When you are diagnosed with diabetes, you might feel like everything has changed instantly, and you may not know what questions to ask or what options are available to you. Many people hide their diabetes from others instead of reaching out for support. To prevent complications such as blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage, blood glucose levels must be constantly monitored. Continuous glucose monitor systems and other advanced diabetic supplies have revolutionized diabetes care, thanks to technological advances. This article explores the benefits of Continuous glucose monitor systems and other advanced diabetic supplies.
What are diabetic supplies?
The purpose of diabetic supplies is to help individuals with diabetes manage their condition by providing them with tools and devices designed to make their lives easier. These supplies include blood glucose meters, insulin pumps, syringes, lancets, and test strips.
Developing and improving diabetic supplies has been made more accessible by technology. A significant improvement is in the accuracy of blood glucose monitoring. As sensor technology advances, blood glucose meters and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have become more accurate.
By doing so, people with diabetes can monitor their blood sugar levels more accurately and make more informed decisions about their care.
What are the benefits of using diabetic supplies?
Listed below are the benefits of the best advanced diabetic supplies that you should know about.
What is continuous glucose monitoring?
As far as blood glucose monitoring is concerned, you probably feel pretty “continuous” because you have to poke your fingers and use test strips several times daily.
Continuous glucose monitoring is much more hands-off. An adhesive pad attaches to your skin, and a wire catheter is inserted deep enough to take continuous readings.
Glucose trends are displayed on the receiver that comes with the monitoring kit. The transmitter sends data to your smart device or receiver. The monitor is worn continuously and gives you better control over your health. There’s no need to poke your fingers and stick strips into testing devices again and again.
Benefits of a CGM system
The continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) isn’t just the next big thing, but it’s the best way to monitor your glucose levels for people with type 1 diabetes. Knowing your blood glucose levels in advance can change your treatment approach from reactive (damage control) to proactive (prevention). Here are the benefits of continuous glucose monitor systems.
1. Around-the-Clock Blood Glucose Readings
Compared to blind treatment, a traditional blood glucose meter is invaluable. However, medical technology has evolved. Continuous monitoring allows you and your healthcare provider to see how food, physical activity, and other factors affect your body. In this way, you can optimize your treatment plan together.
2. Fewer Fingersticks
In advanced CGM systems, the sensor catheters used to monitor glucose levels are inserted into the skin and continuously monitor glucose levels. All you need for continuous glucose monitoring is a transmitter, a receiver, and a smart device to operate your CGM system.
3. Reduced risk of hypoglycemia:
Diabetes patients can prevent hypoglycemia with CGM systems by being alerted when their glucose levels drop too low when low blood sugar occurs. Hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and even death.
4. Increased convenience:
Rather than performing frequent fingerstick tests, individuals can wear a CGM device and receive real-time glucose readings.
5. Proactive Treatment Decisions
With personalized glucose thresholds, you will receive alerts when blood sugar readings fall outside your target range, so you can start treatment before you experience symptoms.
6. Lower A1C
Based on the percentage of glycated hemoglobin proteins in your blood (coated in sugar), your A1C represents the interstitial glucose level over the past few months. Continuous glucose monitors may help lower your A1C, reducing the risk of digestive and kidney complications.
7. Connected CGM-insulin pumps and “closed loop” systems
You may want to consider a combination CGM-insulin pump as a newer option. The insulin pump will be able to integrate glucose data from your CGM sensor and either adjust your background or basal insulin on its own or suggest changes to your insulin dosing.
When your blood sugar runs high or low, you don’t have to think about it as much. However, you will still need to administer insulin at meals.
What are Insulin pumps?
Many people with diabetes, particularly those with type 1 diabetes, prefer insulin pumps over injections due to their many benefits, including better glucose control.
To decide whether or not an insulin pump will suit you, you need to consider your medical history when making a decision.
Benefits of insulin pumps
People can take better control of their diabetes with insulin pumps and improve their quality of life compared to multiple daily injections. Here are a few advantages.
1. Fewer jabs
An insulin pump requires the implantation of a catheter every two or three days, which can be more time-consuming than injections, but the advantage is that you have to do this much less often than you would need to inject. As a result, you do not have to associate every meal with a needle.
2. Take insulin as and when you need it
You don’t need to go through the injection process when you need additional insulin. You need to press a few buttons, and you’re done.
3. Have different basal rates at different times of the day
Insulin pumps have the advantage of delivering different amounts of background insulin at various times of the day. With a pump, if you experience nighttime hypos but are fine during the day, you can adjust your night basal dose and keep your daytime basal dose the same. It may also help in beating the dawn phenomenon more effectively.
4. Flexibility with food
Having a pump makes delivering insulin more convenient. If you decide to have a dessert after all, you don’t have to worry about whether it’s worth the extra jab.
What is InPen?
As one of the most innovative and unique diabetes management tools, InPen helps individuals with diabetes manage their disease more effectively with several key features.
Benefits of InPen
Some of the most significant features of the InPen include:
1. Reusable for one year – no charging needed:
It is completely reusable for up to one year, unlike many other diabetes management tools. In addition, the InPen does not require charging, further simplifying the user experience by eliminating the need for constant replacement. This saves users money in the long run.
2. Keeps track of your active insulin:
For individuals with diabetes who need to manage their insulin dosage carefully to avoid dangerous highs or lows, the InPen has a built-in tracker that lets them track their active insulin levels in real time.
3. Reminds you to dose:
InPens also have a built-in reminder system that reminds users when to take their insulin. This can be especially helpful for people with busy schedules who could forget to take their insulin.
4. Monitors insulin temperature:
Those who must maintain their insulin’s effectiveness at a specific temperature range may benefit from this device, as it monitors the temperature of the insulin it contains.
What is Glucometer?
Glucometers are used to measure the level of a patient’s blood sugar. Patients touch the device’s blood strip with a drop of blood. Specific chemicals in this strip reflect blood glucose levels using electrical currents, transforming the data into figures on the glucometer.
A glucometer provides highly accurate blood glucose readings and much more through test strips.
Benefits of glucometers
Glucometers have various benefits. Let’s look at some of them.
1. User-Friendly
This is especially helpful for people who need to monitor their blood glucose levels daily. Glucometers can allow patients to measure their blood glucose levels at home rather than at a physician’s office.
2. Reading Precision
Modern glucometers use strips containing specific chemicals to identify every blood constituent accurately. As a result, you may achieve laboratory-like precision at home or when traveling.
By regularly checking their blood glucose levels, diabetic patients can gain a deeper understanding of the condition. You can make crucial decisions based on your glucose levels if you know them.
3. For the Elderly
Glucometers are helpful for all people with diabetes but particularly useful for the elderly. This is because many seniors have difficulty leaving their homes and going to the doctor whenever they need their glucose levels checked.
With glucometers, patients can now check their blood sugar levels at home and share their results with their doctors via the Internet, thus saving time at the lab and preserving the patient’s health.
4. Cost-Effective
It is a great way to save money on blood sugar test costs in the lab. It can save you money on travel. A glucometer is a medical item that people with diabetes need to own.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, with technological advancement, diabetes care has improved significantly. As a result of continuous glucose monitoring devices and other advanced diabetic supplies, patients can now continuously monitor blood glucose levels, providing a better quality of life for them.
Throughout the article, we have explored the many benefits of using these advanced diabetic supplies, making it easier to manage their condition and lead a healthy life for those with diabetes.