December 22, 2006, Newsletter Issue #82: Tricks for Handling Test Strips

Tip of the Week

Whether you are new at blood sugar testing, or an experienced diabetic, handling diabetes testing strips can be challenging.



As the glucometers have gotten more sophisticated, and so it seems that the test strips have gotten smaller.



Here are a few tips for handling those small pesky strips:



1. Lie a white papertowel or facial tissue

on the counter or table where you are

going to be doing your testing.

- Gently shake a diabetes testing strip

out of the vial, onto the white paper.

Since the majority of testing strips are

darker in color, this allows you to see

it better.



2. Though you don't need to wear disposable

gloves when you are testing your own

blood, the latex or vinyl makes gripping

the test strip a little bit easier.



3. If you don't have fingernails to pick up the

testing strips, a pair of hemostats or

clampable tweezers can grab the strips

from the vial for direct insertion into

your glucose monitor.



As the strips and glucometers get smaller, the challenge in handling them becomes greater, especially with vision problems and neuropathy - serious complications of long term diabetes.



If you are unable to effectively manage your strips, talk to your doctor the challenges you are having with your diabetic supplies, and about switching to a meter with larger strips, rather than skipping your blood sugar testing.

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