Blood glucose meter is a portable device is something that all diabetics cannot live without. Constantly monitoring blood glucose fluctuations is very important since blood glucose values often dictate how the healthcare team attending the patient can best deliver treatment.

But, blood glucose monitoring is most important for parents whose children were diagnosed with diabetes, specifically type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. These parents need to monitor their children’s glucose levels so that appropriate measures can be set in place and so that the onset of symptoms can be staved off. But, above all, children who depend entirely on insulin injections need to keep watch of their blood glucose levels. Doing so will not only help them find a rest from constantly shooting up blood glucose levels, but will help them function more normally.

So what is type 1 diabetes? Also called juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes is a condition that is charcaterized by the pancreas’ lack of capacity to produce its own insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows the delivery of glucose into individual cells to give them energy. Without this ability, all cells in the body will lack the energy to continue performing at their optimal capacity, leaving the patient very weak and bodily functions compromised. Also, without insulin, the bloodstream will be flooded with so much glucose or sugar, which leads to a host of uncomfortable diabetes symptoms.

To prevent symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst, increased appetite, constant fatigue and others, patients to keep blood glucose levels under control. Among the best ways of doing so is by using blood glucose meter.

Blood glucose meter comes in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the manufacturer and brand, in a variety of technologies. To know which one can help the patient best, the following pointers can be considered:

Insurance

Like blood glucose meters manufacturers, insurance companies also provide coverage for the device, but not usually on the test strips. Be sure to check with your provider regarding the coverage your kid will get in terms of his diabetic expenses.

Cost

This device come in cheap, in fact, many manufacturers even give it away for free. So you shouldn’t be paying a lot for a blood glucose meter. But, remember that these companies do not give their products away at a very low cost because of purely altruistic reasons. You should beware of the test strips that are used alongside this device. When considering a blood glucose meter, check first the price of the test strips that are compatible with the product. This should be anywhere from 50 cents to one dollar per strip. You might use three or more of these strips every day to continually monitor your child’s blood glucose levels.

Built-in memory

Some blood glucose meters come with built-in memory that is powerful enough to record up to a few hundred readings. If your kid manages to be with his own a lot, you should try getting him one that has good memory capacity so you can keep track of the trends on the fluctuations of blood glucose levels.

Ease of use

Look for convenience when buying a glucometer. Your child should be able to use it on his own without supervision to see whether it is easy enough to be used. It should also be light enough to be carried around since your kid will have to take it with him on a constant basis. If you or your child has vision problems, it is best to stick with a glucometer that has a mid-sized to large display screen so both of you would not have difficulty reading the values.

* Abdominal pain

* Fatigue

* Increased thirst

* Increased urination

* Nausea

* Vomiting

* Weight loss despite increased appetite

Sometimes hospitalization is required in order to diagnose Type 1 diabetes and then to regulate insulin injections.

There’s an old saying, “the best defense is a good offense”; and that is certainly true when you have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Get the facts — the REAL facts, and not just something that somebody heard. You will be better equipped to handle your disease if you are armed with information. Diabetes IS a life-changing diagnosis, but it is NOT a fatal diagnosis. People who have Type 1 diabetes live long, healthy, and productive lives.

The life changes that you can expect are frequent testing of your blood (usually about six times each day). Your diet is going to have to change as well. You will need to be aware of how many carbohydrates you are consuming at each and every meal. Snacks must be either regulated or eliminated. A low-carb diet will likely be recommended. There was a time when calories consumed were the main factor in determining the need for insulin, but recently it’s been determined that grams of carbs are a more reliable factor.

Your exercise will also need to be regulated. Exercise burns energy and makes demands on the body for fuel (carbs). The exercise/diet/insulin ratio is sometimes difficult to establish and it does vary but you CAN control it.

The answer to the first question is twofold.

Type 1 Diabetes:

There is no guaranteed method for preventing Type 1 diabetes. Research has uncovered some methods that MAY help some children who would be likely to develop diabetes from actually becoming diabetic.

The children who are most susceptible to diabetes are Caucasian children who have been given cow’s milk as an infant. Caucasian children who are most susceptible to diabetes but who were breast fed and given no cow’s milk have a lower incidence of diabetes. Doctors recommend breast feeding for babies who have a family history of diabetes. Although breast feeding is no guarantee that the child will not have diabetes, it does seem to lower the risk.

Currently the prevention of diabetes research is being conducted. A vaccine has been developed that has proven effective in mice, but has not yet been tested on humans. There are also trials underway to give insulin (oral or injected) before diabetes develops. This is now being tested on humans and is identified as the Diabetes Prevention Trial – Type 1 (DPT-1).

Type 2 Diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or at least delayed, by making adjustments to diet and exercise levels. It is a fact that Type 2 diabetes can be completely prevented by losing weight and increasing exercise to a modest 30 minutes per day, five days per week. That isn’t a lot, and the exercise doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective.

People who are over 40, overweight, and sedentary are most at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes; but simple dietary changes — making better food choices — and increasing physical activity can actually prevent (or at least delay) Type 2 diabetes.

Sometimes the human body fails to process food as it should and physical problems develop that are actually caused by the food. Sometimes eating a diet that isn’t balanced, is too rich, or contains too much of certain substances can also cause physical difficulties to develop.

The immune system of a human body can misidentify a perfectly harmless food as a foreign invading force bent on destroying the body. The immune system mounts a defense to protect the body from this perceived danger. The food isn’t a danger to the body, but the defense staged by the body to combat it is dangerous. When this happens, we call it an “allergic reaction.”

Some people can have such severe allergies to certain foods (peanuts, for example) that even a very small amount can cause an allergic reaction that is so strong that death can occur.

In other instances, the body doesn’t process food correctly. An example of this is sugar diabetes. The pancreas fails to produce any insulin (needed to process carbohydrates) or it doesn’t produce enough. When no insulin is produced, the problem is called Type 1 diabetes and is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, it’s called Type 2 diabetes and is usually diagnosed in people over 40.

Doctors prescribe diets for special needs for many reasons. The body failing to digest food correctly and allergic reactions to food are two reasons. But there are others, as well.

Type 1 diabetes is serious but not necessarily fatal, and those diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes can and do live long, productive, and very active lives. Type 1 diabetics are very likely to be insulin dependent.

Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed later in life. Type 2 diabetes is not often insulin dependent. It is most often controlled only by diet and exercise, or by a combination of diet, exercise, and oral medications.

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are basically the same disease and cause the same problem — too much sugar in the bloodstream. The difference is that in Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce any insulin; but in Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does produce some insulin (the insulin produced is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream).

The symptoms of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are:

* Weight gain or weight loss

* Fatigue

* Excessive and frequent urination

* Blurred vision

* Sores or wounds that do not heal

* Extreme thirst and/or hunger

* A tingling sensation in the legs/feet and arms/hands

In both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the symptom decrease or disappear with treatment.

The primary symptom of Type 1 diabetes is nausea accompanied by vomiting. The nausea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, and dehydration can lead to a whole host of other problems. The primary symptom of Type 2 diabetes is an increased appetite that leads to weight gain, or an increased metabolism rate that leads to weight loss. Both types of diabetes can be controlled by diet, exercise, and medication and diabetics live long and productive lives if they take care of themselves.