One of the realities around diabetes as a medical condition is that if you have been diagnosed with certain types of diabetes, you're going to be pricking yourself a lot in order to keep an eye on blood glucose levels.

For some people, this isn't really a big deal, but for others it's an unfortunate reality of diabetes self-care. For people who are more sensitive or have various hand or muscle problems, the type of lancet they get is going to be important, and having better tools will help them to stick to a self-care program that works. Since it’s so important to routinely check blood sugar levels, this is more than just a small detail when it comes to diabetes.

Early Innovations

One of the earliest ways that companies made lancets easier to use was with a spring-loaded design.

Instead of the user having to put pressure on the lancet, with the spring-loaded design, the needle came out on its own and gave you a little jab.

However, that's not really the best way for most people to feel better about using a diabetes lancet from day to day. While it does require less pressure from the person who is pricking themself, the spring-loaded design can be a little startling, like a snake springing out to bite.

New Innovations in Lancet Design

There are a number of ways that companies are now making lancets more comfortable for users.

One way is to introduce a thinner needle, so that it's easier for the needle to go in past the skin. This is a real way to reduce any residual pain that may occur while pricking, and decrease the friction that makes it harder for some people to use a lancet in the first place. It’s just a smoother experience, in general, and can be more effective than having lancet needles be pressurized in the package.

Some of these varieties are talked about as mini-lancets that a lot of users prefer to traditional versions.

Another way to make lancets easier is to use glide control features for reduced vibration. Again, this makes the lancet easier to insert, and provides more of a free flow for the process of self-checking the blood glucose levels in the body at a given time.

At Affordable Diabetic, we offer sets of lancets with these innovative designs to help caregivers or others to administer those daily checks. That's just part of what we maintain to help diabetes patients control the disease and get better outcomes and quality of life. We have your health in mind!