Then and Now…Meaningful Monitoring of Diabetes
posted by Jeannette Hasley on Monday, November 25, 2019
If you were to travel back 3,000 years in time, you’d find that the ancient Egyptians mentioned a condition that we know was likely diabetes. They described excessive urination, thirst and weight loss. They also thought that if the ants clustered around a person’s urine, it was a sign that the person had elevated sugars. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way in diagnosing and treating the disease as we can better determine a person’s blood sugar levels without using ants. However, centuries later diabetes continues to remain a serious health condition across the world.
Today, almost 10 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data stating that more than 100 million U.S. adults are living with either diabetes or prediabetes. We know that if prediabetes is not treated, it typically will lead to type 2 diabetes within five years. Locally, the statistics are similar. The latest CDC statistics show 9.6% of adults living in Clay County with diagnosed diabetes.
In 2016 the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) released a statement noting that self-monitoring of blood glucose should be a way to help both the provider and the person with diabetes make better management decisions. Glucose monitoring can be a helpful tool to lower a person’s A1C, if used correctly. However, even more successful blood sugar management is achieved from the insight and knowledge gained from conversations with a health professional who can explain what those values mean and how behavioral changes can improve outcomes and achieve better management of their blood sugar.
Spencer Hospital has two Certified Diabetes Educators to help navigate diabetes and to assist you in gaining skills to help you keep your diabetes under control. Our educators are knowledgeable about the newest technologies available, such as continuous glucose monitoring and flash monitoring. These options have become more available for persons with diabetes as more insurance carriers are providing coverage for this technology.
We have clients who come in and request, “I want the one with no finger sticks, and I want one to alarm me before I have a low blood sugar.” Those are great features which are available in today’s monitors. Another great feature that several monitors offer is integration of mobile software and apps which can record and display a detailed log book information with blood sugar values/trends. This information helps aid in the process of making checking sugars more meaningful and understandable to all members of your diabetes care team, most importantly the person with diabetes.
Our diabetes educators are happy to review the options for blood glucose monitoring and help you select which device is best for you. Most insurance plans cover diabetes education and we would love to help educate and assist you as you navigate your diabetes journey – ants not required! Call to schedule an appointment at (712) 264-8421.