Your At-a-Glance Glucose Overview
The Home Dashboard is the main screen of the LinX CGM app and your primary tool for daily glucose management. It is designed to give you a comprehensive, real-time overview of your glucose levels at a single glance. Mastering this screen is the key to making timely and informed decisions throughout your day.
Anatomy of the Home Dashboard
The dashboard is divided into several key areas, each providing a vital piece of information.
- Current Glucose Level: Displayed prominently at the top of the screen is your current sensor glucose value. This number is updated every minute, providing you with the most up-to-date information available from your sensor.
- Trend Arrow: (Note: Most CGM systems feature a trend arrow). Next to your glucose number, you will typically see a trend arrow. This arrow is just as important as the number itself. It tells you the direction and speed at which your glucose is changing (e.g., rising quickly, rising slowly, stable, falling slowly, or falling quickly). Understanding this trend is crucial for proactive management.
- Sensor Status: This area provides information about your current sensor, such as "14 days remaining." When the sensor's lifespan is over, this status will change to "Expired," signaling that it is time for a replacement.
- The Glucose Graph: The lower section of the dashboard features a graph that plots your glucose readings over time. This visual representation is incredibly powerful for understanding your daily patterns. You can toggle the view to see your glucose history over the past 6 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours.
- Interacting with the Graph: You can interact with the graph by scrolling left and right to view your glucose levels from different periods within the selected timeframe. Tapping on a specific data point on the graph will show you the precise glucose value and the time it was measured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why might my sensor reading differ from a fingerstick?
It is common for new CGM users to compare their sensor reading with a fingerstick reading from a traditional blood glucose meter and notice a difference. This does not necessarily mean the sensor is inaccurate. It is important to understand that the two devices are measuring glucose in two different body fluids.
- A blood glucose meter measures glucose directly from your capillary blood.
- Your LinX CGM sensor measures glucose from the interstitial fluid (ISF), the fluid between your body's cells.
There is a natural physiological delay, often called "lag time," for glucose to move from your blood into the interstitial fluid. Think of it like a train and its caboose. Your blood glucose is the engine at the front, and your sensor glucose is the caboose at the back. When the train is moving on a straight, level track (stable glucose), the engine and caboose are in the same place. But when the train speeds up or slows down quickly (rapidly changing glucose), the caboose will be a little behind the engine. This is why you may see the largest differences between your meter and your CGM after meals, after taking insulin, or during exercise. Understanding this concept is key to trusting your CGM data.
What do the system status messages on the Home Dashboard mean?
Occasionally, you may see system status messages on your Home Dashboard instead of a glucose value. Here is what they mean:
- "Sensor is stabilizing" or "Sensor Warm-up": This message appears for one hour after you start a new sensor. During this time, the sensor is acclimating to your body, and you will not receive glucose readings.
- "Sensor Error Please wait...": This indicates a temporary issue. The system is trying to resolve it, and you should wait patiently for the message to clear.
- "Replace sensor": This message indicates that your sensor is no longer functioning correctly and needs to be replaced with a new one. When you see this, you do not need to unpair the old sensor from the app before starting a new one.
Next Step
Beyond real-time data, the LinX app allows you to add context to your numbers. The next guide explores how to use the History and Events dashboards to track your daily activities.
