Diabetes And Hot Weather - Staying Safe In The Heat
Diabetes and Hot Weather - Staying Safe in the Heat There are hypo and hyper risks in hot weather Whether you are going on holiday or simply spending some time outdoors in the heat, high temperatures and the close humidity currently sweeping the UK do have an influence for people with long term conditions such as diabetes. This may partly be explained by increased activity in hot weather, but there is no doubt that the heat does affect some people with diabetes in other ways. What problems can hot weather cause for people with diabetes? Dehydration can be an issue in hot weather, and higher blood glucose levels can further increase this risk. People with diabetes may need to increase their intake of fluids in hot weather, drinking water regularly through the day. One of the major concerns regarding diabetes and hot weather is the risk of blood sugar levels rising or falling and causing hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia . What are the hypo risks from hot weather? Hot weather can increase the risk of hypoglycemia for those on blood glucose lowering medication. The Joslin Diabetes Centre notes that the bodys metabolism is higher in hot and humid weather which can lead to an increased chance of hypoglycemia. Hypos may be slightly harder to spot in hot weather. Dont be tempted to disregard hypo symptoms , such as sweating and tiredness, as a result of hot weather as it could be a sign of hypoglycemia. Take extra care when driving and test your blood sugar before and after each journey and stop regularly to check your blood sugar if taking longer journeys. To prevent hypos, be prepared to test your blood glucose more often, particularly if taking part in physical activity in hot weather. Keep a source of fasting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets, to hand. To help treat hypos Continue reading >>
Ask The Expert: Summer Heat And Diabetes Control
Question: How can the summer heat affect diabetes control? Heat, especially extreme heat, is hard for anyone to tolerate. It’s especially hard on people with diabetes. When your body is exposed to heat, you lose more water through sweat, which can dehydrate you. Dehydration increases blood sugar levels. High blood sugar will make you urinate more often, which can dehydrate you even more. To stay hydrated, drink more fluids. You can tell when you’re drinking enough because your urine will be lighter-colored. Heat can affect the way your body absorbs insulin. In hot weather, more blood flows to your skin. When you’re dehydrated, the opposite happens -- less blood flows to the skin. Most types of insulin, especially short-acting insulin, don’t work as well when blood flow is decreased. The heat can affect your medicines. If you leave insulin in a hot car, it will start to degrade. Bring along a cooler to keep insulin at room temperature or below. Heat can also damage test strips, leading to false readings. That’s going to affect your blood sugar management and how much insulin you take. Be careful when you exercise in the heat. Watch for both high and low blood sugar. Your blood sugar can drop if you are on a medication that could cause low blood sugar. Being outside in hot weather and exercising produce similar symptoms, such as sweating and a fast heart rate, so it’s easy to overlook the early symptoms of low blood sugar. That’s why you need to check your blood sugar every hour or two while you exercise. Bring juice, glucose tablets, or glucose gel along for your workout, in case your blood sugar dips. If you take insulin, ask your [doctor] how to adjust your dosage when exercising. Avoid sunburn. It damages your skin and can affect diabetes control. A seri Continue reading >>
Hot Weather And How It Affects Diabetes
Diabetes Qld Pharmacist The hot summer ahead may have many impacts on diabetes management for your clients. Oral hypoglycaemic medications, insulin and blood glucose monitoring strips are affected by the heat so may impact people living with diabetes and their care. As the temperature rises, so may the levels of counter regulatory hormones in your clients living with diabetes. Counter regulatory hormones such as catecholamines, growth hormone, cortisol and glucagon may potentially elevate blood glucose levels, impacting glucose management. Higher temperatures may also increase the risk of hypoglycaemia, especially for people living with type 1 diabetes. This may be due to an increase in absorption rate of insulin from the subcutaneous layers. In a study, the absorption of rapid-acting insulin injected subcutaneously was compared at room temperatures of 20°C and 35°C. During a 4-hour period, the rate of insulin disappearance at 35°C was 50 per cent to 60 per cent greater than at 20°C ambient temperature. (1) Another factor to consider which increases risk in high temperatures among people with diabetes is possible abnormalities of the thermoregulatory capacity caused by autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathy affects several organ systems, with undesirable outcomes such as hypoglycaemia unawareness and cardiovascular dysfunction. Heat stress intensifies the issues resulting from autonomic neuropathy by affecting body homeostasis (balance within the body), especially for cardiovascular and glycaemia states. (2) Oral medications have a shelf life which represents the time that the active ingredient retains an acceptable potency. At the expiry date, the potency of the medication must be above 90 per cent of the original active ingredient content. Medications are all Continue reading >>
