Free Glucose Meter

If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from diabetes, you may qualify to receive a free glucose monitor plus your diabetic supplies at little or no cost from a Diabetic Alliance partner company.

Fill out the form to the right to see if you qualify for a free glucose meter. Plus, we'll give you a free Guide to Controlling Your Diabetes just for inquiring.

A glucose monitor or glucose meter is absolutely essential to proper monitoring of your blood sugar. You can avoid nearly all of the serious complications from diabetes with proper blood sugar control. Testing your blood sugar frequently is the first step in establishing good control.

understanding diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are elevated. There are two primary types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs when an individual's immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, the muscles of the body cannot access the sugar in the blood for energy. Sugar builds up in the blood which causes a number of complications. If untreated, type 1 diabetes will result in a coma and death.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas produces too little insulin and/or the body becomes resistant to insulin. Eating a healthier diet, increasing exercise, and taking prescribed medications can provide effective treatment of type 2 diabetes.

the effects of diabetes

The most common and most prominent symptoms of diabetes are extreme thirst and frequent urination. As the kidneys try to clear out the excess sugar in the blood, water is also taken from the body and dumped into the bladder. Elevated blood sugar causes complications with circulation as the excess sugar makes it difficult for blood to flow into the smallest capillaries. These circulation issues contribute to many of the other common symptoms of diabetes. Other symptoms include blurry vision, fatigue, weight loss, numbness or tingling in hands and feet.

Fortunately, with current technology for monitoring blood sugar and medications to control blood sugar, diabetics can avoid or delay complications and live a long, healthy life. Without diligent care, diabetes can cause serious complications including kidney disease, heart disease, blindness, and amputations.

risk factors

There is no cure for diabetes and there is no test that can determine who will develop diabetes. The risk factors for type 1 diabetes are largely unknown. A family history of diabetes and autoimmune disorders increases risk of type 1. The risk factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity, age, sedentary lifestyle, a family history of diabetes, and being of African-American, Hispanic, or Asian ancestry.

links

Click the following links to learn more.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Diabetes Diagnosis
Diabetes Recipes

find solutions Diabetics on Medicare

Find solutions for managing your diabetes, get a free glucose meter and a free guide to controlling your diabetes.

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Control Diabetes with Medicare Supplies

If you're suffering from diabetes or think you might have diabetes, you probably have many questions:

What are the symptoms?
How is diabetes diagnosed?
What foods are good for me to eat?

Explore the information on this site to find quick and straightforward answers to your questions. Plus, you can find out if you qualify for a free blood glucose meter and possibly all your diabetic supplies at little or no cost. (Qualify for diabetes supplies if you are on medicare). We'll give you a free Guide to Controlling Your Diabetes just for inquiring.

Learn about the Symptoms of Diabetes >
Find Out about Diabetes Diagnosis >
Get Diabetic Recipes >

symptoms of diabetes

Millions of Americans are living with Diabetes. Are you one of them?

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin or can't use available insulin efficiently. Insulin is a hormone vital to helping the body use digested food for growth and energy.

An estimated 20.8 million Americans have diabetes. Although diabetes is a potentially life-threatening condition, people with well-managed diabetes can expect to live healthy lives.

symptoms of diabetes include:

Excessive Thirst

When an individual has elevated blood sugars, the body tries to rid the blood of the excess sugar by excreting it through urine. As the kidneys pull the sugar from the blood into the urine, large amounts of water are also excreted. This is the cause of the excessive thirst and often dehydration.

Increased Appetite

Excessive eating, also called polyphagia, occurs when the body attempts to compensate for excessive blood sugar by releasing more insulin. In addition to regulating blood sugar levels, insulin is also responsible for stimulating hunger. The body's attempts to secrete more insulin leads to an increased appetite. However, despite increased caloric intake, individuals with diabetes may gain very little weight and may even lose weight.

Frequent Urination

Excessive urination, also known as polyuria, occurs when the body tries to get rid itself of extra sugar in the blood by excreting it through urine. This symptom often leads to dehydration because the sugar that is excreted carries a large amount of water out of the body along with it.

Weight Loss

Individuals with diabetes are unable to process many of the calories in the foods they eat. This often means that they lose weight even though their diet is normal or even in the case of overeating. Losing sugar and water in the urine and the accompanying dehydration also contributes to weight loss.

Fatigue

Individuals with diabetes are unable to use glucose for fuel. In an attempt to compensate, the body switches over to metabolizing fat — partially or completely — as a fuel source. This requires the body to use more energy, leaving the individual fatigued.

Blurry Vision

Blurry Vision caused by Diabetes is a temporary problem caused by high blood glucose levels. High blood glucose causes the lens of the eye to swell, which changes your ability to see. Getting your blood glucose back to normal levels will often correct this kind of blurred vision. It may take as long as three months after your blood glucose is well controlled for your vision to fully return to normal.

