If you're a diabetic needing a way to keep a continuing check on your blood sugar levels, your answer lies in the continuous glucose monitor.

There are a considerable number of reasons for the rise in diabetes. Anything from poor eating habits to insufficient exercise to stress can be involved. Genetics too plays a part. Complications, a number of them extremely serious, may result if diabetics do not keep a detailed watch on their blood sugar levels.

Part of the challenge is that given our busy lives, none of us make it to the doctor as frequently as we should. And there are occasions when we need more than a periodic check of our levels with a typical home meter. That is where the continuous glucose monitor comes in.

What transpires is that the patient's blood sugar levels are checked 288 times over the day. You can go on with your every day lifestyle and maintain a record of your sugar level as well.

Blood sugar can be measured for three days as the system involves a glucose sensing device known as a sensor positioned below the stomach skin. The entire process is easy and painless. All you do is go about your day to day activities.

You wear a pager like gadget on your waist, and every 10 seconds the monitor sends information to that device. For a 3 day period this pager like gadget records information in five minute intervals.

The monitoring of your levels is safely and automatically left in the hands of the device. All the data is then utilized by your physician for several purposes. He can make modifications to your prescriptions or suggest corrections to your day to day schedule.

This monitor is by no means designed to replace customary methods of checking your blood sugar. Long term use isn't something the gadget is designed for or approved for. That definitely is a possibility for the future however. For the time being, this isn't something you'll wear on daily basis for the rest of your life. What we have here is a device which can easily detect trends in your glucose levels. And that means that with this precise information readily available, your doctor can take whatever actions are required to help you remain healthy. Any decisions about your treatment are easier to make as a result of having this accurate information readily available. When you stop wearing the monitor all the saved data is just uploaded to a computer and given to your health professional.

Diabetes is called the silent killer. The blood sugar levels of a diabetic can move up or down at any time with no notice. Perhaps your levels fall too low as you sleep at night. Now your medical professional will find out about it. The continuous glucose monitor makes this previously hard to get information available. Unless you can know what's occurring inside, your health can be at risk. It's you and your physician who can mutually benefit with accurate and constant information of the changing trends with the help of a continuous glucose monitor.