Home Lab Or Test Strips

Home Lab Or Test Strips

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases in the world. This disease can only be managed when you know what your blood sugar levels are at the moment. In this case, a laboratory that allows for rapid diagnostics should always be at hand.

After all, the need to check your sugar level may arise at night or early in the morning, when the clinic is still closed. Such a “laboratory” has existed for a long time, but, alas, due to its high cost, it is not available to every patient. However, there is a more affordable option for home diagnostics - test strips.

Today, many different test strips are produced for diabetic patients, designed to determine the level of sugar in the blood, urine and to determine the presence of ketone bodies. The essence of the method is that the strip changes its color depending on the amount of the determined substrate in the test liquid.

Test strips for home diagnostics of diabetes have a simple design and are easy to use. There is a color scale on the bottle: each shade of color approximately corresponds to a certain indicator. Each set of test strips comes with detailed instructions.

If the instructions are written in a foreign language you do not understand, carefully read the procedure for determining blood sugar levels. It is described below and is quite simple to implement.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Wipe your finger with an alcohol ball. Wait until the alcohol has completely evaporated and the skin becomes dry. Take the spear in your right hand and make a quick thrust into the side of the fingertip. Squeeze out the first drop of blood and remove it with a dry cotton swab.

Place the second drop on the edge of the test strip. After waiting the required time (in the instructions for the test strips, the time is indicated by numbers), blot the remaining blood on it with a napkin or cotton wool. Then take a bottle with test strips, on which there is a scale consisting of shades of any one color. Each shade corresponds to a certain digital indicator of the determined substrate.

Moving the edge of the test strip, which has changed color from a drop of blood placed on it, along the scale, find a place on it whose color most closely matches the color of the test strip. At this point on the scale the corresponding blood sugar value is indicated.

After using the test strip, you should throw it away. Some manufacturers recommend using each strip only once to avoid mistakes. You should also monitor the expiration date of the test strips and store them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Despite the fact that test strips are a fairly simple and affordable means of determining blood sugar levels, it is important to remember that they do not replace a full medical blood test and consultation with a doctor. If you notice high blood sugar levels, be sure to contact your doctor for professional advice and treatment.