Managing Diabetes In The Heat
How to keep your cool during the hottest time of year. Did you know that people who have diabetes—both type 1 and type 2—feel the heat more than people who don’t have diabetes? Some reasons why: Certain diabetes complications, such as damage to blood vessels and nerves, can affect your sweat glands so your body can’t cool as effectively. That can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. People with diabetes get dehydrated (lose too much water from their bodies) more quickly. Not drinking enough liquids can raise blood sugar, and high blood sugar can make you urinate more, causing dehydration. Some commonly used medicines like diuretics (“water pills” to treat high blood pressure) can dehydrate you, too. High temperatures can change how your body uses insulin. You may need to test your blood sugar more often and adjust your insulin dose and what you eat and drink. Drink plenty of water. Test your blood sugar often. Keep medicines, supplies, and equipment out of the heat. Stay inside in air-conditioning when it’s hottest. Wear loose, light clothing. Make a plan in case you lose power. Have a go-bag ready for emergencies. It’s the Heat and the Humidity Even when it doesn’t seem very hot outside, the combination of heat and humidity (moisture in the air) can be dangerous. When sweat evaporates (dries) on your skin, it removes heat and cools you. It’s harder to stay cool in high humidity because sweat can’t evaporate as well. Whether you’re working out or just hanging out, it’s a good idea to check the heat index—a measurement that combines temperature and humidity. Take steps to stay cool (see sidebar) when it reaches 80°F in the shade with 40% humidity or above. Important to know: The heat index can be up to 15°F Continue reading >>
Change In Temperature Can Affect Blood Sugar Levels
Back to Living Better Many diabetics are aware stress and illness can cause blood sugar fluctuations, but did you know changes in temperatures can affect blood sugar levels and lead to false readings? Sabrina Rene, M.D., an endocrinologist at Piedmont, explains how temperature can produce blood sugar highs and lows, and how they can affect diabetes testing supplies. Effects of warm weather on diabetics During warmer months, it is especially important for diabetics to stay properly hydrated. Dehydration can cause blood sugar to rise as the glucose in your blood becomes more concentrated. High temperatures can also cause blood vessels to dilate, which can enhance insulin absorption, potentially leading to low blood sugar. It is best for diabetics to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day and monitor blood sugar closely for changes when temperatures start to rise. Ideal storage temperature for diabetic testing supplies Extreme heat and cold can affect insulin, test strips and glucose monitors. Never leave these supplies in a car, no matter what time of year. The meter should also be stored and used in a room that remains between 50 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Dr. Rene says it is important to store test strips in a dry, cool place. “You never want to store test strips in your bathroom. The warm, humid atmosphere can damage the strips, causing them to produce false readings,” she says. Vascular problems and temperature changes Patients with vascular problems often do not have proper blood flow, especially to their extremities, and cold weather may exacerbate slow blood flow. Diabetes test strips need a certain level of oxygen and blood flow to accurately calculate the glucose level. The lower these are, the less accurate the reading, says Dr. Rene. Raynaud’s p Continue reading >>
The Claim: Diabetes Makes You Sensitive To Heat
THE FACTS Summer can be uncomfortable for anyone. But for people with diabetes, the heat and humidity can be particularly hazardous. One of the complications of diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, is an impaired ability to adjust to rises in temperature, which can cause dangerous increases in body temperature during the summer. The underlying problem, nerve damage, occurs in 60 to 70 percent of Americans with diabetes; it can affect nearly every organ in the body, including sweat glands. When nerve damage keeps the sweat glands from working properly, the body fails to cool down as the mercury rises. In one small study, scientists compared diabetic patients and a group of healthy control subjects as they were exposed to increasing temperatures. The subjects were hooked up to devices that measured skin temperature, core temperature