A CGM monitor tracks your blood sugar throughout the day and notifies you via alarm when your glucose levels change. It is designed to give you a heads-up that allows you to deal with high or low blood sugar quickly and effectively. That being said, hearing alarms so consistently throughout the day can lead to something called alarm fatigue, which makes the alarms much less effective.
What is alarm fatigue?
Alarms are meant to get our attention and tell us something important. Alarm fatigue refers to the overwhelm that we can feel when hearing and responding to a lot of alarms throughout the day. This can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels which, in turn, can cause us to turn off alarms or not notice when they are going off.
Alarm fatigue is often seen when there are repeated alarms, which teaches our brains that a certain alarm is unimportant after a while and causes us to not respond to true alarms. Alarm fatigue is also more likely amongst those who receive many alarms daily, such as healthcare professionals and individuals with diabetes.
What can help?
There is no one-size-fits-all way to address or avoid alarm fatigue, but here are some things that have worked for others and may be worth trying:
- Work with a counsellor to find strategies to manage your anxiety when alarms do go off
- Work with your medical team to adjust your alarm settings so the alarm goes off at a different blood glucose level
Although alarms can be annoying, they are necessary to keep you healthy. Turning off alarms completely can increase the likelihood of a medical emergency. If you are feeling overwhelmed by alarms and diabetes management, talk to your medical team or a counsellor to begin finding things that work for you.
Where can I learn more about CGM alarm fatigue?
Here are some resources you can check out to learn more about alarm fatigue:
