Technology makes living with type 1 diabetes more manageable

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that affects 1.25 million Americans and requires constant monitoring and treatment throughout the day, but new technology allows sufferers to focus more on enjoying life, according to Cnet.

With Type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin, which is necessary to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.

New products, made by companies such as Dexcom, allow an insulin pump and blood glucose monitoring system to be attached to a person’s body and communicate with them through their smartphone in nearly real time. When it detects a need for insulin, the pump administers the proper dose, and the monitoring continues. Parents of children with the disease can check on them at any time which can remove some of the uncertainty of treatment and provide more peace of mind for the whole family. Although it still requires a couple of finger pricks to calibrate, it doesn’t need parents to wake several times per night to check their child’s glucose levels, exhausting both.

While the benefits of using such technology are apparent, there are still limitations and trade-offs when it comes to any current solution that prevents patients from living genuinely carefree.

Strapping pieces of hardware to a person’s body is a constant reminder of their condition, and it can be a struggle to find which devices work best for each individual. Each brand carries a unique set of pros and cons, and sometimes it makes more sense to mix-and-match different pieces which can add to the complexity for everyone involved. Support groups have emerged that help users adapt to and use the technology more efficiently as well as acting as a source of innovation.