The Equipment Used By Diabetics Every Day

Diabetes is a very common condition caused by the inactivity of the eyelet cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Over the years, a ‘standard’ kit of tools has been developed to help diabetics deal with their condition.

Blood Sugar Testing Kit

A blood glucose kit is – alongside insulin – one of the most essential things a person with diabetes carries around with them. Diabetes is characterized by a patient being unable to regulate their blood sugars using hormone reactions inside their pancreas. It is therefore very important that people with diabetes manually check their blood sugar level in order to manually gain control over it. Blood sugar that is too low can lead to disorientation. Blood sugar that is too high can lead to long-term nerve and heart damage.

Ketone Strips

People with diabetes who are experiencing high blood sugar or have fallen ill may check for ketones in their blood. Ketones are chemical compounds released in the body when it is triggered into trying to use fat as energy. This can be extremely dangerous for people with diabetes, who need to carry ketone strips with them as well as regular blood sugar testing strips. In the long term, people with diabetes who experience lots of ketone production tend to suffer from an increase in neuropathy – which can damage the eyes and feet if left unchecked.

Rapid Insulin Pen

Insulin pens are a kind of injection system used for the delivery of medicine sub-dermally. Unlike conventional hypodermic needles, they are reusable and can be reloaded with 100mml vials easily. The most advanced insulin pens are able to be ‘dialed back’ if the user has accidentally inputted the wrong amount of medicine. Insulin pens take a bit of learning – especially if they need to be used by children that have recently been diagnosed. Good education after diagnosis on injection can help children adapt to their new lifestyle.

Rapid Insulin Pump

Fast-acting insulin pumps deliver insulin without the need for an individual injection underneath the skin every time. These devices are very popular in the United States of America – where they are often covered in standard insurance packages. The benefit of using a pump is not necessarily a healthy one. Instead, it helps a person with diabetes to live a more comfortable life and avoid the buildup of scar tissue in insulin injection sites. This is a common problem experienced by people that use insulin pens.

Long-Lasting Insulin

Most modern diabetes care regimes do not just make use of rapid insulin. In order to prevent spikes of blood sugar throughout the day and night, most doctors advise people with diabetes to inject long-lasting insulin either once or twice every 24 hours. This insulin is formulated for slow release. One of the most common types of slow-release insulin – Lantus – only needs to be injected once every day. Some doctors put patients on a regime of rapid and intermediate insulin. Intermediate insulin – such as NPH – is far less common today than long-lasting insulin.