The chances that it will give you a correct reading is too less making it a highly unreliable way to monitor your diabetes control. This suggests that expired glucose test strips can give a high as well as a low reading and hence, should not be used. Hence, it is impossible to know your correct blood sugar levels by adding or subtracting a few numbers to the reading you get using the expired strips. In short, the expired test strips can work in an unpredictable manner. It may show slightly lower, slightly higher, very high, very low, or even normal values of your blood sugar levels.
However, the fact is that the strips may not always give a slightly lower reading than your actual blood sugar levels. This false belief can prevent them from adopting healthier dietary and lifestyle habits or even consulting a physician when the reading of the blood sugar test shows a lower range as they perceive it to be a normal range. This is why they continue to use the test strips that are expired. So, they think that as far as the reading with the expired test strip is slightly lower than the normal range, it can be considered to be normal.Īnd in case, the reading shows a higher value, they perceive it as their blood sugar level is too high for which they need to seek medical advice for the correction of dosages or anti-diabetic drugs. Patients believe that they just need to add a few numbers to the reading provided by the glucometer and that would be the correct reading they would have got if they had used the un-expired strips. One of the reasons why most diabetic patients do not hesitate to use expired test strips is the belief that they always give a lower value than your actual blood sugar reading. Do expired glucose test strips read high or low? It is also crucial to take into account how long after the expiration date they can be safely used, and which are the potential risks of using expired test strips. This includes how they have been stored, or have they been exposed to dampness or high humidity levels. Before considering using expired test strips, it is vital to ask yourself a few questions about their potential effectiveness.
After opening, blood glucose test strips can normally be used for three to six months but for this it’s important to refer to the information provided for each brand of test strips.Īccuracy is key when testing your blood sugar. Most experts maintain that the test strips should be used before the expiration date, which should be found on the strips or the box, in which they arrived. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even specifically warns against using expired diabetes test strips as they might lead to inaccurate results. Image from Can expired test strips give a false reading? However, this could lead to an inaccurate reading of the blood glucose. Some claim that the test strips can be used for a short period of time beyond their expiration date if the test strips have been stored properly and any damage to the strips has been avoided. What about the lifespan of these blood glucose test strips? For years, it has been debated whether people with diabetes can safely use expired test strips. How long does a diabetes test strip last? A number appears on the meter that reflects the speed of the electric current – the more blood sugar is detected the stronger the signal, which means a higher number on your blood glucose meter. So, when blood is placed onto the test strip, it soaks up your blood like a sponge, reacts with the chemical, and turns the glucose into electricity.Īt the other end of the test strip, the meter transfers a current to the test strip, which has electric terminals that allow the meter to measure blood glucose levels. On one end of the strip, there’s a chemical called glucose oxidase that produces gluconic acid from the glucose in the blood. The test strips are coated with a thin layer of gold that is cut into a pattern, which becomes the strip’s circuit.