Types of Diabetic Supplies Needed for Home Health Care

Diabetes is a life-long medical condition that does not have a cure, as yet. It can be debilitating if not managed properly, but with the right diabetic supplies and equipment for use in the home, it can be overcome. This disease may affect your life, but it should never be allowed to rule your life. With the right tools, you can control it to the point where it has very little effect on your quality of life, and we will show you how.

What is Diabetes?

The body takes in proteins, vitamins, minerals and sugars through the food we eat, and processes it all into making glucose. Diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce enough glucose to sustain it, or when there is an overabundance of it. Type 1 diabetics suffer from a definite lack of blood glucose, and must take in specified amounts of insulin to compensate. Type 2 diabetics will at times have too much blood glucose, and their condition is primarily controlled through diet and exercise, needing insulin only when their level of blood glucose drops to a dangerous low.

The ones who will need diabetic supplies at home most often are those who are suffering from Type 1, and their list of needs is more prolific than those who have Type 2. Type 2 diabetics will primarily use only glucose metering devices and test strips to maintain their health, having been educated in what to do when their blood glucose reaches certain levels and what can be done to correct it. Type 1 diabetics need more supplies because their condition must be constantly and closely monitored 24/7.

Basic Supplies

Glucose Meter: These can be invasive or non-invasive meters that test the current level of blood glucose in a diabetic through the use of test strips which are inserted into the meter. In the invasive version, the diabetic pierces their fingertip with a lancet and places a drop of their blood on a test strip. The meter calculates the glucose level, showing it on the screen of the meter itself. There is a defined range for every patient, and it is meant to be a guideline for daily glucose maintenance. The non-invasive meter does the same thing, but without piercing the skin or drawing blood.

Test Strips: Thin strips similar to litmus test strips; they are used to transport blood from the diabetic to the glucose meter. They are available primarily through prescription. If using a coded meter, the meter needs to be adjusted to match the code on each new vial of test strips; otherwise your blood glucose readings can be wrong.

Diabetic Socks: People with diabetes tend to have problems with their feet. Diabetic neuropathy can cause them to lose feeling in their feet due to poor blood circulation, and these socks will help prevent blisters and other wounds from forming, and can help with circulation issues.

Glucose Tablets: Typically used by both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics as a quick means for restoring the proper level of glucose without resorting to insulin injections. This quick fix meant to be taken before or after eating a proper meal.

Insulin Supplies

Insulin itself is only available through prescription, and must be kept at a particular temperature in the refrigerator to preserve its potency. Home health care supplies dealing with insulin use are generally limited to insulin cases for transporting it outside the home, and insulin pumps. The insulin cases are meant only for temporary transport of insulin injectors, vials and needles, and are designed to protect the insulin from extreme temperature changes.

Insulin pumps are only recommended for home use as diabetic supplies in extreme cases. Having to use an insulin pump means that your condition is to a point where it is hard to manage without a ready source of insulin being always at hand. They deliver fast-acting insulin to the patient subcutaneously over a 24 hour period of time, at the end of which the blood is tested to see if levels have been restored. The pumps are usually the size of a pager, and contain replaceable cartridges of infusion insulin, and a cannula for insertion under the skin.

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