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Pharmacies often carry several types of tests that utilize a color-changing strip to assess your cholesterol. They’re less expensive than multi-use digital testers, usually costing $20-$50 USD, and are reasonably accurate when used correctly. However, they generally don’t break down the different aspects of your cholesterol reading.  While often called “single-use” strip kits, don’t be confused—many kits contain multiple testing strips, but each strip can only be used once. You might, for example, find a kit that contains enough single-use strips for 4 individual cholesterol tests. If you’re buying a kit online, choose one that’s approved by the FDA (in the U.S.) or similar government agency where you live. If you just want to test your cholesterol out of curiosity or only occasionally, this may be the right option for you. If you plan to test your cholesterol more frequently—due, for example, to your doctor’s recommendation—a digital readout tester may be a better choice. Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a clean towel. Open one of the sealed, sterile packets in your kit that contains a test strip. Do the same with one alcohol swab packet and one packet holding the lancet you’ll use to prick your finger. Essentially all test kits now use lancets that are pre-loaded into individual “lancet pens.” You’ll likely need to pop the cap off of the pen, so check the kit’s instructions if you need guidance.  Read the product instructions carefully, especially for using the lancet pen. Talk to your pharmacist if you need additional help. The lancets themselves look a bit like large sewing needles, but few if any test kids use lancets that aren’t pre-loaded into individual pens. Lancet pens are much easier to use than loose lancets, so always choose a kit that contains pre-loaded pens. Unless your specific product instructions tell you otherwise, do the following: Wipe the alcohol swab over the pad of one of your fingers and let it dry for a few seconds. Press the dispensing end of the pen (it often has a red button at the end) against your finger pad. This causes the lancet to emerge, prick your finger, and retract very quickly. Pull the pen away and set it aside to toss in the trash as soon as you’re finished.  Do not re-use lancet pens. Throw the pen away after a single use. You’ll feel a bit of pain when the lancet pricks your finger, but it will only last for a few seconds. Color-coded strip kits usually take several minutes to produce results. The spot on the testing strip where you wiped your blood sample will slowly change color. Be sure to wait the amount of time directed by the kit’s instructions, or your results may not be accurate.Remember to be patient! Assessing a color-coded test strip too early or too late could give you an incorrect result. Since most color-coded strip test kits only test for total cholesterol, your only point of comparison will probably be the recommended total cholesterol range. For the average healthy adult, the ideal range is between 125 to 200 mg/dl. However, your ideal range may be different, based on your particular circumstances. No matter your result, your best option is to share the information with your doctor. “mg/dl” refers to milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. The higher your mg/dl is, the more susceptible you are to developing blockages in your arteries.
Choose a color-coded strip kit for a budget-friendly, basic option. Use clean hands to open an alcohol swab, test strip, and lancet. Prick your sterilized finger with the lancet pen to draw blood. Wait the designated amount of time for the test strip to change colors. Compare your result to the recommended total cholesterol range.