Diabetes: Urine Test For Sugar
Topic Overview Sugar (glucose) normally is not found in urine. But when blood sugar levels rise well above a target range—which can occur in type 1 and type 2 diabetes—the kidneys often release some of the excess sugar from the blood into the urine. In pregnant women, the kidneys sometimes release sugar into the urine even when blood sugar levels are within a safe range. You can test urine for sugar by using plastic strips you can buy at a pharmacy. You dip a strip into a urine sample. The strip changes color to show how much sugar is in the sample. You compare the resulting color to a chart of colors. Each color indicates a level of glucose. Urine testing for sugar is not an accurate way to measure how much sugar is in your blood. So most doctors no longer recommend it for people who have diabetes. A sample of urine often is stored in your bladder for several hours before you test it. Also, because sugar does not show up in urine until it is much higher than normal in the bloodstream (180 mg/dL), urine cannot be used to check for slightly high or low blood sugar levels. Continue reading >>
Lancets
** Home = Audio, Video & Slides * Main * Diabetes Info Cat Ear Prick Elite XL Ear Prick FastTake Dog Lip Prick BG Guidelines Meters Supplies Urine Tests FAQ Helpful Links Lancets Lancets are not the same as syringe needles. They have a very short, sharp tip, made to puncture the skin and produce a blood drop. Smaller diameter lancets and sharper lancets hurt the least and penetrate most easily. They may be held in your hand or used in a spring-loaded lancet device. Lancet devices allow consistent depth of penetration but can be harder to aim exactly. BD Ultra-Fine II lancets (green ones, middle of the picture, always successful) are easy to hand-hold and the cap stays on when re-capped after use. They didn't hurt when we stuck ourselves and they don't seem to hurt Harry either. The BD Ultra-Fine II lancets fit in the Autolet, Autolet II, Autolet Mini, Auto-Lancet, Exactech, Autoclix-p, Glucolet, Medisense, Penlet II, and Soft Touch lancet devices. Ulster Medical Products Gentle-let Fine Point lancets (translucent white one, front of the picture, always successful) are also easy to hand-hold but the disk cap is hard to replace (the tiny hole in the cover is difficult to see) and the cap tends to fall off easily once recapped after use. The "twist to break off" tab style probably all share the problem with staying on securely after recapping, which is a safety issue until you dispose of the lancet, unless you use a lancet device that automatically retracts the sharp tip. The General Purpose style Gentle-let Fine Point lancets fit in the Autolet, Autolet II Clinisafe, Auto-Lancet, Autoclix, Checkmate, Dialet, Glucolet, Monojector, Penlet, Penlet II, Soft Touch and Ultra TLC lancet devices. Sherwood Medical Monolet lancet (blue one, back of the picture, more difficult to pr Continue reading >>
Urine Test Strips For Diabetic, Urine Test Strips For Diabetic Suppliers And Manufacturers At Alibaba.com
Tags: Urinalysis Test Strips | Urine Test Strips | 10 Parameter | View larger image Tags: Urine Test | Universal Test Strips | Urine Keto Test | View larger image Alibaba.com offers 627 urine test strips for diabetic products. About 31% of these are clinical analytical instruments, 22% are pathological analysis equipments, and 13% are visual acuity examination apparatus. A wide variety of urine test strips for diabetic options are available to you, such as urine analysis system, visual acuity examination apparatus, and blood analysis system. You can also choose from free samples, paid samples. There are 627 urine test strips for diabetic suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The top supplying countries are China (Mainland), United Kingdom, and United States, which supply 99%, 1%, and 1% of urine test strips for diabeticrespectively. Urine test strips for diabeticproducts are most popular in Africa, Domestic Market, and Northern Europe. You can ensure product safety by selecting from certified suppliers, including 392 with ISO13485, 86 with Other certification. Haven't found the right supplier yet ? Let matching verified suppliers find you. Get Quotation NowFREE Do you want to show urine test strips for diabetic or other products of your own company? Display your Products FREE now! Continue reading >>
Urine Glucose Testing
General concept Accuracy Limitations of urine test strips Barney's example (potentially fatal mistake) A little humor How urine glucose testing works Many vets recommend urine glucose testing as a method of monitoring your pet's diabetes at home. It is simple and inexpensive. But it has some serious limitations that must be understood and taken into consideration. Urine glucose testing is based on the fact that excessive amounts of glucose in the blood will be filtered by the kidneys into the urine. Once the amount of glucose in the blood exceeds the renal threshold (180 mg/dL) , glucose is spilled into the urine. The renal threshold is the level at the kidneys can not "process" any more blood glucose and it spills into the urine. If the blood glucose is high for an extended period of time, glucose is usually present in the urine. The amount of glucose present in the urine depends on how high the blood glucose was, and how long the blood glucose was high. Urine glucose test strips like the pictures shown below are used. The test strip has a little test area at the end that is dipped into urine or held in the urine stream. After a certain amount of time, the color of the test area is compared to a reference color chart. Bayer makes several types of urine tests strips. Diastix and Clinistix test only for urine glucose. Keto-Diastix test for both glucose and ketones. The Diastix have more "levels" of glucose measurement than the Clinistix. Follow the instructions that come with your test strips, and use the reference color chart on the bottle or box. The picture shown below is just an example - the colors are NOT to be used to compare your urine test strip. The color chart tells you approximately how much glucose has spilled into your pet's urine. Note: Different test stri Continue reading >>
Should I Test My Urine For Glucose And Ketones?
