Diabetes test strips are small plastic strips that help check your blood sugar levels. They are very important for people with diabetes. The strips work together with a glucose meter to "read" and show your blood sugar numbers.

Checking your blood sugar regularly helps you manage your diabetes better. When you test often, you learn which foods, medicines, and activities make your blood sugar go up or down. You can easily buy diabetes test strips and supplies online to ensure that you always have them in stock to measure your blood sugar levels.

How to Use a Diabetes Test Strip?

Here are the steps to check your blood sugar using a test strip:

• Put a new test strip into the glucose meter
• Use the meter's tiny needle (called lancet) to prick your fingertip
• Squeeze out a blood drop and touch it to the edge of the test strip

In just a few seconds, the meter will show your blood sugar levels.

You can only use each test strip one time. That means you need a new strip every time you check your blood sugar. Your doctor will tell you how many times to test per day - it may be 10 times for type 1 diabetes or just 2 times for type 2 diabetes.

How Diabetes Test Strips Work

Diabetestest strips are small but have advanced technology inside. They have a thin coating of gold in a special pattern that creates a circuit.

One strip end has chemicals that soak up your blood drop like a sponge. These chemicals turn the glucose (blood sugar) into electricity.

When an electrical signal travels from the strip to the meter, the meter shows a reading based on how fast the electrical signal is moving. More blood sugar means a stronger electrical signal and a higher number on the meter.

Buying Diabetes Test Strips

You can buy diabetes test strips and supplies online, pharmacies, and medical supply stores. If the cost is too high, ask your doctor about ways to save money, such as:

• Looking for coupons and special medicine supply offers
• Asking the supplier for free samples
• Buying from a durable medical equipment (DME) supplier
• Buying generic/store brand strips
• Checking diabetes websites that provide supplies for those in need

Are Diabetes Test Strips Accurate?

You may have heard that glucose meters don't always give the right number. Studies have looked at the accuracy of many different test strip brands.

Out of 18 brands tested, only 6 were accurate every time. Some were accurate sometimes, and 4 brands were never accurate.

The good rule is that meters should give a number within 15% of the real value, 95% of the time. So, 19 out of 20 readings should be correct.

New studies now test more people with diabetes to check accuracy.

Getting the Best Results When Using Diabetes Test Strips

Test strip problems are a common reason for incorrect readings. To get the right blood sugar result:

• Don't use damaged or expired test strips
• Store strips properly, away from heat and moisture
• Use the correct strips made for your meter model
• Some new strip boxes need coding/calibrating first

Even if the strip fits in the meter, it may not work right. Using wrong strips can cause:

• Inaccurate results
• No result showing
• The meter not turning on

Other causes of wrong results include:

• A dirty meter
• Not washing hands before testing
• Temperature changes
• Not enough blood on the strip
• Wet fingers

Check your meter regularly with control solution to ensure it's working correctly. And don't use opened control solution bottles older than 3 months.

Following these tips will help you get accurate test strip readings to best manage your diabetes.

Visit B&F Medical Supplies to buy diabetes test strips and supplies online.