Important Note

Each of these symptoms can also be an indicator of other serious medical problems. Contact your physician for more information.

If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to fill out the form to receive your free Guide to Controlling Diabetes with helpful information about related health issues and much more.

diabetes diagnosis

Approximately 30 million Americans suffer from undiagnosed diabetes.

If you think you might be suffering from diabetes, you should contact a healthcare professional immediately to be tested. Diabetes is a serious disease but with proper diabetic treatment, individuals suffering from diabetes can expect to live full, healthy lives.

how is diabetes diagnosed?

The most common way to diagnose diabetes is by using the fasting blood glucose test. It is performed by taking a sample of blood from an individual who has fast overnight (8 hours). The blood can be sent to a laboratory or the test can be performed by using a glucose meter. A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dl or higher indicates diabetes.

Medicare Recipients: If you are already diagnosed with Diabetes and would like to receive your testing supplies at little or no cost delivered right to your home, the Diabetic Alliance can help.

Just fill out our quick contact form, and you'll receive a free Diabetes Guide just for requesting a consultation. If you qualify, you'll have your choice of free gift as well. For more information about First signs of Diabetes go to Symptoms of Diabetes

"I got in contact with my supplier so fast. I got my meter as promised.
It's been great."

—J. Lundeberg, Ames, Iowa

diabetic recipes

Who said that being a diabetic means giving up your love of food?

Plan your diabetes diet with our database of great recipes
designed to make managing your diabetes easier.

BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | DESSERT

Applesauce Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Sugar-free maple syrup (optional) Fresh fruit slices (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. For each pancake, pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle, spreading to a 5-inch circle. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked; turn pancakes, and cook other side.

Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit, if desired (syrup and fruit not included in analysis). Makes 10 pancakes. Serving size: 1 pancake).

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: Calories 74; Fat 1.8g (sat O.4g); Protein 3.0g; Carbohydrate 11.5g; Fiber 0.6g; Cholesterol 22mg; Sodium 143mg; Exchange: 1 Starch

Turkey And Tomato Wrap
1 (6 inch) low-fat flour tortilla
2 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 slices deli-style fat-free roasted turkey breast
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tomato
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1/8 teaspoon dried basil)

Lay the tortilla flat on a small plate. Spread with the mayonnaise. Lay the turkey slices on the tortilla. Sprinkle the tortilla with the tomato and basil.

Roll the tortilla and turkey around the tomato-basil filling. Eat like a rolled sandwich.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: 1 sandwich: Calories: 147, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 27 mg, Sodium: 297 mg, Carbohydrate: 19 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 12 g Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Lean Meat

Creamy Mustard Pork Tenderloins
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole (about 1 pound) pork tenderloin - sliced into six 1" thick medallions
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon fresh minced dill or 1 teaspoon dried

Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Add pork medallions and cook until browned, 5 minutes per side. Remove pork from skillet; cover and keep warm. Add garlic to skillet; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer liquid 2 to 3 minutes to reduce. Remove skillet from heat and very slowly whisk in sour cream and mustard. Return pork to skillet along with any juices that have accumulated. Cook pork over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour sauce over pork; sprinkle with white pepper and dill. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Mousse Pie
1 9-inch prepackaged pie crust
2 1.4-ounce packages sugar-free fat-free chocolate pudding mix
1 ¼ cups fat-free milk
1 8-ounce container fat-free whipped topping, divided
2 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pie crust according to package directions. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk. Fold half (4 ounces) of whipped topping into pudding mixture and fold until fully blended.

Spread pudding mixture into pie crust and top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Number of Servings: 8

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 piece, Amount per serving: Calories 194, Calories From Fat 54, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 253 mg, Total Carbohydrate 30 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 4 g

Exchanges Per Serving: 1 Fat, 2 Carbohydrate

Sign Up Today for More

When you fill out the form to the right to qualify for a free meter and guide, we'll also email you a free diabetic recipe every week.

learn about glucose meters and diabetic supplies

Below find explanations and descriptions of the most common supplies used in managing diabetes.

about blood glucose meters

Optimal management of diabetes involves patients measuring and recording their own blood glucose levels. Blood sugar level is measured by means of a glucose meter using blood obtained through a fingerstick.