Finding glucose in the urine of someone who has not yet been diagnosed will sometimes be a tip-off that they have developed diabetes, but glucose doesn’t appear in the urine unless the blood sugar is around 240 or even higher for many people, so there is no real reason to test the urine for sugar because it isn’t helpful in managing your diabetes if all you know is that you are roughly under 240. On the other hand, ketones in the urine is a sign that you may be getting seriously ill. Routine monitoring of ketones isn’t necessary, but it should be done if you feel sick, especially if you have type 1 diabetes. If you have diabetes and there are ketones in your urine, it’s time to contact your healthcare provider. Diabetes experts don't recommend testing your urine for glucose because this method is not as accurate as checking your blood. But testing your urine for ketones can be very important in managing your diabetes. Check with your doctor to see if you need to monitor your ketone levels. You may need to do ketone urine checks if your blood glucose is more than 300 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or if you're sick with the flu, a cold or a stomach bug. If you are having symptoms of high ketones -- feeling tired all the time, thirst or dry mouth, flushed skin, mental confusion, difficulty breathing or a fruity smell on your breath -- it can be a good idea to check your ketone levels. Urine testing is not an accurate way to measure blood glucose. It is the way to check for ketones when you cannot eat or are ill. A buildup of ketones tells you that you are developing ketoacidosis. Ketones are breakdown products of fat that produce acid in the body. Too much acid can result in you being hospitalized. Therefore, when you are sick with a cold or the flu, you should Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Urine Test For Sugar
Topic Overview Sugar (glucose) normally is not found in urine. But when blood sugar levels rise well above a target range-which can occur in type 1 and type 2 diabetes-the kidneys often release some of the excess sugar from the blood into the urine. In pregnant women, the kidneys sometimes release sugar into the urine even when blood sugar levels are within a safe range. You can test urine for sugar by using plastic strips you can buy at a pharmacy. You dip a strip into a urine sample. The strip changes colour to show how much sugar is in the sample. You compare the resulting colour to a chart of colours. Each colour indicates a level of glucose. Urine testing for sugar is not an accurate way to measure how much sugar is in your blood. So most doctors no longer recommend it for people who have diabetes. A sample of urine often is stored in your bladder for several hours before you test it. Also, because sugar does not show up in urine until it is much higher than normal in the bloodstream (10 mmol/L), urine cannot be used to check for slightly high or low blood sugar levels. Continue reading >>
Get Your Ketone Strips Today!
