Diabetes supplies, such as One Touch Ultra, have improved greatly over the last half decade. One Touch Test Strip users benefit from the smaller amount of blood required for the diabetes testing strips; this means less pain and discomfort! See, when you are living with diabetes, as millions of Americans are, having access to a steady supply of reliable diabetes testing strips is the key to maintaining great health. There are a variety of test strips on the market, and each one correlates to a specific monitor. You may want to opt for the One Touch system. One Touch testing strips are made to work with a minimal amount of blood as a sample, meaning there's less pain and mess involved in regular testing, which is important for those diabetics who will need to run a diabetes test every few hours. One Touch Ultra test strips are also designed to be easy to handle, and many people with less steady hands find them the most easy-to-use diabetes test strips on the market. On the other hand, glucose test strips from One Touch Ultra have features like a curved strip that fits around the finger, which makes it easier to get the blood sample onto the correct place on the blood glucose test strips. They are also made to be touchable (many diabetic test strips are ruined if touched in the testing area), which makes them easier to handle. These test strips for diabetes also allow for the user to add more blood if there is insufficient blood in the original sample. No matter what kind of diabetes test strips you choose, you will find that making sure you have a good supply with your diabetes meter is ideal for peace of mind and convenience. You should also mark your calendar in advance of when you know you're going to run out; most experts recommend having at least a one-month supply of One Touch Ultra on hand at all times.

Like the rest of your diabetic testing supplies, your One Touch Ultra test strips have an important role in managing your diabetes.

And like your glucometer, lancets and lancing device, if not used properly, will impair your ability to self-manage your disease.

To avoid unnecessary complications with your diabetes test strips:

• Keep them in their sealed light-proof container. Light degrades the chemicals that coat the strip and bind to glucose to allow your meter to read the glucose level. This can give you an inaccurate reading.
• Keep them free of moisture. Moisture can alter the chemicals that allow for reading of your blood glucose, giving you an erroneous value.
• Keep the information about your test strips and other testing supplies, so that you have the information for re-ordering or if you have questions.
• Always code check your One Touch Ultra test strips when you start a new vial of strips. This will ensure that your meter is reading based on the code of the diabetic strips.
• Perform your controls using One Touch Ultra test strips from the vial you are currently utilizing to check your blood sugar levels. Different vials may be coded differently, and give you disparate values when you do your controls.
• Insert them into your blood glucose meter following the manufacturer's instructions. Improper placement of the strips will prevent you from obtaining a proper blood glucose reading and could inadvertently get blood inside your meter.

Proper handling and management of your diabetic testing strips will improve your ability to obtain accurate blood sugars, to guide your self-care.