Diabetic Supplies – A Guide to the Different Diabetic Supplies You are Going to Need

Now that you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes you are probably still in shock as the doctor has filled your head with more information than any one person can absorb. This is even more the case if the diagnosis is for gestational diabetes as you are not only concerned for your own health, but that of your unborn child.  The one good thing is that in most cases gestational diabetes will clear up by itself after your baby is born. Other than all of the information on diabetes your doctor will give you, you are going to need some help understanding what kind of diabetic supplies you are going to need as you learn to live with your disease.

Of all the diabetic supplies you will need to have, the most important item is a device for continuously testing your blood sugar or blood glucose level. The most common form of this is the standard blood glucose meter. To use this device you must prick the top of a finger and squeeze a drop of your blood onto a special test strip. The test strip is then inserted into the meter, which then analyzes the level of your blood glucose and displays the value. The are other methods of testing your blood sugar level under development including a "tattoo" that changes color under a special LED light contained in wristwatch, the changing colors indicated low, normal or high blood sugar levels.

Of all diabetic supplies the one you should be most concerned with is the way you are going to administer insulin should you need it, for those with Type 1 diabetes there is no choice you are going to have to take insulin several times each day to help maintain your blood glucose levels.  If you have either Type 2 or gestational diabetes, diet can be used to control it most of the time and you may only need to administer insulin occasionally when you levels change rapidly.

There are different methods of administering insulin, the most common of which is by using a needle and syringe. To use this method you are going to need a readily obtainable source of both insulin and the syringes, you can get them from your local pharmacy or there are plenty of places online that will deliver everything you need right to your front door for a discounted price. You can buy them as a bottle of insulin and the syringes or, as most people do, you can buy syringes that come prefilled with the recommended dosage ready to use.

For those who are not comfortable with giving themselves what may end up being several injections a day, modern technology has create the insulin pump. This device consists of a disposable insulin reservoir, a pump and a canula that is attached to the pump with a length of tubing. The reservoir goes inside the pump, which is about the same size as a standard cell phone and can be hung on your belt or stuck in a convenient pocket. The pump feeds the insulin into your body via the canula in two different ways; first it provides a basal dosage that is continually fed through the canula and second a bolus or larger dosage at meal times to help keep your blood glucose level from spiking.

There are a few other miscellaneous supplies you will need such as replacement test strips and alcohol swabs to clean the injection site if you choose to use injections. There are a number of places you can buy your supplies and if you have any questions about what you should or should not be using ask your doctor, he can help explain everything for you.