Patients always ask me if there is a way to check their blood sugars without pricking their fingers. I am so glad after saying no for over 20 years I can finally offer the use of glucose sensors to my patients!
There are 3 different types of sensors. The most commonly used sensors are G6 by Dexcom, Freestyle Libre, and Eversense. G6 and Libre are placed on the skin, however, Eversense is implantable. Let’s discuss what the sensors do.
These sensors check your blood sugars every few minutes and record the information. They are placed on your arm or abdomen and held in place by an adhesive for up to 2 weeks at a time.
The G6 is designed to alert patients of any changes in blood sugar, whereas Libre can only measure. For example, if a patient is a brittle diabetic and has extreme fluctuations in blood sugars and is unable to feel their low blood sugar, G6 is ideal for that patient. It can be set up to alert you if your blood sugar goes above or below a certain number that can be programmed into the device. Furthermore, one can share the information with a caregiver, such as a parent of a diabetic child or a caregiver of an elderly patient.
The patient can view the information on their smartphones and the data can be tabulated to show patterns of blood sugars over the course of the day.
Sensors are available for professional use and are placed and interpreted by your endocrinologist.
I have been able to help numerous patients using these devices. Please talk to your endocrinologist to see what’s right for you.