A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small device that tracks blood sugar 24/7. It is worn on your upper arm and syncs your blood sugar levels with your phone every 15 minutes. By scanning the CGM with your phone, you can get real-time insight into how your blood sugar responds to food and exercise — all through the app.
Once you start receiving information from your CGM, you can work with your Carbon Health primary care provider to get insight into which food and lifestyle choices are working for your body, as well as identify potential health risks.
Step 1: Prepare your arm — Choose an area on your arm and clean the area with an alcohol wipe.
Step 2: Get your materials ready — Gather the sensor applicator and sensor pack and prepare the materials for application.
Step 3: Place it in your arm — Place the sensor applicator over the spot you cleaned with the alcohol wipe; then push down firmly on the applicator until the sensor is in place.
Step 4: Start the sensor — Press the home button on your sensor and start your reader.
Once you’ve applied your sensor, you’ll need to sync it with your smartphone.
To do this:
a. Download the FreeStyle Libre 2 on your phone
b. Follow the prompts to create a new account
1. Click on Menu ≡ (top left)
2. Click on “Connected Apps”
3. Click on “Connect" next to LibreView
4. Click on “Connect a Practice"
5. Enter our Practice ID “CarbonHealth” in the field provided, click the Next button, and then click the Connect button
6. To set Reminders to scan:
a. Click on Menu ≡ (top left)
b. Click on “Reminders”
c. Confirm the blood glucose targets are 70mg/dL -180mg/dL
d. Choose carbohydrate units in grams
e. Navigate through rest of set up screens
f. Stop at “Scan New Sensor”
Once you’ve started the sensor, tap “Start New Sensor” on the touch screen, and an image of a hand holding the reader next to an arm will appear. Once you see that image, hold the reader within four centimeters of the sensor to scan it. If sounds are turned on, the reader beeps when the sensor has been successfully activated.
It’s important to note that once the sensor has been inserted, there is a one-hour warmup period before glucose values will be available. The sensor can store only eight hours of data, so scanning needs to be done at least once every eight hours. or the data will be lost.
Your assessment works best when you keep a log of what you eat; this can be done with pictures or a written journal. Do your best to log the time you ate as well, so you can compare your blood sugar readings with your log. This will allow you to understand which foods cause significant spikes in blood sugar. We suggest you scan your sensor when you wake up in the morning, before meals, one hour and two hours after meals, and at bedtime.
There are many different experiments to try that will provide insight into how certain foods and choices affect your blood sugar levels.
This includes:
• Eating a full meal
• Eating a half-portion meal
• Having a carbohydrate-only meal
• Having a carbohydrate and protein meal
• Eating carbs first during a meal
• Eating carbs last during a meal
• Walking after a meal
• Having the same meal without walking after
You’ll have an opportunity to dive deeper into what your data means with your healthcare provider at the follow-up visit, so jot down a list of questions as you scan your CGM.
When you’re reading your blood sugar levels, it’s important to look at the overall picture. Variations in your blood sugar levels throughout the day reflect how your body absorbs and stores glucose. People without diabetes typically see their blood sugar levels rise no more than 50 mg/dL with meals, while levels tend to fall below 100 mg/dL while fasting (for instance, overnight). People with prediabetes or diabetes are likely to see higher levels than these.
If you notice your blood glucose is frequently at 300 mg/dL or higher, you should reschedule your follow-up visit sooner, as this is a high indicator for diabetes, and you may be at risk for dehydration and other complications from abnormally high blood glucose levels.
The 14-day Libre 2 is less accurate in the range below 70 mg/dL and may report falsely low readings. Fortunately, most people do not have a medical reason to have dangerously low blood glucose levels.
If your low glucose readings are accompanied by shakiness, sweating, heart pounding, or a sense of doom, schedule your follow-up primary care visit sooner for a comprehensive medical evaluation.
If you’re feeling stuck, our customer support team is here to help. You can message us via the Carbon Health app and expect to hear from central support within 24 hours of sending your first message. Any additional messages are typically answered within four hours.
.jpeg)