and sweat rates. As temperatures rose, the control subjects’ perspiration rates increased proportionately; their core temperatures stayed constant. “For subjects with diabetes, sweat seemed to plateau irrespective of an alarming rise in core temperature,” the scientists wrote. “The diabetic subjects’ generalized inability to sweat across the body had a profound effect on core temperature.” Research by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona shows that diabetic patients have higher rates of adverse events — like hospitalizations, dehydration and death — in the heat. Yet a survey by the clinic found that many were unaware of the greater risk and the need for special precautions. THE BOTTOM LINE People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to hot weather. ANAHAD O’CONNOR [email protected] Continue reading >>
How Can Heat Affect Your Blood Sugar Level Stay Safe In The Sun
Changes of seasons do affect not only your mood but your overall health. In case you have diabetes, you should pay attention to these drastic changes in temperatures because they can alter your blood sugar levels. Heat does not directly affect your blood sugar levels but the release of hormones and metabolism. In fact, it affects your circulation, the activities you perform and the food you consume. All of these factors can lead to dehydration and blood sugar fluctuations. When you sweat profusely, you dehydrate and thus raise the glucose levels. If you use insulin, dehydration reduces your blood supply to the skin and lowers the absorption of the injected insulin. For those people who take glucose-lowering medications, hot weather increases the risk of hypoglycemia. According to the Joslin Diabetes Centre, the bodys metabolism is higher in humid and hot weather, and this can cause an increased risk of hypoglycemia. Make sure you do not disregard tiredness and sweating due to hot weather since they can be potential signs of hypoglycemia. Also, test your blood glucose more often in order to prevent this condition. According to NHS, people with diabetes have a higher risk of heat exhaustion. This condition occurs as a result of the loss of salts and water from the body. Some of the symptoms of heat exhaustion include: You can avoid this heat exhaustion by drinking plenty of water and avoiding direct exposure to the sun. Diabetes supplies such as insulin should be kept in a cool place and away from direct sunlight. Also, test strips can be affected by temperature as well. So, check your blood glucose levels in a cool place and make sure your test strips are stored away from direct sunlight. The standard temperature that insulin can tolerate is between 93-95 degrees F, but Continue reading >>
Heat And Diabetes
Living with diabetes blog Diabetes research is turning up new information on diabetes and diabetes management all the time. In 2009, I wrote a blog about the effects of heat on blood glucose control if you have diabetes. I mentioned, then, that heat doesn't have a direct effect on your blood glucose, but that heat can lead to changes in your daily routine which, in turn, can affect your blood glucose. Later research, published in September 2010 by researchers at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz., suggests, additionally, that some Arizonans with diabetes have considerable gaps in their "heat awareness." This lack of awareness led to actions such as waiting until temperatures were quite high (above 101 F, or 38.3 C) before taking precautions against the heat and leaving medications and supplies at home rather than risk exposing them to the heat — meaning not having the supplies to manage diabetes while away from home. Sweating is an important means of cooling the body in hot weather, and the ability to sweat can be affected in some people with diabetes. Other studies have shown an increase in emergency room visits, in those who have diabetes, when temperatures are high. Diabetes equipment and medications can also be affected by heat. Tips for managing diabetes in warm temperatures remain the same: Avoid sunburn, it can stress your body and can raise your blood glucose. Wear a good sunscreen, sunglasses and hat when out in the sun. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Carry a bottle of water with you on walks, etc. Exercise and do more strenuous activities in the early or later hours of the day when the temperatures are cooler and the sun is not at its peak. Check blood sugar levels frequently, since they may fluctuate. Remember, extreme temperature changes can have Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Heat, How Heat Affects You And Insulin, What To Do
