People living with diabetes test their blood glucose anywhere from weekly to three to seven times daily or more. When performed properly, regular and frequent testing is an important diabetes management tool that can help people with diabetes avoid long-term risks and complications. However, even slight environmental variations can skew results and lead to problems including costly retesting and inaccurate adjustments to blood glucose levels.

Marc Wolf, a registered pharmacist with more than 28 years of experience helping patients with diabetes management and founder and CEO of Diabetic Care Services offers supply storage, usage and testing procedure tips to ensure accurate glucose readings for improved diabetes management.

Diabetes Testing Supply Storage

- Avoid storing meters and test strips in areas that experience varied temperatures, including heat, cold, sunlight or moisture. This can cause glucose meters to produce error messages or damage chemical reagents on test strips, which can cause inaccurate readings and disrupted diabetes management.

- Only use test strips within 30 days of the date you first open the vial. Write the expiration date in permanent marker on the outside of the vial to help remember the date.

- Always store strips in their original vial and replace the vial cap immediately after removing the strips to avoid damage to strips, exposure to airborne contaminants and inaccurate readings.

- Never use strips that are stored in cracked or damaged bottles.

Diabetes Testing Supply Usage

- For accurate diabetes management, always use the test strip that is specific to your blood glucose meter to ensure compatibility. Some strips are physically but not chemically compatible with other meters, and will produce inaccurate readings. Follow meter instructions carefully for proper coding. Also, check that your meter batteries are fully charged, as low batteries can skew results.

- Ensure the glucose meter is prepared to receive a blood droplet before drawing the sample.

- Avoid testing for diabetes management near rooms where there may be high levels of humidity-like the bathroom-as this can alter readings.

- Change lancets for every test, to avoid irritation from dull needles.

Blood Glucose Test Site

- While some new meters allow for alternate site testing, the fingertip is the most accurate test site for diabetes management because it registers changes in blood glucose more quickly than the rest of the body. To avoid calluses, soreness and infection, prick the finger on the sides-not the pads-, alternating between different sides and all ten fingers.

- Properly clean testing site with soap and water before drawing a sample. Even the smallest bits of food, sugar and glucose tablet residue can alter a reading. Make sure the site is entirely dry because even water can affect results.

- Try to test at approximately the same time each day, which will make it easier for you to identify patterns or sudden changes in your results.

Blood Glucose Sample

- Dehydration can cause false high glucose readings, so make sure you are properly hydrated before testing.

- Washing hands in warm water before testing can improve circulation and make it easier to obtain a sample. Pointing hands downward below heart level will also increase circulation.

- Gently squeezing and massaging your finger before pricking can increase blood flow, but do not squeeze finger immediately after prick, as this will actually decrease blood flow. Instead wait a moment and then gently milk the finger.

- When applying blood to the prepared test strip, avoid allowing your finger to touch the strip, as it may cause contamination. Make sure to fill the strip entirely; you may receive an error message if you do not.

After Blood Glucose Testing

- Record results to compare levels before and after meals and between days. If you have trouble remembering to record results, use a meter that stores results in its memory to assist with your diabetes management.

- If the test numbers do not coincide with how you are feeling, a personal indicator of where your general numbers should be, then test again. If you are still unsure, use an alternate meter. Do not ignore your intuition just to avoid retesting. It is important to check every detail for successful diabetes management.

Getting a cheap diabetic supply is something that most people with diabetes would love to do but often do not know how to, or just do not have the time to shop around. In order to understand how to get diabetic supplies for cheap you have to know what supplies you need and most importantly you have to be willing to put in a little time.

The basic supplies that all persons with diabetes need are syringes, a blood glucose meter, test strips, alcohol swabs, sugar pills and lancets. All of these items are part of day to day life for a person with diabetes and the majority of the above listed items are disposed of after just one use, so they have to be purchased on an ongoing basis. As a result of the continual replenishing of these items the cost for the diabetic person are considerable over time, and thus the search for a cheap diabetic supply.

One of the best places to search for cheaper supplies is on the internet, there is so much competition online now that most online retailers with try to persuade you to buy from them by offering discounts or free items. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the information at first, just read what the website has to say and try signing up for their newsletter if they offer one as this is a great way to get more information about their service and products. Another plus other than a great price to buying your diabetes supplies online is that they get delivered right to your door and you do not have to go out and get them. in some cases you can even setup monthly deliveries so you do not have to worry it just gets delivered every month.

So alongside 10,000 other people in the U.S, you have received a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes. Hearing this can cause people to react in many ways, and as already discussed this can be with anger, or denial. Becoming depressed is another reaction that is quite common.

To actually start living with your diabetes can be difficult some times, and this is especially so as the disease begins to progress, leaving you suffering with some of the complications of diabetes. It is quite a natural reaction for you to begin to feel as though you are fighting a losing battle.

It is also hard to keep your blood sugar levels under control at times, and sometimes you can feel as though you are fighting a losing battle. One way to help with keeping blood sugar levels under control is to ensure that you are using a top brand blood glucose meter, such as Accu-Chek Advantage, as this is simple to use, keeps a record of the last 480 readings including the date and time they were taken, and all the information can be downloaded to your computer with the help of the extra pc download kit that is available separately.

Should you feel that you are getting depressed then make sure you talk to your medical team and don’t just bottle it all up - it could be that there is an actual physical cause for how you are feeling which can be treated easily and quickly. Your team will be experienced in helping patients with these feelings, and you can find that talking things through with someone who you feel understands your problems and what you are going through can be a great help to you, and they will be able to help you come up with a plan to overcome your depression.

There is a lot to learn and to take on board once you know you have type II diabetes, and your feelings about this are bound to alter, especially in the beginning. That is why it is so important for you to be able to feel that you are able to control your disease, and not just literally lie back and let everyone else sort it out for you.

At the end of the day, it is you, and your family who are going to have to adjust to life with diabetes. You should not feel alone though, as there are many groups that are available to you, to help get through this difficult adjustment period.

Your medical team will be happy to put you in touch with people that can help and guide you through the first few confusing days, weeks and months as you come to terms with your type II diabetes. Many self help groups exist where other people that have diabetes get together and just talk - it is surprising how much better you can feel in yourself to actually meet and speak to someone who is going through the same thing as you are.

Remember diabetes will only change your life as much as you allow it to.

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