The results on a blood glucose meter will display in mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter in the USA) or mmol/L (millimoles per litre in Canada and Europe) of blood:

The average individual should have a glucose level of around 80 to 125 mg/dL (4.5 to 7.0 mmol/L)
On average, the acceptable level for a diabetic patient before a meal is 80 to 125 mg/dL (<6.1 mmol/L x)
On average, the acceptable level for a diabetic patient two hours after the start of a meal is <140 mg/dL (<7.8 mmol/L)

about test strips

Diabetic test strips are used with glucose testing meters for diabetic testing. Test strips are small, thin, one-time use pieces of plastic that can be placed into your glucose testing monitor to verify your blood sugar. Blood can be either dropped or drawn into a test strip, depending on the type.

about lancing devices

A lancing device is used for pricking the skin with a quick-action fine needle, or lancet, to obtain a sample of blood for testing. Lancing devices are most commonly used by diabetics during blood glucose monitoring.

lancets

Diabetic lancets are used to puncture the finger to extract blood for testing. Individuals can use the lancets alone or use a lancing device (along with the lancet) to get a blood sample.

a1c test kits for diabetes

The A1C — or Glycohemoglobin or Hemoglobin A1C test — reflects your average blood glucose control for the two- to three-month period before the test. This test can be done on a sample of blood drawn from your arm or obtained through a fingerstick.

insulin pumps for diabetes

An insulin pump is a medical device used for administering insulin. This type of treatment is also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy.
Insulin pumps include:

The pump itself (including controls, processing module, and batteries)
A disposable reservoir for insulin (inside the pump)
A disposable infusion set, including a cannula for subcutaneous insertion (under the skin)
A tubing system to interface the insulin reservoir to the cannula

An insulin pump is an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin by insulin syringe or an insulin pen and allows for intensive insulin therapy when used in conjunction with blood glucose monitoring and carb counting.

needles and syringes for diabetes

Needles and syringes are used for daily injections of insulin. Syringes are small and the needles have fine points and special coatings that work to make injecting as easy and painless as possible. When insulin injections are done properly, most people discover they are relatively painless.

Check with your doctor or diabetes educator and test several brands before you buy. Your equipment should suit your needs.
Questions to ask:

Does the syringe dose match your insulin strength?
If you take U-100 insulin, use U-100 syringes. Note: All insulin syringes in the United States take U-100 insulin.
Does your syringe match your insulin dosage?
If you take 30 units or less of insulin, you may use the 3/10-cc syringe. The 5/10-cc syringe may be used by those taking 50 units or less, and the 1-cc syringe is designed for those needing up to 100 units of insulin.

If you are changing the syringe you use, check dosage lines carefully. In some syringes, one line is equal to one unit of insulin, but in others, each line is equal to two units of insulin.

Be familiar with the gauge of your needle and what it means. The higher the gauge number of your needle, the thinner it is.

Can you easily draw up your dosage in a particular syringe?
If your insulin needs have been increasing, you might want to buy syringes that give you an opportunity to increase your dose if need be. For example, if you take 29 units, consider buying a 50-unit syringe. Using a syringe that more closely matches your dose may help you more accurately draw up your insulin.
Does the syringe barrel have the kind of markings you can read easily? or are they too close together?
Not all syringe barrels are created equal — check out several different brands to find the one with markings that you can easily read.
Does having a plunger that's a different color make it easier for you?
Many people with imperfect eyesight find that using syringes with a plunger colored differently than the barrel makes it easier to determine when the syringe has been filled to the appropriate level.
Would a shorter needle be a better choice for you?
Some syringes now have shorter needles that many people find to be more comfortable. However, the depth of the injection can change the rate of absorption. Ask your doctor or diabetes educator to assess whether this would be a good alternative to your current syringe.

continuous glucose monitoring system

A continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system is a device that measures glucose levels throughout the day, including while the user is sleeping. These devices can provide up to 288 glucose measurements every 24 hours. A traditional glucose monitoring test (such as testing via fingerstick) is just a snapshot in time.

Continuous glucose monitoring allows you to see what is happening between individual glucose tests, including some levels that may not have been detected.

What we do

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from Diabetes, you may be eligible to receive your testing supplies at little or no cost to you.

And now when you qualify, you can receive your free monitor. And, as an added bonus you also get a free Guide to Controlling Your Diabetes.

get your glucose monitor for free

A glucose testing meter is free to you when you qualify. This meter can help you monitor your blood glucose levels and help you improve your health as a diabetic.

our partners make it easy for you

A Diabetic Alliance partner will take care of all the details for you. We work directly with you, your own doctor, and your insurance to see if you qualify to get your glucose testing supplies at little or no cost to you.

If you would like to Learn More about diabetes diagnosis and solutions, fill out the form to the right to receive your free Guide to Controlling Your Diabetes.

our partners save you money

Through the Diabetic Alliance, you pay nothing up front* for your supplies and if you have qualified supplemental insurance, you may pay nothing at all. A Diabetic Alliance partner would be happy to explain the entire process to you.

no confusing paperwork

You won't be bothered with confusing insurance forms — a Diabetic Alliance partner will submit all Medicare and supplemental insurance claim forms

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