Track Your Blood Sugar Patterns
If you notice patterns in your levels over time, the information can help you and your doctor better manage your diabetes.
To find out more, you or your doctor might use a device called a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that can test your blood sugar every 5 minutes throughout the day. It tests through tiny fibers on a patch stuck on your skin. Results are sent wirelessly to a small monitor or insulin pump.
The results can help you and your doctor spot spikes after you eat certain foods or work out, or while you sleep, says Robert Vigersky, MD, medical director of Medtronic Diabetes.
A continuous glucose monitor doesn’t take the place of old-school testing, though. The device’s maker says you need at least one finger stick every 12 hours to set the device, and suggests regular testing three to four times a day to make sure the numbers match up.
New, “smart insulin pumps” that can sync with a CGM are great for people with type 1 diabetes, Vigersky says. “If your sugar goes too low, it will stop an insulin infusion for 2 hours,” he says. Smart pumps can help you avoid dangerous dips in your blood sugar.
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