Do I still need to prick my finger if I wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)?

While Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) drastically reduce the number of fingersticks required, they do not eliminate them entirely. CGMs measure the glucose in your interstitial fluid (the fluid between your cells), not the glucose directly in your bloodstream. Because of this, there is a slight physiological delay—usually 5 to 15 minutes—between your actual blood sugar and the CGM reading. You should always perform a traditional fingerstick if your physical symptoms don't match the CGM's reading (for example, if you feel dizzy and shaky but the CGM says you are perfectly in range), if your blood sugar is changing very rapidly, or if your specific device prompts you for a manual calibration.