Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring

Medical Author: Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C)
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What is diabetes?
• What is the treatment for diabetes?
  • Exercise therapy
  • Diet therapy (diabetic diet)
  • Drug therapy
• How is diabetic treatment monitored at home?
  • Blood glucose reagent strips
  • Blood glucose meters
  • Urine glucose tests
  • Tests for urinary ketones
• What additional monitoring does the doctor do?
  • Blood glucose
  • Continuous glucose sensors (CGMS)
  • Hemoglobin A1C testing
• Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring At A Glance
• Related diabetic home care articles:
  Diabetes diet – on WebMD

What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced is ineffective. Insulin is produced and secreted by the pancreas and is needed for the proper storage and utilization of nutrients (glucose, proteins, and fat) by the cells of the body. Insulin allows nutrients to enter the cells of the body. For example, insulin allows cells to remove glucose from the blood, and the glucose is used to generate the energy that is necessary to fuel the activities of the cells. When insulin is absent or ineffective and the cells receive inadequate amounts of glucose, the body releases more glucose into the blood in an attempt to overcome the block to glucose entering the cells. The additional glucose cannot penetrate the cells, of course, and the glucose levels in the blood rise. High levels of blood and urine glucose is what causes the symptoms and signs of diabetes. For more, please read the Diabetes article.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Hemoglobin A1c Test - Hemoglobin A1c test is used as a standard tool to determine blood sugar control for patients with diabetes Source:MedicineNet Insulin Pump For Diabetes - Learn about the insulin pump for diabetes. The pump is about the size of a pager and can be programmed to deliver insulin based on your lifestyle. Make living with diabetes easier. Source:MedicineNet Urine Tests for Diabetes - Diabetes urine tests for diabetic kidney disease, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and ketones. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic Read 145 more Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring related articles ... Aggressive Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Treatment Shows Some Benefit Uric Acid May Help Spot Diabetic Kidney Disease Early Diabetic Food Shopping That Won't Break a Budget Doctors Urged to Look for Link Between Type 2 Diabetes, Sleep Apnea Formula Puts Doctor, Patient Glucose Readings on Same Page Panel Calls for Better Diabetes Screening 'Virtual' Health Teams Boost Patient Care Older Diabetics' Risk of Cardiac Ischemia Lower Than Thought Genetically Engineered Mice Regenerate Beta Cells Self-Management Program Helps Diabetics