Diabetes can be a challenge to manage. You have to be aware of the food you eat, constantly monitor your blood sugar levels, and manage insulin dosage. It can feel like an ongoing balancing act. But fortunately, there have been plenty of affordable advances in affordable technology to help you manage this difficult condition. Here are a few.
Smart Pens & Patches
Sometimes big things come in small packages, and that is certainly true when it comes to smart pens and patches. These small devices communicate with your smartphone to help you stay on top of your blood sugar levels and insulin usage. The pens make accurate dosing a breeze, even with sight or dexterity issues.
Patches attach to the skin like a sticker and can monitor glucose levels, replacing painful finger pricks. According to Medical News Today, the skin patches use miniature sensors that “draw out” glucose using electrical currents. The glucose is then collected in tiny “reservoirs” on the patch, which it uses to measure levels every 10-15 minutes. These patches can make proper monitoring much easier and user-friendly. Plus, your insurance carrier should cover the cost.
Don’t forget the important role that fitness and exercise play in controlling diabetes. University of California explains that with exercise your body becomes more insulin sensitive and processes blood sugar better. A healthy and fit body means less damage from uncontrolled blood sugar. Luckily, technology offers us key tools to reach our fitness goals.
As an example, fitness trackers can be a boon to diabetics. Apple fans will be glad to know that the Apple Watch Series 4 is a terrific wearable for keeping track of health goals and fitness metrics. It monitors heart rates, tracks fitness metrics, and keeps information on your workouts. With fewer user options, but a budget-friendly price-tag, the Fitbit is also a good choice for health management. The Fitbit provides personalized workout goals and monitoring.
Both the Fitbit or the Apple smartwatch will help you reach your fitness peak. And you’ll find that you can get more out of your smartwatch than just health-related benefits. It can help with task management, scheduling for work or your personal life, and getting real-time updates for your email or social media accounts.
Apps for Diabetes Management
When it comes to helpful new technology, don’t forget apps. These days there’s an app for everything, including diabetes management.
Taking notes about your meals with a pen and paper is a pain, but nutrition apps can help track the food going into your body, and provide you with details about your choices. For instance, Fooducate is a free app that lets you search or scan an item to determine the effect it could have on blood sugar. Another option, the My Food Diary app, can help track your diet and monitor overall nutrition goals.
The MySugr app is made specifically for people with diabetes. It’s able to sync with your glucose monitor to provide customized information and tracking of sugar levels. Downloading the app and managing your personal diabetes log is completely free.
Another great option made just for diabetics is BG Monitor Diabetes. This app allows you to log everything in one place. Keep track of your glucose levels, insulin, and food intake, so you’ll always have exactly the information you need to reference for yourself or your healthcare provider. The app is free, but it does offer some additional in-app purchases.
When it Comes to Diabetes, Technology is Your Best Friend
Those diagnosed with diabetes today are fortunate to have more tools at their fingertips than previous generations. Technology provides nearly any tool you can imagine, and many are low-cost or free. Between smart-tech insulin devices and wearables like the smartwatch, and free or inexpensive apps for everything under the sun, diabetics can live their best life with peace of mind.
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