Diabetes and Heat, How Heat Affects You and Insulin, What to Do Diabetes and Heat, How Heat Affects You and Insulin, What to Do People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes go through several blood sugar patterns during summer and its essential for them to be monitored to prevent a situation of high/low blood sugar levels. Diabetes and heat can be a dangerous combination if not monitored carefully. This article will provide you with a complete guide on how heat affects diabetes and how to manage it. How Heat Affects Diabetes?Hot days, high temperatures and sunburn can easily cause dehydration, which increases blood sugar levels due to glucose concentration. Heat also burns more calories and glucose, causing low blood sugar. Even diabetes medicines and aids lose their effectiveness in treating diabetes when exposed to heat. When extreme heat is reported in the news, its the diabetic patients who feel the heat more than those who do not have diabetes. For easy identification, if youre a diabetic patient you may sweat profusely during a hot summer. This is because diabetes has a strong connection with heat. The first thing we are faced with when it comes to the combination of diabetes and heat is dehydration. We all know during summer we dehydrate more. It doesnt matter whether its hot and humid or hot and dry, mild-to-severe, we all easily dehydrate during hot weather. For those not aware, 60 percent of our body weight is water, 75 percent of our muscle weight is water and even 85 percent of our brain is water. Likewise, water is a crucial element for the effective functioning of our body. What happens when you dehydrate is that the glucose levels in your bloodstream become a lot more concentrated. This concentration of glucose happens due to reducing water levels in the Continue reading >>
Heat And Type 1 Diabetes
Note: This article is part of our Daily Life library of resources. To learn more about the many things that affect your health and daily management of Type 1, visit here. Whether experiencing hot summer temperatures or a tropical vacation, it is important for everyone to beware of the heat – and the various effects that it can have on our bodies. Have you ever noticed your blood sugar either spiking or dropping rapidly in severe temperatures? Many people with Type 1 diabetes run into this issue and have been baffled as to why. Heat may have much more of an impact on your blood glucose levels than you realized! Keeping a close eye on your BG becomes even more important when in areas with higher temperatures. Here are some possible explanations to the heat’s role in blood sugar fluctuations, and some factors to keep in mind while enjoying your summer fun in the sun with Type 1! High blood sugar Heat can spike blood sugar levels easily if we are not properly hydrated. When the body is dehydrated, blood glucose becomes more concentrated due to the decrease in blood flow through the kidneys. This makes it much more difficult for the kidneys to remove any excess glucose from urine. How to fix it? Adjust insulin dosages as instructed by a medical professional, and most importantly drink plenty of water! Low blood sugar Blood glucose levels have been known to plummet in the heat – especially when combined with exercise. Why is this? Heat can cause the body’s blood vessels to expand, which in turn can speed up insulin absorption and potentially lead to hypoglycemia. This can be made worse when exercising due to the increased blood flow to certain areas, especially if insulin is injected in the legs. Also consider that hot tubs/jacuzzis or hot showers/baths can have the s Continue reading >>
How Heat And Humidity May Affect Blood Sugar
Hot weather does not directly alter blood glucose levels. However, sweltering temperatures affect our metabolism and the release of hormones. Heat and humidity influence how much and how fast we move, how much we perspire, blood circulation, the foods we want to eat, and the activities we choose to enjoy. Any of these factors, or a combination, might contribute to the experience of dehydration and blood sugar fluctuations. Six Steamy-Weather Influences We know when it is sizzling outside that we will sweat, and as the air wicks moisture from our skin the body cools. This cooling system works wonderfully as long as our body remains hydrated. If our body is low on fluids, the kidneys receive less blood flow and work less effectively. This might cause blood glucose concentrations to rise. If someone’s blood sugar is already running high in the heat, not only will they lose water through sweat but they might urinate more frequently too, depleting their body’s fluids even more. When the weather is tropical - hot and humid - the sweat on our skin cannot readily evaporate into the already soggy air. Our innate cooling system is less effective and the risk of heat exhaustion increases. Having poorly controlled or difficult-to-control blood sugar can inhibit some people’s ability to sweat. Without this effective natural cooling process, they are at higher risk for overheating—even when the humidity is not too high. While many diabetics notice higher blood sugar in hot weather, some individuals need less insulin when the weather turns significantly warmer. Although science has not figured out why this occurs, it may be owed to the dilation or widening of small blood vessels in hot temps. As these tiny blood vessels dilate, the body’s delivery system becomes more efficie Continue reading >>
How Many Factors Actually Affect Blood Glucose?
