Using glucose testing strips can seem a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Read this article to learn all about how it’s done.
Glucose testing strips help Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics take control of their lives. By providing an accurate reading of almost-real time glucose levels, diabetics know how to adjust their insulin, exercise, and sleep. Blood testing even reveals if it’s safe to drive. If you’re newly diagnosed, then you may find the technology of blood testing overwhelming.
Once you understand the process, nothing could be easier. This is true of all glucose testing strips, no matter the brand.
General Guidelines
You and your doctor will decide how many times a day you need to do a glucose test. Generally speaking, Type 1 diabetics test multiple times a day because all of them must take insulin, no exceptions. Type 2s generally don’t because test as much because not all of them are required to take insulin. In fact, some of them don’t even take oral meds.
However, that’s changing. More Types 2 are being given the option to take insulin. If a Type 2, speak to your doctor about works best for you.
What Glucose Testing Reveals
Testing glucose levels is the only way to accurately understand if your diabetes routine truly works. It also gives clues as to what’s going on in the body in terms of long-term damage. A high blood sugar reading can even reveal that you might be getting a cold.
Testing also allows diabetics to:
- make smarter dosing choices for both insulin and oral meds
- make smarter dietary choices, including portion sizes
- prevent dangerous lows and highs
- achieve better A1C results.
Now, follow these handy tips to learn how to glucose test your way to better control!
Do The Prep
No one likes to waste test strips. They cost a lot. And if your use insurance to purchase glucose testing strips, there’s all that prescription protocol to deal with. But waste does happen, usually because of insufficient blood drops. Sometimes, even old-hands at the testing have a hard time drawing blood from fingers.
Reasons for this include:
- poor circulation
- cold weather/temperature
- calluses.
Try the following:
- Get your strip ready to go. Keep in mind that it’s easier to do this before you prick your finger.
- Open the bottle, then adjust the strip so that it’s ready to slide into the meter. Place it on the meter test strip slot without inserting.
- Hold the hand you want to prick below the heart then shake it before pricking.
- Wash your hands with warm water. Avoid using hot water. Dry your hands.
- Consider switching to a different gauge lancet.
- Use a brand new lancet each time. This also reduces the chance of infection.
- Consider changing your lancing device, or adjusting the degree of penetration on it if applicable.
- Never test on callused areas. Treat them with moisturizer, but never test on a recently moisturized area. Lotions affect test results.
- Rotate the fingers you test, to avoid callus development.
- Try other areas of the body for testing, like the arm. However, keep in mind that these sites differ.
- Some meters require smaller blood samples. Talk to your doctor and/or insurance about this being an option.
Handling the Strip
All in all, glucose test strips are a hardy lot. This is true no matter the brand.
However…
Don’t get them wet. That will ruin your results. Once wet, the strip won’t work. Remove a strip from the bottle. Place the strip into the meter with the colored box at the end of the strip. Avoid touching the colored box. Prick your finger. Once you have a sample-sized drop, turn it over and touch your finger to the colored box. Be gentle. Do not smear the blood sample. Remove your finger. Wait for your blood test result. Treat accordingly.
Once you get the hang of this, the whole process takes mere seconds!
To Partake of Alcohol or Not
Nope, we don’t mean the fun stuff! We mean alcohol swabs. If you wash your hands prior to testing, you cut down on the risk of infection. Soap and warm water should suffice. But if you can’t wash your hands, then it’s wise to use an alcohol swab to clean your finger. It’s important to let the alcohol dry off the finger. Otherwise, the alcohol causes inaccurate results. This is true for all test strips. This holds true for hand sanitizer, too. Let the finger dry before the prick. This preserves the integrity of the glucose testing strip and saves money on wasted strips.
Other Ways to Save Money on Glucose Testing Strips
Probably the hardest thing about dealing with glucose testing strips is something that most people never think about. But if you’re newly diabetic, you’ll soon learn. It’s the cost. And having insurance sometimes doesn’t help. Insurance companies are notoriously unhelpful when it comes to providing coverage for this medical necessity. And sometimes, they require diabetics to change strip brands at a moment’s notice. The market keeps meter costs low, but test strip costs high.
Why?
If a patient changes brands every few months, it costs retailers and insurance less to provide affordable meters than it does to provide affordable test strips. If you are required to change meters, you may find yourself with a ton of test strips for your old meter. You can keep them on hand in case your insurance company switches you back to the old meter. You might also be able to use the remaining strips before starting the new ones. But test strips have expiration dates. Once they go past that date, using them results in inaccurate readings.
There’s a solution, one that saves money and helps diabetics. Sell your test strips and get cash for doing it.
A Quick and Painless Process
Selling test strips is the perfect way to get rid of excess strips without losing money. Glucose testing strips can be bought without a prescription which makes this option legal. People who are unemployed or low-income really benefit from the help that selling test strips provides. Another plus: The company pays via PayPal or a check that arrives by Priority Mail.
Find out more about how to make money from excess tests while helping diabetics in need. Contact QuickCash4Teststrips today!