Managing Diabetes with a Mobile Phone
We understand how important it is to mobile phone users to have fast and professional cell phone repair service when they need it. In fact, sometimes, not having their phone can be hazardous to their health. An example is diabetic patients who use their cell phone to monitor and manage their diabetes.
The new Dexcom G5 is a continuous glucose monitoring system designed to give a Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics a way to monitor their glucose readings with their cell phones. This negates the need for constant pinpricks since the device has a sensor located just beneath the skin.
The Dexcom G5 detects patterns, and the patient can then dose for insulin or eat to bring a high blood glucose reading down. For a parent with a child away from home (at school, for example), this creates a means of instant access and tracking since the device has Bluetooth. For the patient, the device not only tracks but also graphs glucose numbers so a patient can use an app, ‘Dexcom Clarity’ on his iPhone or Android to watch for trends and plan according.
It’s not perfect. The patient still has to do a finger test at least twice daily and enter that number to re-calibrate the device. It’s still recommended that patients test 8X per day.
If the patient’s glucose reading becomes too high or too low, their mobile phone alarm will go off and a message will be sent to a parent or other caregiver. This is both a good and bad feature: since highs and lows make a diabetic vulnerable and sometimes confused, this is an excellent safeguard mechanism. On the other hand, it’s impossible to prevent this alarm from becoming more and more annoying without opening the app and acknowledging the alert. This has made it difficult for people in ‘silence’ situations, such as movie theaters or important business meetings, to use the app without creating a disturbance or looking unprofessional.
As technology evolves, we can look forward to many more life-altering apps like the Dexcom Clarity. Even though they may start out with some bugs and known issues, eventually those things will get worked out--or someone will build a better app. Meanwhile, if you have this app and your cell phone breaks, come visit us for a fast, professional cell phone repair.