Monitoring blood sugar levels at home is critical for diabetics. Fortunately, however, the prevalence of the condition has created a necessity for constant monitoring methods, which are now readily available....
Monitoring blood sugar levels at home is critical for diabetics. Fortunately, however, the prevalence of the condition has created a necessity for constant monitoring methods, which are now readily available. Diabetics’ blood sugar levels require regular monitoring due to insufficient insulin production or improper functionality. Heading to a doctor every time isn’t sustainable, but glucometers, CGMs, and flash glucose monitors exist, allowing for quick and easy readings at any time. Read on for more information regarding monitoring blood sugar levels!
Diabetes (or diabetes mellitus) is a family of conditions referring to the body’s inability to properly regulate its blood sugar. There are two distinct types of diabetes:
Type 2 accounts for around 90% of diabetes cases, and according to some estimates, some 537 million people worldwide suffer from the disease.
As such, individuals with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes could experience negative effects of either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia (low or high blood sugar).
Hyperglycemia symptoms include:
Hypoglycemia symptoms include:
Since their bodies can’t regulate blood sugar by themselves, diabetics have to vigilantly and persistently monitor their blood sugar levels to avoid these symptoms and any further medical complications.
Whenever a patient’s blood sugar rises above 180 mg/dL or falls below 70 mg/dL, steps have to be taken to bring it back to appropriate levels. Most typically, a healthy fasting glucose level will lie between 70 and 99 mg/dL (3.9 to 5.5 mmol/L).
How to monitor blood sugar at home? The most accessible way is the prick test, which involves drawing a small drop of blood from a finger and pressing a testing strip against it. The glucose meter interprets the reading and displays the current level of blood glucose. This method offers incredible reliability to diabetes patients due to the ease and speed with which you can obtain a reading.
Another of the most commonly used methods to monitor blood sugar at home is the continuous glucose monitor, or CGM. This involves wearing a monitoring device 24 hours a day for access to constant reading. The small sensor, inserted under the skin, measures the body’s glucose levels and sends the data to a receiver or smartphone app. When blood sugar becomes too high or too low, the CGM can send an alert for extra protection.
Over time, the collected readings can grant additional insight into patterns to help make informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle. Also, some CGM devices have the added benefit of insulin pump integration, allowing patients to seamlessly combine monitoring and injections in one fell swoop.
Given the prevalence of diabetes in the general populace, other ways to remain aware of your blood sugar levels are available. In fact, many of them are being researched and developed. Hopefully, in the near future, more methods will emerge with an even greater emphasis on user comfort and ease of obtaining a reliable reading to facilitate proper action against diabetes and avoid risk.
In addition to GCMs and finger prick tests, these are the other noteworthy methods for blood sugar testing:
A regular fasting blood sugar test or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) are the traditional methods hospitals and clinics have been relying upon for a long time. They return reliable and comprehensive results with expansive insight into how the body processes glucose, enabling patients and doctors to operate with a full overview for proper blood sugar management.
With the advent of portable testing kits, patients now have access to a plethora of technologies within their grasp to paint a fuller picture of their health at home. These at-home test kits offer much more testing than just diabetes – they also measure hydration levels and check for general kidney and liver health.
Currently, the FDA has not approved any smartwatch device for blood sugar monitoring. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration explicitly cautions users from using or endorsing these devices, as at present, they offer no verifiable data and could mislead users based on falsely interpreted test results.
Blood sugar monitoring for diabetics constitutes a daily necessity. Diabetes can bring about a plethora of unwanted side effects, which, if left unchecked, could have a severe detrimental impact on the patient’s health. Understanding the importance of blood sugar monitoring and the options available at home is crucial to raising patient awareness and increasing convenience in their daily lives.
You may also read: How to Tell If You're Dehydrated? Signs, Symptoms & Tests
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