How Continuous Monitoring Can Help Manage Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the largest global health issues currently. The number of people living with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is increasing day by day. The International Diabetes Federation has estimated that globally the predicted number of people affected by diabetes might reach up to 642 million by 2040.

 

Diabetes is fast gaining the status of a potential epidemic in India with more than 62 million diabetic individuals currently diagnosed with the disease. This is alarming to know, that brings us to:

 

How Can You Manage Diabetes

Diabetes is manageable with regular monitoring and this I can say out of the personal experience as well. Both my mother and mother-in-law have diabetes and they are able to manage it because they monitor it regularly and always follow a healthy lifestyle with the right nutrition and adequate exercise. 

 

It is also important that one gets regular health check-ups done, to get the diagnosis done at the right time. That is the first step to manage diabetes. Also one should be aware of the types of diabetes and how they develop.

 

Diabetes management involves regular monitoring. This is a critical aspect of keeping blood sugar levels in control. Also, it requires lifestyle changes. The sugar intake in your daily food has to be monitored and one should be getting enough exercise as well. My mother enjoys having ice-creams a lot, but she had to give up on binging on it once she was diagnosed with diabetes. Also, she maintains an active lifestyle. She divides her exercise for the day into morning and evening and walks 10 kms daily. Even my mother-in-law has high blood sugar levels. Although she has been extremely careful about its management, in the long run, it has affected the functioning of her kidneys. From her experience, we learned that diabetes puts people at risk of many other health complications. 

 

As you know now that I am a caregiver to both my mothers, I was extremely keen to attend an event on Living Fully With Diabetes. During the event, I learned about how a continuous glucose monitoring system helps to maintain ideal glucose levels and there are ways apart from pricking yourself every time to monitor blood glucose. 

 

Jay Bhanushali is an actor and a model, and a caregiver to his mother. He spoke about his first-hand experience at the event and I learned a lot from his experience as well. 

 

Blood glucose levels keep fluctuating and to manage it well, some lifestyle changes are required- 

 

Diet:

Apart from speaking to the doctor and taking his guidance for a healthy diet, one can also take support from a nutritionist. Diet is a primary factor to be considered to manage diabetes. As a caregiver, one must make sure to provide a balanced meal to a diabetes patient. Diet should include vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole-food grains got manage blood sugar. 

 

Active lifestyle: 

Not only exercise but an active daily lifestyle is necessary to manage blood glucose levels. As a caregiver, I make sure that my mother -in law manages to include a brisk walk daily. Since she has other health complications, we take the guidance of an expert to plan her exercise routine. 

 

Sleep & Stress Management:

A proper sleep routine is important to maintain a stress-free life and manage glucose levels as well. Breathwork and Yoga asanas can help to sleep well and manage stress well. 

 

Continuous glucose monitoring:

Both my mother-in-law and mother, monitor their blood sugar levels regularly, as we consult with their respective doctors on a monthly basis. But it is a task to every time call in a technician to collect a blood sample and even if they do it at home, the finger pricking exercise sometimes makes them avoid the entire process. During the event, Jay Bhanushali talked about his choice of the glucose monitoring system.

 

He prefers a prick-free and chose one, which is a sensor-based device called FreeStyle Libre. It is easy to use and he mentioned that within one and half hours he was able to explain to his mom the functioning of the device. Also, the readings and reports can be shared with the doctor which helps to make decisions about any changes required in medication, food, or lifestyle. He also mentioned that the data is accurate which helps with doctor-patient communication. 

 

Conclusion

To conclude I can say with certainty that maintaining blood glucose levels is doable with the proper lifestyle and continuous monitoring. 

 

To know more about FreeStyle Libre and Continuous Glucose Monitoring, click . 

You can buy FreeStyle Libre here. 

 

References: 

1. https://www.nhp.gov.in/overview-of-diabetes-burden_mtl
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3920109/