How to properly manage diabetes during summer
How to properly manage diabetes during summer
Type 2 diabetes is especially insidious during the summer. There are lots of things that may happen to you if you have this condition. The most common summertime problems like dehydration and sunburn can lead to blood glucose instability. So, it’s essential to be aware of the ways summer can affect your health status if you have diabetes.
1. Dehydration
People with diabetes should keep in mind that proper hydration is essential in the summertime. On hot summer days, blood sugar levels tend to rise, meaning more trips to the bathroom to pee, leading to dehydration.
High blood glucose raises the risk of dehydration, that is why it’s so crucial to keep your body well-hydrated. Avoid sipping iced tea, sugary sodas, booze, as well as beverages that contain caffeine, alcohol, or sugar because they can be especially dehydrating and affect your blood glucose levels.
What’s more, dehydration can further tax the body, contributing to even higher blood glucose levels. This creates a vicious cycle.
2. Diuretics
Certain medications, such as blood pressure drugs, tend to act as diuretics, leading to more trips to the bathroom. People who take certain kinds of blood pressure medications should discuss with their doctor how much they water they drink, since consuming too much liquid can leach out essential electrolytes from the body. Also, consider talking to your doctor about natural ways to reduce high blood pressure.
3. Hypoglycemia
It’s also important to always be prepared by carrying fast-acting sugar tablets or gels in order to manage low blood sugar. Sweating through your shirt is a signal of a danger if you have diabetes. Sweating is actually an early warning sign of hypoglycemia which might be interpreted as normal sweating due to heat and activity, and this may, in turn, contribute to the lack of recognition of hypoglycemia.
4. Nerve damage
The classical complications of diabetes like high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease tend to get worse during summer, meaning that your exercise performance might suffer. The summer season is about heat and humidity, which can lead to complications for people who suffer from diabetes for several reasons.
60 to 70 percent of Americans with diabetes develop nerve damage that can impact multiple organs in the body, like sweat glands that help naturally cool our body. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both of which are medical emergencies, can result from an inability to keep cool.
5. Sunburn
Sunburn can elevate blood sugar levels, potentially leading to diabetes problems. Sunburn can cause ‘physiologic stress,’ or bodily stress. This form of physiological stress isn’t only caused by sunburn. Any serious illness or injury, such as the flu, might make controlling your blood sugar levels more challenging.
6. Going barefoot
Some people have foot problems due to nerve damage, known as diabetic neuropathy. This means they should take extra care to keep their feet healthy especially if you go barefoot. Given that diabetes can severely damage the nerve endings in your feet, you might not be able to notice any injuries when going barefoot. It’s better to wear socks and shoes or sandals, whenever possible.
7. Sweat
The combination of heat and humidity has the potential to be dangerous. There is some evidence that diabetes sufferers do not detect heat as well as people without diabetes and do not sweat as effectively.
Sweat cools you in two ways: the moisture on your skin lowers your temperature, and as the moisture evaporates, you cool down even more. Diabetes patients must take extra precautions to avoid overheating and dehydration.
The Bottom Line
If you have any concerns about your health or you don’t know how to properly manage diabetes during summer, visit an endocrinologist. Track your blood sugar levels on especially hot days to keep them stable.
