What Is a Blood Sugar Meter?
A blood sugar meter is a device for measuring glucose levels in blood, that is used by diabetics to test their blood sugar levels at home. It is also known as a glucose meter. It is especially helpful for people with Type I diabetes in managing their condition. Originally, glucose levels were tested in urine, but there are several drawbacks to this procedure. In particular, it does not allow the testing of low levels of glucose. Home-use blood sugar meters were developed that use a fingerprick droplet of blood. The skin is pierced with a lancet, and the drop of blood is put on a chemical-coated test strip that has been inserted into the blood sugar meter. The chemicals react with glucose, and the meter displays the glucose reading as a number in millimoles per liter (mmol/l), or milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).
