There are people across the U.S. that are using expired diabetic test strips and endangering their health – and they don’t even know it. The expiration date on a box of test strips is there as more than a recommendation. There’s a scientific reason behind the expiration date.

Test strips look simple, but they’re actually a high-tech device. They’re crafted with an enzyme and stabilizing chemicals that use a blood sample to create an electrochemical reaction that can be read by a glucose meter. The enzymes and stabilizing chemicals have a shelf life like other products. When test strips are used before the expiration date, they provide an accurate reading to help individuals monitor and manage their disease.

Using test strips after the expiration date can provide inaccurate glucose readings, causing individuals to use too much or too little insulin. Either situation places an individual’s health at risk, can result in damage to the body or even death. While each test strip manufacturer utilizes the same techniques to create test strips, each uses its own combination of chemicals and enzymes with varying viability lengths.

Adding to the risk by using expired glucose test strips is the wide range of variables that can affect an individual’s blood chemistry and glucose levels. Test strips that are within their expiration dates will filter out components from acetaminophen, steroids, statins, beta-blockers, birth control pills, and other medications that can affect readings. Expired test strips may not be able to do that with accuracy.

Using expired test strips is never recommended. Doing so can have extremely serious health impacts for those with diabetes. It’s also important that individuals ensure their test strips are stored properly to ensure accuracy within their expiration date. Don’t expose them to heat or humidity and leave them in the plastic containers they came in.

If you would like to find out about earning cash for your unwanted, unused and boxed test strips, complete our online quote form today.

If you have extra, unopened and unused boxes of diabetic test strips – whether you have switched brands, no longer need to test or test less frequently, or have a loved one who has passed away – don’t let them gather dust until they’ve expired and end up in the trash. We’re the best place to sell diabetic test strips online, and if you want to sell your test strips, we’re here to make the process easy and enjoyable!

Visit us at Sell Your Test Strips and get your free quote today!

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