Ketone strips provide a fast, convenient way of testing urine for the presence and concentration of ketones (acetoacetate). They are the most inexpensive and easiest way to measure if your body is in ketosis. When you expose a ketone strip to your urine, the pad on the stick will change color if ketones are present and the severity of the color change will indicate the approximate concentration of ketones in your blood. A diet low in carbohydrates promotes the use of ketones from fats rather than glucose as the primary source of energy for the body. When the body produces a steady state of ketones, you are in a metabolic state of ketosis. These test strips will help you identify whether you are in ketosis and in just 15 seconds! Each bottle contains 100 test strips, so you’ll never run out. For people with diabetes, a lack of sufficient insulin prevents the body from using glucose properly. When cells in the body are unable to get the glucose, the body begins to break down fat into ketones for energy. When this happens, ketones are produced and enter the bloodstream. If this persists for long enough, it can cause a chemical imbalance called diabetic ketoacidosis. These test strips can help you identify whether your ketone levels are safe. If ketone levels are high, contact your doctor immediately! Who should use ketone strips? Ketone strips are ideal for those on a low carb or ketogenic diet and people with diabetes. How many strips are in each box? Each box contains a bottle with 100 test strips. Where can I buy the ketone strips? How do I use the strips? Remove a test strip from the bottle. Close the bottle immediately. NOTE: If opening for the first time, write the date opened on the label. Hold end farthest away from test pad. Pass test pad through urine stream. N Continue reading >>
Ketones In Gestational Diabetes
As part of your gestational diabetes management, your doctor may ask you to test for ketones in your morning urine. If you have gestational diabetes, you should know about insulin, glucose, and ketones. When you eat, your body breaks down foods into usable sources of energy. Glucose is the sugar that results. Your body needs glucose for energy and your baby needs it to grow. In order to get glucose out of your blood and into your cells, insulin is required. Insulin is a hormone that you produce in your pancreas. "In gestational diabetes, hormones produced during pregnancy can interfere with insulin and make it hard to use glucose. If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to overcome the effects of the hormones, the blood sugar will rise," explains Louise McDonald, RN, clinical manager of maternity and pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic Home Care. "The body cannot use sugar without enough insulin. That causes the body to break down fats as a source of energy. Ketones are the waste products that are left over when the body burns some of its own fat for fuel. The ketones pass from the bloodstream into the urine," says McDonald. Why Are Ketones Important in Gestational Diabetes? The treatment of gestational diabetes is aimed at keeping your blood sugar under control. This is done with a combination of diet, exercise, and sometimes insulin treatment. Finding ketones in your urine is a warning sign that your blood sugar control is out of balance. High blood sugar. If you are taking in more sugar in your diet than your insulin can manage, your blood sugar goes up. This is dangerous for you and your baby. If your baby is exposed to more sugar then the baby needs, the baby will grow too fast. This condition, called macrosomia, can lead to problems during delivery. Low blood sug Continue reading >>
Interpreting Home Cat Urine Tests For Diabetes Affected Felines
This is the 3rd article in my series on understanding your diabetic cat's urine tests. On this page we examine what the feline diabetes results mean... Make sure you are fully familiar with the process of collecting feline urine samples and the equipment you need before taking these next steps There are many ways you can gather the information from the urine that you and the vet will want. Here are my favourites. Whatever method you choose, always remember to keep all the utensils sterile and clean Draw the dipstick through the liquid on top of the clingwrap. Testing for results using asyringe or pipette Make sure the urine doesn't run between the pads Then, hold the stick perpendicular to the tissue. It is important to do it this way to remove the extra urine and not let any fluid mix between the pads on the stick. Make sure there is no flow of urine between each pad. If this happens you will need to repeat the process. Tap gently (just on the edge) on the tissue so excess goes on the tissue. Then lay the stick flat, near the indicator sheet and watch for the colour changes. Press the stick into the urine in the paper , at the bottom of the tray. If the urine has already dried, drip a bit of water through the paper to release the glucose and ketones onto the dipstick. This method is not as accurate but gives you some idea. If there is no glucose showing up, you can be pretty sure there is no glucose in the urine. Decide what it is reading AT 30 SECONDS (or as per indicator sheet). Ketones (the pad turns pink) also needs to be read at 40 seconds. Note well: leaving it longer gives false results (both high and low) so it is important you keep to the times on the indicator sheet! The Full Monty: What the professionals are looking for If you have the full 7 part indicator Continue reading >>
Inexpensive Urinalysis Test Strips To Screen For Diabetes In Developing Countries
