What You'll Need In A Diabetic Supply Kit

It’s quite often that new diabetics find themselves looking for just the right kind of diabetic supply kit to help them learn to take better control of their diabetes. This may mean going to the local pharmacy for supplies or calling an Internet or delivery service that sends out the supplies in the mail.

There are several items in a diabetic supply kit that every diabetic needs to know about. The first is the lancet pen. This is a mechanical pen that works with a lancet or specialized needle. There are several types but most have a dial that allows for greater or lesser penetration of the needle. If you dial the pen up, the lancet digs deeper in the skin and more blood is obtained. A low number in the pen makes for a milder injection into the skin.

Another item in a diabetic supply kit is the lancet itself. There are several types but most are made of plastic and have a small pin sticking out of one pen. The pin is kept from poking the skin by a small disc-like piece of plastic that must be twisted off before using the lancet.

The hallmark of the diabetic supply kit is the glucose meter. Glucose meters have changed a great deal over the years. Even so, the number that is returned from the meter is the concentration of blood glucose in milligrams per deciliter. A normal blood sugar on a fasting basis is around 100 mg/dL or less. Diabetics have levels above 125 mg/dL and those that may be pre-diabetic have numbers between the above values.

The final aspect of the diabetic supply kit is the test strip. This is a strip, which can be of different lengths and styles, which is inserted into the glucose meter. Once in the meter, blood is introduced into the strip and is read by the machine. The old strips required a lot of blood that had to be dropped onto the strip and timed before inserting into the machine. Now, blood is drawn up into the strip directly.

Advances in diabetic supply have included much smaller test strips and machines. There are also machines that can take blood from the arm. This is a much less painful way to obtain blood when compared to the finger.

Most mail order diabetic supply companies send out enough supplies to last about three months. The amount they send out depends upon what the doctor ordered. Most diabetics check their blood sugar in the morning and at night, at the very least. Other diabetics check their blood sugars before and after every meal. A good glucose meter will keep a record of all recent blood sugars. Alternatively, the diabetic can choose to write down the numbers, along with what they ate today and how much medication they took.

Historically speaking, diabetic supply materials were offered only to insulin-dependent diabetics. Now, even diabetics on low or no medication are encouraged to check their levels and have numbers as close to normal as possible.