Diabetes is a condition that’s only growing more serious every year. As more and more people are diagnosed with diabetes, more and more people are wondering how they can manage their health and this condition. Surprisingly, though, some doctors think that living with diabetes is about to get a lot easier.

Here’s what one doctor is saying about the future of diabetes.

Tracking Blood Sugar Will Become Easier

Aaron Neinstein, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. And Dr. Neinstein, who’s a practicing endocrinologist and leads digital health innovation at UCSF, thinks that tracking blood sugar is about to get a lot easier for diabetics.

According to CNBC, Dr. Neinstein predicts that by 2025, checking your blood sugar will no longer require a painful finger prick or regular blood testing at a doctor’s office. In the near future, people with diabetes won’t need to worry – they’ll use continuous glucose monitors to monitor their blood sugar levels all day long.

Why does Dr. Neinstein think this method of blood sugar tracking will become status quo? Continuous glucose monitors are pretty new. They’ve only recently become more mainstream, first becoming available in 1999, and few diabetics are relying on these newer monitors. But continuous glucose monitors have plenty of benefits, including better blood glucose control, fewer low blood sugar episodes, and improve diabetes management.

And Dr. Neinstein believes that, thanks to technology advances, today’s continuous glucose monitors are no longer the painful, bulky, inaccurate, or expensive models of the past. Today’s continuous glucose monitors are FDA approved and require no fingersticks at all. Even more importantly, these devices eliminate the pain caused by regular fingersticks.

In fact, these new continuous glucose monitors are so improved that diabetics can instantly check their glucose levels from their smartphones. This easier-to-use method of checking your blood sugar levels makes managing diabetes easier than ever, and it gives diabetics far more control over their health.

Technology Could Make People Healthier Than Ever Before

In addition to making diabetics’ lives easier and less painful, today’s technologically savvy continuous glucose monitors are only going to improve. Dr. Neinstein believes that tech companies like Apple and Fitbit will offer new ways for people to check their levels – and as wearable health tech becomes more common, you’ll be able to check in on your blood sugar in new ways going forward.

With more ways to check blood glucose and easier ways to grab readings, Dr. Neinstein believes diabetics will be able to pinpoint what’s going on with their health. For example, if you notice spikes at certain times, you’ll be able to recall what you ate or what you were doing at that time. You’ll be able to monitor whether stress, food choices, sleep patterns, and physical activity affect your levels. And you’ll be able to share that information with your doctor, improving your overall diabetes management plan.

Diabetics Will Be Able to Better Manage Their Health

Ultimately, Dr. Neinstein’s prediction that continuous glucose monitors will become the new normal for diabetics is great news. Instead of carrying about extra medical supplies and equipment with you, you’ll be able to live life freely. And with no need to prick your finger every time you need to test your blood glucose levels, you won’t have to endure pain any longer.

Continuous glucose monitors could become the go-to way to test your blood sugar. And this also means good news for your monthly medical bills. Dr. Neinstein believes that as the technology of continuous glucose monitors becomes more available, the devices will also drop in price. You’ll be able to reduce your time, your physical effort, and your financial cost.

As continuous glucose monitoring becomes more popular, it’ll also help doctors and individuals with diabetes better understand this condition. While right now we know only of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, more accurate and in-depth insight into blood glucose levels will teach the medical community more about diabetes and how to manage it. And this can greatly benefit anyone living with diabetes.

If you’d like to find out more about continuous glucose monitoring, make sure to do your research and talk with your doctor. Staying informed as continuous glucose monitoring changes and potentially becomes something you’re interested in for your diabetes management is the best way to be prepared to incorporate any advances or new treatment options into your plan.