Posts Tagged ‘Doctors’
PostCare™ Diabetes Center: Monitoring Your Blood Sugar
August 3rd, 2010 | 
Author: 
http://www.PreOp.com
Monitoring and tightly controlling your blood sugar level can significantly reduce the risk of complications due to diabetes and provide you with a higher quality of life.
Knowledge of your blood sugar levels at different times of the day is an essential input into your diabetes care plan and allows you and your medical team to work out and modify your plan for medication, diet and exercise.
The heart of the system to monitor your blood sugar is the blood glucose meter and the automatic lancing device used to obtain your blood sample.
There are many types of glucose meters with varying degrees of sophistication and abilities to store test results. Your doctor or nurse will recommend the type best for you.
You will need to be familiar with the manufacturer’s instructions for each unit. This program will provide you with general guidelines that apply to all units. The equipment you will need to assemble includes:
* the glucose testing meter,
* a packet of test strips,
* an automatic lancing device,
* and facial tissue.
The meter will have a display with blood sugar readings are shown, an on/off power button and a slot into which the Test Strips are inserted. In the back of the meter will be a compartment for batteries.
The Automatic Lancing Device has three components: the body with a release button, lancet holder and cocking device, the removable end cap and a separate short lancet.
The first step is to code the meter to match or calibrate the meter to the reactivity of the Test Strip.
This is done by following the manufacturer’s instructions and matching a number on the meter’s display to a number on the Code Strip or on the test strip package.
Coding is done:
* whenever a new package of Test Strips is opened
* and daily to ensure the meter is coded correctly.
In addition, a control test can be run:
* if you need to check that the whole system of the meter and the test strip is working correctly
* and to practice your good meter techniques.
* Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which usually involves testing a control solution of sugar that is provided with the meter.
Wash your hands vigorously with soap and warm water. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
Remove the Test Strip from its individual package.
With the meter off, insert the correct end of the test strip into the test slot of the meter, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually turns the meter on.
Remove the end-cap from the lancing device.
Insert a short lancet into the lancet holder according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Twist off the protective cap and save it for the disposal of the used lancet.
Replace the end-cap. The depth of the puncture depends on the end-cap used.
Re-cock the lancing device.
Choose your puncture site. The sides of the end segment of the finger are the best sites. Stroke down the finger to push blood toward the puncture site.
Place the end-cap firmly against the chosen puncture site on the side of the fingertip. The more pressure you use, the deeper the puncture. Push the lancet release button without moving your finger or the device.
After the puncture, remove the lancing device. If a drop of blood does not form on its own, stroke down the finger toward the puncture site without going as far as the site itself.
Hold the tip of the test strip in the drop of blood until the meter tells you the test strip is filled, usually by beeping. Remove the test strip from the blood. Put the device and the strip aside until the reading is complete.
Wipe the puncture site with a clean, dry facial tissue and use the tissue to hold pressure on the puncture site until the bleeding stops.
Remove the end-cap from the lancing device and remove the used lancet.
Replace the used lancet back into the protective cap by pushing it into the open end of the cap which is placed on a firm, flat surface like a counter top.
Once the blood sugar reading on the meter is complete, use the tissue to grasp the test strip and pull it out of the meter. This usually turns the meter off.
Discard the lancet in its protective cover and the used strip into a glass or puncture-proof container with a screw top or a “Sharps” Container purchased from your local pharmacy. Replace the cap on the container. When the container is full, cap it and discard it into the trash.
* Clean the lancing device weekly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Only use a lancet once.
* Do not use the same end-cap on another person.
* Teach another person to use the whole system so that you have a backup when you need assistance.
Duration : 0:7:58
Sara Austin
Burlington, VT Named #1 On SELF Magazine’s 10th Annual Survey America’s Healthiest Places for Women
New York, NY – October 20, 2009 – SELF, the national womens well-being magazine with a readership of 6.1 million, announces Burlington, Vermont as the nations healthiest city in its 10th annual Healthiest Places for Women survey (November 2009 issue). Analyzing 100 U.S. metropolitan areas, this examination is the most comprehensive of its kind. Using a broad scope of research criteria, SELF evaluated more than 8,000 bits of data to determine each citys level of healthy living.
SELF polled a panel of experts to find out which factors most affect a womans ability to live her healthiest. Then compiled a list of 50 criteria, including rates of diseases such as cancer and depression; health care factors such as: the number of doctors per capita and the percentage of population with health insurance; environmental and community measures such as: air quality, crime rates and unemployment statistics; and habits such as exercise, diet and smoking.
SELF Magazines Healthiest Places for Women began 10 years ago to inspire women to get more active in their communities. We believe that little tweaks in your normal routine can make a big difference, says Sara Austin, news features director. Regardless of where your city ranks on the list, SELF and Self.coms experts can provide simple tools to assist you with fitness, health, nutrition and your overall sense of wellbeing.
Burlington beat out the 2008 winner, Bethesda, MD—now holding 2nd place—because of the citys low rates of diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, smoking, cervical and ovarian cancer deaths. Residents maintain a fit lifestyle by walking to work and frequently exercising. The city also offers 40% more ob/gyns than the lists average. Additionally, there are six times as many food co-ops in Burlington, with farmers markets now taking food stamps to increase the opportunity to eat right.
Each year, SELF adds new criteria to the study to address climatic and behavioral changes. In 2009, quality of sleep is a new category. Women often underestimate how much skipping out on sleep can damage our health, Austin states. In the worst sleeping area, Charleston, WV, the average woman has insomnia three or four nights per week. A unique sidebar on each page gives get-fit tips from a woman living in an unhealthy city, emphasizing SELFs message that women can be healthy anywhere.
Top five Best Places for Women (2009):
1. Burlington, VT
2. Bethesda, MD
3. Portland, ME
4. Cambridge, MA
5. San Francisco, CA
Unhealthiest Places for Women (2009):
1. Tulsa, OK
2. Detroit, MI
3. Oklahoma City, OK
4. Indianapolis, IN
5. Toledo, OH
After many years at the bottom of the list, Detroit, MI has moved up a slot, replaced by Tulsa, OK. Other cities with areas to improve include Miami, FL (exercises least); Daytona Beach, FL (most diabetes); Los Angeles, CA (dirtiest air); Philadelphia, PA (dirtiest water); Memphis, TN (most STDs); Anchorage, AK (most violent crime) and Jacksonville, FL (most smoking and drinking).
Additional results in SELFs new rankings:
• Exercises most: Madison, WI
• Fewest health clubs: El Paso, TX
• Most fast food outlets: Nassau-Suffolk counties, NY
• Cleanest water: Raleigh, NC
• Most allergies and asthma: San Francisco, CA
• Most toxic sites: Riverside, CA
• Least unemployment: Billings, MT
• Most unemployment: Detroit, MI
• Longest commute: New York, NY
• Fewest STDs: Rockingham County, NH
• Fewest Pap smears: Las Vegas, NV
The November issue of SELF magazine hits newsstands on October 20, 2009. Log on to Self.com for the complete list, feedback from women in the bottom-ranked cities, tips to live like a local and further details about each city.
SELF consulted the following sources for the feature: American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Claritas (demographic information firm), Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, National Center for Health Statistics, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Green Building Council.
Duration : 0:7:28
Posted in Quality Of Sleep | 
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