Acerca de los Monitores Continuos de Glucosa

You will know your sugar level and where it is headed.

A blood glucose meter shows your sugar level right now, but does not tell you if it's about to change. A CGM shows if your sugar is about to change and this keeps you safe from going too high or too low. This can also help when you exercise or eat - because you will be ready with a CGM!

These devices save lives and as horrible as I find it being constantly tethered, it has saved me from overnight lows, prolonged highs, and has helped me stay active with very little risk and fewer finger sticks. (I still finger stick a lot).

Lolly

Push a button and the CGM is in place.

Each type of CGM comes with a special inserter. You push a button or squeeze the inserter, and a small needle inserts the CGM's tiny sensing wire under your skin. The needle comes out and the tiny wire stays in. Some CGM types are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be inserted in the abdomen or upper arms, but many people have tried them all over the body with success.

Magic! Just kidding - amazing technology.

CGMs are small devices that work by inserting a tiny wire under the skin and an adhesive patch holds the external transmitter in place. The tiny wire is less than 1/2 long, and you can't feel it once it is in place. A small transmitter connects to the wire and sends real-time data to the a receiver. Many people use their cell phone to receive the data using an app.

Cost depends on insurance, and it's worth knowing.

All of us with diabetes wish it wasn't so expensive to take care of diabetes. Some sensors are cheaper than others, and more insurance companies are covering them. Planning and knowing the cost can help make decisions about whether it is possible to get a sensor.

You don’t have to (but you might want to)

While it’s important to have your meter onhand for backup purposes, using a fingerstick-free CGM like the Dexcom or Abbott Libre gives you the freedom to go without a meter on occasion. It’s still good to keep a meter and double check if what you’re feeling doesn’t match up with the reading on your sensor.

CGMs are cheaper than they used to be

All of us with diabetes wish it wasn’t so expensive to take care of diabetes. Some sensors are cheaper than others and if you have insurance, there is a very good chance it is covered. In the How to Get a Sensor Guide there is a section about cost and insurance that has some helpful tips and info.

Your health and well being and quality of life is priceless so if you can afford it, it is worth it

Georgi

It depends.

The CGM that is right for you depends on where you want to put it on your body, whether you want alerts when you are going too low or too high, and weather you want it to communicate with an insulin pump. For example, if you do not feel your lows or want an alert that tells you when you’re low (or will be soon), then choose one with alerts (Dexcom or Medtronic). If you do not need alerts and can feel your lows, try the Abbott Libre. Our device comparison and check-up questions can help you decide what is right for you.