Diabetes Management
Continuous Glucose Monitoring: How Does it Help?
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By Apollo 24/7, Published on - 30 November 2020, Updated on - 28 August 2023
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How does a continuous glucose monitor work?
- Real-time: The glucose levels can be checked at any time, and the results can be downloaded.
- Retrospective: The glucose levels cannot be seen in real-time, and the results can only be downloaded and analysed.
Advantages of continuous glucose monitoring
- Glucose levels can be tracked throughout the day and night.
- Glucose levels can be checked during the night when the levels are generally not tested.
- A rise or drop in glucose levels can be tracked, which will help people with diabetes to take early action.
- CGM helps to reduce the number of finger-prick tests.
- CGM can help improve the levels of HbA1c as it helps to tailor the insulin dose more carefully.
- It helps patients to reduce hypoglycemia (low glucose) events, as they can notice a downward trend even before the sugar levels sharply drop.
- The device can be used to set triggers and alarms for very high and low glucose spikes.
- CGM helps evaluate and measure the effects of diet and exercise on sugar levels.
- It aids in determining the effectiveness of the treatment plan at a detailed level.
Things to remember while using a continuous glucose monitor
- The sensor needs to be replaced every 3 to 7 days, depending on the model used. Whenever the sensor is changed, the transmitter has to be attached to the new sensor.
- Some devices need to be calibrated by checking the blood glucose on a glucose meter twice a day.
Recommended Read: The Best Exercises for Controlling Blood Sugar Levels
When is continuous glucose monitoring recommended?
Continuous glucose monitoring is suggested for adults if:
- They have had more than one incidence of severe hypoglycemia in a year with no known cause.
- They are unaware of hypoglycemia events.
- They have high blood sugar.
- They have an extreme fear of hypoglycemia.
- They have a high HbA1c level despite testing their glucose several times a day.
Continuous glucose monitoring is suggested for children if:
- They experience frequent, severe hypoglycemia.
- They demonstrate fits and anxiety.
- They are unable to recognize or even communicate with others about hypoglycemia symptoms. It could be because of developmental or neurological issues.
- They are under school age.
- They are athletes playing high levels of sport.
- They are unable to manage diabetes because of other issues such as anorexia or steroid treatment.
- They have very high blood sugar levels even after adjusting insulin doses.
Conclusion
You can also manage your diabetes like a pro with Apollo 24|7's 12-week empower programme.
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