Noncommunicable diseases, once considered endemic solely to industrialized nations, are increasingly affecting developing nations as well. In Sub-Saharan African countries like Sierra Leone, noncommunicable diseases account for 26% of all deaths; by 2030, this number is expected to surpass 50% [1] [2]. One particularly dangerous noncommunicable disease is diabetes. Worldwide, over four hundred million adults are currently living with diabetes [3], with three quarters of this population living in developing nations [4]. Additionally, communicable diseases like malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis and dengue continue to be uniquely prominent in developing nations, leading to a double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Addressing a lack of accessibility and affordability are two of the most important components of combating the increasing prevalence of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. To counter systemic limitations of poorly funded healthcare systems, Sierra Leone, along with many other developing nations, relies on the use of a civic healthcare structure utilizing community health workers (CHWs). CHWs are community members who serve as connectors between healthcare providers and patients in community settings [5]. Entrusted by their peers to communicate with outside health officials, CHWs are often the most effective distribution pathway of health information and services in rural as well as urban areas. By providing CHWs with affordable ways to screen patients for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, individuals with diseases like diabetes can be afforded earlier intervention in the disease process. Development of effective and inexpensive preventative disease screening methods for use in the developing world has thus become more important Continue reading >>
What Good Is Urine Testing For Diabetic Pets? – Part 2
Last week’s newsletter was about the value of running a periodic urinalysis – not just for diabetics but for pets who are ill or as screening tests for senior pets. Clearly pet owners won’t be able to run the microscopic portion of a urinalysis, but there are urine dipsticks available that can be run in the home that may help you and your vet make decisions about your pet’s management. The most valuable bits of information on these dipsticks for diabetic pet owners are the glucose and the ketone tests, but many dipsticks have other information beside glucose and ketones. Glucose: Urine glucose used to be an important part of diabetic pet home management. You caught that, I said “used to be”. This kind of went by the wayside when home glucose monitors became so darned accurate and easy to use. Urine glucose testing gives us a general idea of what a pet’s blood glucose is over the span of time since the pet last urinated. If the urine glucose square on the dipstick comes up really high then clearly this indicates higher glucose in the urine which indicates higher glucose in the blood. If the square has little or no glucose showing then the glucose didn’t or barely exceeded the kidneys’ glucose threshold. Now comes the tricky bit: we don’t know exactly what the threshold is for dogs and cat for when glucose spills over into the urine at the level of the kidneys. We’ve got a range, but it may be different for individual pets. In general we find glucosuria when the blood glucose exceeds the mid 200’s in dogs and somewhere between the mid 200’s to 300-ish for cats. So then why can urine glucose testing be useful with all this guessing? Perhaps the most common indication is for a kitty who is going into diabetic remission! Say you feed low carb food, Continue reading >>
Everything You Need To Know About Diabetes Test Strips
Update: A lot of our readers ask us where can they find the best deals for test strips. We personally recommend Amazon. You can check the list of selections they offer by clicking here. Blood glucose test strips play a crucial role in helping you to monitor your daily blood glucose level and giving your doctor the data to adjust your medication to control your diabetes symptoms. Without the help from these little disposable strips, life with diabetes can become even more chaotic than ever. But what exactly are these thin little plastic slip and why are they so expensive? Are there any alternative method I can use? Where can I get the best deal on these test strips? This article will answer many of your questions and concerns regarding these blood glucose test strips: Table of Contents History on Glucose Test Strips How Does the Test Strips Work Why Are the Strips So Expensive? And Why the Price Discrepancy? Why Must Diabetic Patients Use Glucometer and Test Strip? How Often Should You Administer A Blood Glucose Test? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? How Accurate Are the Test Strips? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? What is a Urine Glucose Test? Can’t I Use This Procedure Instead? Expiration of Test Strips Medicare Plan B Coverage for Glucose Test Strips Where to Get the Best Deal on Test Strips? Ways to Save of Test Strips How to Avoid Counterfeit Blood Glucose Test Strips Can You Reuse Test Strips? Can You Make Your Own Test Strip? 4 Most Affordable Meters How to Pick the Right Glucometer? How to Dispose Used Test Strips, Lancets, and Needles? What to Do with All These Test Strip Containers? Selling Your Glucose Test Strips A Good Idea? Odd Way to Earn Some Money Back Questions? History on Glucose Test Strips The first glucomet Continue reading >>
