As part of Fountain Life’s commitment to disease prevention, we’re turning the tide on diabetes. You monitor your weight, heart rate, and steps – so why not add blood sugar? While healthy people only need to measure blood glucose annually, if pre-diabetes is detected, a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) can identify spikes and drops, and a medical professional can work with you to prevent the onset of full-blown diabetes.
Eighty-four million Americans have pre-diabetes, and that number is rising. Early detection is crucial to halt disease progression. A CGM monitors blood glucose levels day and night with high accuracy. This non-invasive technology provides real-time biofeedback that can enable life-saving behavior changes.
How CGM Works
A small, white circular sensor sticks to your arm and its thin, flexible filament inserts just under the skin, where it taps into the interstitial fluid. Every one to five minutes, it takes a reading of the amount of glucose in the interstitial fluid and saves the data for up to eight hours.
Once the appropriate CGM app is downloaded, your smart phone acts as a scanner, picking up the data as it briefly hovers over the sensor. The CGM app analyzes the glucose reading, producing trend reports and glucose history, and sending alerts when blood sugar is too high or low. You can program the app to send the data directly to your Fountain Life healthcare team, so they always stay in-the-know.
The at-home kit provides an applicator, sensor and instructions, which makes adhering as user-friendly as the technology. To stick the sensor to your arm, firmly push the applicator and then lift it away gently. You may feel a slight pinch upon application, but there’s no discomfort thereafter. Every 14 days, the sensor times out and needs to be replaced—the app sends you a reminder. Slowly peel off the old one and adhere a new sensor to your other arm.
Benefits of CGM
Night readings:
This is invaluable if you are prone to hypoglycemia during sleep. An alert sounds and wakes you if your blood sugar drops too low, allowing you to take appropriate measures quickly before you are in a life-threatening situation.
Blood glucose trends:
Based on the collected and stored data, the app identifies glycemic patterns and forecasts the future direction of your blood sugar levels. This information can help your health care provider adjust your medications and provide lifestyle recommendations appropriately, so you have the best health outcomes.
Real-time readings:
Frequent samples collected day and night make it possible to pinpoint how exercise, specific foods and medications impact your blood sugar. With this insight, your medical team can customize a diabetes management program to keep your blood sugar stable.
Helps keep blood sugar in ideal range:
Alarms that sound for hyperglycemia help to ensure glucose levels do not go too far off course, reducing the likelihood of long-term complications like diabetic ketoacidosis, vision changes and lower limb amputation.
Ask Us How to Get Started
Based on the data collected, our team will work with you to formulate an exercise, nutrition and medication regimen that allows you to prevent diabetes. If you have diabetes, we can help you get a stronghold on the disease.