Depending on how you treat your diabetes then you might need to use a monitor and test strips to manage your diabetes. Here we’re going to take a look at what monitors and test strips are, and how you can get them. Blood glucose monitors When taking blood, you need to wait for the alcohol to evaporate before giving the needle injection.

The test strip expires;(The expiry date of the uric acid strips: 12 months, Period After Opening :3 months) Sinocare test strips have an expiration date of two years after manufacture as long as the containers remain sealed. Once the container is opened for use, all the strips should be used within three months. Any remaining strips after three months should be discarded, as they may give unreliable results. Final Thoughts Affected moderately by the environment humidity, the measured value will fluctuate by 15%, which is normal. Please try to store the test strips in an environment with moisture <80% to improve accuracy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Diabetes Basics. { https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/index.html} A test strip is inserted into your blood glucose monitor. You apply a drop of blood to the strip to get your blood sugar level Where to get your test strips Keeping your fingers clean, wipe the first drop of blood away with a clean tissue, and test with the second drop of blood, which is less likely to be contaminated when using the testing kit. Levels higher than this indicate diabetes is not well-controlled. A single high reading should not alarm us. However, if the blood sugar levels are higher than expected frequently, we should talk to our doctor. They may suggest a change in the dosage of insulin or other antidiabetic medicines. Do Blood Sugar Test Strips Expire?

If you have Type 2 and want to get test strips, you might not be able to get them on prescription. You will only be able to get test strips on prescription if your doctor or nurse wants you to self-monitor. How to use a test strip You will also use a blood glucose meter if you manage your diabetes with some other medications like sulphonylureas.S mall and E asy to U se: You can use this device with one-handed priming. Fast lancing and personalized adjustable penetration depth settings are employed. A virtually pain-free lancing design can effectively helps minimize skin damage. Remove a new test strip within the valid expiration of the vial. After taking the strip, immediately cover the vial to avoid losing efficiency.

Diabetes UK: Can people with diabetes use expired blood glucose test strips? https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2015/05/can-people-with-diabetes-use-expired-blood-glucose-test-strips/ Gainey Wilson K., Ovington, P., & Dean, D. (2015). A Low-Cost Inkjet-Printed Glucose Test Strip System for Resource-Poor Settings.Journal of diabetes science and technology,9(6), 1275–1281.{ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667310} You can get a range of different types of blood glucose monitors. There are some meters that have extra features such as USB connections that allow you to log your readings on a computer. There are also meters that have calculators for insulin to carbohydrate ratio, and that you can link up with your smartphone. When using the blood glucose meter to measure, make sure that the second drop of blood flows out and then start to absorb and measure with the test strip. Older glucose test strips used these enzymes with horseradish peroxidase and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS). When blood was applied, the chemical reaction generated a blue-green colored chemical. Measuring this color gave a blood glucose level reading [4]. Such machines and strips are not in use now.Precise & Easy to use: Safe AQ Smart uses code-free test strips, and it only needs 5s testing time & 0.6ul blood sample volume to test your blood glucose level. The delicate FAD-GDH test strips have strong resistance to multi-material interference. There are several brands of glucometers and test strips available commercially. Each has the same basic methodology but differs in design and technology. Each strip must be used only with the glucometer designed for use with it. Blood glucose strips are often expensive, and it is tempting to use expired strips. We should be aware that using glucose strips beyond the expiration date or more than three months after opening the container can give unreliable blood glucose readings. Such results can lead to unnecessary and dangerous changes to our treatment. In the interest of our safety, we should never use expired glucose test strips. References