subject: Your Tool Against Diabetes [print this page] Author: Larry Aviva Author: Larry Aviva
If you are suffering from diabetes, you are most probably aware that your best tool against its complications is to ensure that you lead a healthy lifestyle and eat the right kind of food. This means that you have to regularly undergo physical activities consisting of aerobic exercises and resistance training, as well as eat food rich in fiber and whole grain.
Your other tool against high blood sugar levels is information. The easiest way to go about this one is to have a portable device that can let you test and re-test your blood to monitor your blood sugar level. One such device that you can use is the Ascensia Contour Blood Glucose Monitoring System.
Manufactured by Bayer, the Ascensia Contour is known for its easy-to-read screen and quick generation of results. However, this is something that you should not immediately use without the approval of your doctor.
As with other glucometers, the first thing that you should do when using the Ascensia Contour Blood Glucose Monitoring System is to wash your hands with warm water. This is not just for hygienic purposes but to also encourage blood flow. Make sure that your hands are dry before you proceed in opening up the lancing device.
Upon removing the cap from the lancing device of your Ascensia Contour blood glucose meter, push it into the provided holder until the spring mechanisms clicks into place. Take off the plastic tip of the lancet and replace it with the end cap. Position the lancing device above your fingertip where you intend to draw the blood and press the trigger button. Keep in mind that you should not draw blood from the same finger all the time.
Using one of the Ascensia Contour 50 diabetic test strips, let the white part of the strip touch the blood sample. The gray of the test strip then goes to the slot found at the bottom of the testing meter. Make sure that the side containing the blood sample is facing you. The glucose meter will then display the reading. Once you have the reading, dispose the strip and the used lancet properly.About the Author:
