting your needs, you can change to a different one sooner.
How do I get a new blood glucose meter?
Depending on the meter brand you’re after, you can get a new blood glucose meter online or at your local Blooms The Chemist pharmacy.
If you’re not sure what type of blood glucose meter will best meet your needs, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are more than happy to help find the meter that’s right for you.
This is a sponsored article in partnership with Ascensia Diabetes Care. You can find more of their products here.
References
1Diabetes Australia, Whichblood glucose meter is right for you?, accessed May 13, 2024
2Healthdirect, Devicesto self-monitor your blood sugar, accessed May 13, 2024
3Mayo Clinic, Bloodglucose monitors: What factors affect accuracy?, accessed May 13, 2024