Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring

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.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetic_home_care_and_monitoring/article.htm