Urine Testing Stix
Human and animal diabetics both use ketostix or ketodiastix. These are reagent indicator strips that test urine for only ketone (ketostix) or for both ketones and glucose (ketodiastix). These links show examples of Ketostix[1] and Ketodiastix[2]. These stix are available at any brick-and-mortar or Internet pharmacy that sells human diabetic supplies. Stix do expire, so check the unopened expiration date when you buy them and record the date you open them. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use; prolonged exposure to air can produce false negative urine ketone test results[3]. If the foil-wrapped Ketostix, rather than the ones in vials are purchased, you may find it less wasteful. After the bottle is opened, the remaining unused strips have only a 6 months' life. By using the foil-wrapped ones, you can extend the "life" of your purchase. The singly-wrapped ones can have a unopened expiration date of up to two years. You are then only using what you need when you need it, having the rest still sealed and potent until the indicated expiration date[4]. You should test your pet's urine for ketones for the reasons discussed at ketones. You may test your pet's urine for glucose because (1) you've been instructed to do so by the vet as a method of gauging regulation, (2) your pet is undiagnosed and you want to determine whether there is hyperglycemia, or (3) your cat is in remission and you want to determine whether there is hyperglycemia. Some reasons for preferring testing glucose levels by using blood over urine testing is that the urine used in testing may have been in the bladder for hours. Because of this, it may not be a reliable indicator of what systemic glucose levels are at the time of testing[5]. What's seen when testing urine for glucose is an average of wh Continue reading >>
Diabetic Pets:how To Monitor Pets Insulin Dose With Urine
The urine sugar Diastix readings are actually very accurate for diabetic pets. In fact, before home blood monitors became available they were used exclusively for owners to monitor sugar levels and insulin dosages. Today Diabetes is Big Business! The number of pets and people affected with diabetes has sky rocked to epidemic levels. Fortune 500 corporations and pharmaceutical companies including Intervet/Schering-Plough are cashing in and making big bucks by selling all kinds of new diabetes supplies and devices. Relabeling Vetsulin for pets and selling home blood monitors to diabetic pet owners are just two examples of this current trend. The Diastix urine color readings have to be interpreted and then matched to determined correct insulin dosages for diabetic dogs and cats. Holistic veterinarian, pet expert and author, Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM. is available to work with and teach diabetic pet owners how to monitor and dose insulin for their diabetic pets at home. If you are not able to locate the Diastix, pick up a bottle of Keto-Diastix, also available at Walgreen’s and you will only be using the glucose side of the strip not the ketone side. The outside of the Diastix bottle does not have readings that match the values of -2, -1. Trace, +1, +2 as noted on the pet diabetes article I posted yesterday. This article will show diabetic pet owners how to interpret the colors and values on the Diastix bottle so they can evaluate and interpret their pet’s insulin dosages properly at home by matching the above values. The outside of the Diastix bottle does have has a series of colors and corresponding percentages. When reading these from left to right, the colors will correspond to the following insulin dosages which you need to make into a chart. Insulin dosages are alway Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Urine Testing For Ketones
Ketones in the urine mean that the body cells are using fat for energy instead of glucose. A large amount of ketones in the urine is a danger sign and can mean the start of a serious illness. Call your child's doctor or nurse educator if your child has a large amount of ketones in his/her urine. Things that can cause the urine ketone to be positive are: too much food injury or illness too little insulin infection dehydration certain medicines Urine is Tested for Ketones: Whenever your child does not feel well. If your child's blood glucose is greater than 300 (or as directed by your child's doctor). Your child's doctor will tell you how often you should check your child's urine for ketones. To Collect a Urine Sample: Have your child urinate (void) into a clean container or on the test strip. NOTE: If your child wears a diaper, try placing cotton balls in the diaper and squeeze the urine on the test strip. What You Will Need: Fresh urine sample Ketone strip Pen or pencil Record Book Clock or watch with a second hand Ketone strip color chart Procedure Using Strip Method: There are different kinds of strips that can be used to check for ketones in the urine. Several kinds are Ketostix®, and Ketodiastix®,. Read the instructions on your brand. You may want to ask your pharmacy to order individually wrapped strips because opened bottles expire in 90 days. Check the date on the bottle to be sure the strips are not expired. Dip the strip into the urine. Wait for the amount of time stated for the type of strip you are using. Compare the color of the strip with the color chart. Record your results, date, and time in record book. Throw away urine and strip. Call your doctor or nurse educator if you have moderate or large ketones. Disclaimer: This information is not intended to s Continue reading >>
