The Role of Technology in Diabetes Management: Checking Blood Sugar With Your Phone, Apps and Online Support Groups

• Wearable CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) provide real-time data about your levels.
• Wearable insulin pumps use that data to adjust and automate insulin delivery.
• Smartphone apps provide a holistic overview of your lifestyle and health.
• Online communities offer support and insight from real people with shared experiences.

Technology shapes our lives and the world around us. In the context of at-home diabetes management, wearable devices, smartphone apps, and online support groups can drastically enhance one’s overall quality of life in a myriad of ways.

While there are some people who prefer the tried-and-true methods they’ve used over the years, many forward-thinking people who have diabetes are embracing state-of-the-art tech. Once you understand what’s possible, it’s hard to resist the benefits.

For example, you can digitally check blood sugar with a phone or CGM, track and log level fluctuations in real time, and use the data to inform lifestyle decisions and automate insulin doses with a discreet pump that attaches directly to the body.

Online, you can use a free carb counting app for diabetics to accurately match insulin doses to your carb intake. You can visit diabetes support groups online to connect with other people going through similar experiences and learn about current updates surrounding diabetes.

Let’s take a deeper look at how innovation is enhancing how people manage diabetes.

Real-Time Tracking & Automated Insulin Delivery

Did you know that you can check blood sugar with a phone? For many people who have diabetes, smartphones have become indispensable tools for tracking levels, not only at home, but virtually anywhere. Wearable CGMs and insulin pumps take that concept much further. And, many of them have their own dedicated apps and/or integrate with popular apps.

1. CGMs

CGMs are small, wearable devices that continuously monitor glucose levels in the interstitial fluid under the skin, eliminating the need for free sticking throughout the day. They have screens that provide up-to-the-minute insight into whether your levels are high, low, or stable. They can provide alerts letting you know when changes occur.

Simply put, CGMs improve upon the concept of being able to check blood sugar with a phone. On their own, smartphone apps can certainly be helpful, but they require that you input the data on your own. Because CGMs attach to the body, the data generates itself.

Furthermore, many CGMs such as the Freestyle Libre 3, Dexcom G7, and Dexcom G6 can sync with smartphone apps, allowing you to further customize the system and share data with health care professionals, loved ones, and diabetes support groups online.

2. Insulin Pumps

Insulin pumps come equipped with some of the most advanced technology in diabetes management. Like CGMs, they’re wearable devices. However, while CGMs provide the data, insulin pumps provide the action. They work in conjunction, communicating wirelessly.

Let’s say you check blood sugar with a phone or CGM. That data continuously gets sent to the insulin pump, which responds by automatically adjusting your insulin doses in real time and pumping insulin stored in an insulin pump reservoir or cartridge into your body through an insulin pump infusion set. As you can imagine, this system is unmatched in its convenience, speed, and mobility.

When shopping for an insulin pump for sale, it’s important to make sure that your CGM supplies are compatible. For example, the Omnipod Starter Kit, Tandem Diabetes Care T:slim X2 Control-IQ Pump, and Tandem Mobi Control-IQ Insulin Pump are compatible with Dexcom supplies and CGMs. While you can still check blood sugar with a phone, using a synergistic CGM and pump system opens up many features and possibilities you can’t get with apps alone.

Note that some insulin pumps can only be used with their proprietary CGMs, apps, and accessories. For instance, the Medtronic MiniMed 770G Insulin Pump and MiniMed 780G Insulin Pump Kit are only compatible with Medtronic diabetes supplies and cannot be used with third-party CGMs. We’re happy to provide personalized guidance if you need help selecting CGM and insulin pump supplies that work together.

Smartphone Apps for a Broader Holistic Overview

If you visit diabetes support groups online, you’ll find that many people with diabetes still use smartphone apps even if they also use comprehensive CGM and pump systems. Being able to check blood sugar with a phone is just a tiny fraction of what’s possible.

Most people have their phones on hand at all times, making them ideal tools for tracking persistent lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. While CGMs provide information about your levels, smartphone apps can work synergistically, helping you to gain a broader perspective of how your decisions affect your levels, empowering you to make changes as needed.

For example, let’s say you use a free carb counting app for diabetics, such as mySugr or Glucose Buddy. By tracking the amount of carbs you consumed during breakfast, you can accurately determine what to make for lunch. Apps aren’t only used to check blood sugar with a phone. They help you understand why your levels change.

Smartphone apps aren’t only for watching your diet, either. You could use a fitness app like MyFitnessPal to log your physical activity and compare that data to blood sugar fluctuations. This insight allows you to plan an exercise routine that minimizes fluctuations. And, you can use that data to choose an optimal post-workout snack or meal to rebalance your levels.

Save on State-of-the-Art Diabetes Technologies

If you’re interested in incorporating technology in diabetes management at home, you’re in the right place. We carry cutting-edge diabetic supplies from trusted medical supply brands, and our prices are always competitive. We get rave reviews from diabetes support groups online, so shop with confidence!

Whether you’re wondering how to check blood sugar with a phone or trying to choose a compatible CGM and insulin pump system, we’re here to help. Contact us for one-on-one assistance with a friendly expert. Get the latest and greatest diabetes tech at ADW Diabetes!