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

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