A printable, colorful PDF version of this article can be found here. twitter summary: Adam identifies at least 22 things that affect blood glucose, including food, medication, activity, biological, & environmental factors. short summary: As patients, we tend to blame ourselves for out of range blood sugars – after all, the equation to “good diabetes management” is supposedly simple (eating, exercise, medication). But have you ever done everything right and still had a glucose that was too high or too low? In this article, I look into the wide variety of things that can actually affect blood glucose - at least 22! – including food, medication, activity, and both biological and environmental factors. The bottom line is that diabetes is very complicated, and for even the most educated and diligent patients, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that affects blood glucose. So when you see an out-of-range glucose value, don’t judge yourself – use it as information to make better decisions. As a patient, I always fall into the trap of thinking I’m at fault for out of range blood sugars. By taking my medication, monitoring my blood glucose, watching what I eat, and exercising, I would like to have perfect in-range values all the time. But after 13 years of type 1 diabetes, I’ve learned it’s just not that simple. There are all kinds of factors that affect blood glucose, many of which are impossible to control, remember, or even account for. Based on personal experience, conversations with experts, and scientific research, here’s a non-exhaustive list of 22 factors that can affect blood glucose. They are separated into five areas – Food, Medication, Activity, Biological factors, and Environmental factors. I’ve provided arrows to show the ge Continue reading >>
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How Hot Weather Can Affect Your Diabetes Management
Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE, has been a registered pharmacist for more than 20 years and a Certified Diabetes Educator for more than 15 years. Her two sons were diagnosed with diabetes, and since then, she has been dedicated to promoting wellness and optimal outcomes as a patient advocate, information expert, educator, and corporate partner. As temperatures soar, so do blood sugar levels of many people with diabetes, while others saw their blood sugar levels drop. How is that possible, and what can we do to protect ourselves? First of all, we need to understand that excessive heat or cold puts a strain on the body. The body often goes into a flight-or-fight mode under stress, releasing hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These survival hormones cause the liver to release more glucose for energy, which can result in higher-than-normal blood sugars. To make it more confusing, low blood sugars can also occur during weather extremes as your body utilizes more energy to stay warm or tries to cool down. This can seem very complicated as we try to enjoy our vacations and maintain good blood sugar control. What you need to remember is that where your blood sugar takes you is dependent on other factors, such as hydration, exercise, and what you eat. Hydration is probably the single most important element to help us stay healthy outdoors. Clear fluids such as water are best, and have Gatorade or another electrolyte beverage handy if you are sweating excessively. Anyone with diabetes is especially prone to dehydration, which can become dangerous if left unchecked. Dehydration can also cause confusion, which may make a person unaware of a low blood sugar. The key piece of advice I can give you is to stay well hydrated and test blood sugars more frequently while outdoors. Als Continue reading >>
How Hot And Cold Weather Affects Your Blood Sugar
Find a weather-proof location to exercise all year round. Working out in your living room or local gym, or even just walking your local mall are all good options. When temperatures start to get out of control, so can your blood sugar. Both hot and cold weather extremes can affect your testing equipment and your medications, and have a negative impact on your body’s ability to produce and use insulin. Research shows that when it’s hot out, more people with diabetes end up in the ER and are hospitalized because of heat illness. The number of deaths in diabetes patients due to heat illness also increases in summer. Low temperatures can be an issue for people with diabetes as well. But you don’t have to let the environment have the upper hand. Taking a few smart precautions can help you outsmart Mother Nature. Here are the adjustments to make depending on where you live and the weather forecast. 6 Tips to Survive the Summer Heat Take these steps to keep your diabetes under control when the temperature soars: Stay hydrated. Lori Roust, MD, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, explains, “The problem is that in the heat, people tend to get dehydrated easily. When you’re dehydrated, you have higher concentrations of blood sugar because less blood flows through your kidneys. With less blood, your kidneys don’t work as efficiently to clear out any excess glucose (blood sugar) from your urine.” When it’s hot, be sure to drink plenty of water or sugar-free drinks. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to replenish fluids. Store your medications properly. High summer temps can affect your diabetes medications, glucose meter, and diabetes test strips. “When it’s hot out, it’s easy for insulin and other drugs to become degraded,” Dr. Roust says. Be su Continue reading >>
20 Reasons For Blood Sugar Swings
Your blood sugar can rise after you have coffee -- even black coffee with no calories -- thanks to the caffeine. The same goes for black tea, green tea, and energy drinks. Each person with diabetes reacts to foods and drinks differently, so it's best to keep track of your own responses. Ironically, other compounds in coffee may help prevent type 2 diabetes in healthy people. Many of these will raise your blood sugar levels. Why? They can still have plenty of carbs from starches. Check the total carbohydrates on the Nutrition Facts label before you dig in. You should also pay attention to sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and xylitol. They add sweetness with fewer carbs than sugar (sucrose), but they may still have enough to boost your levels. When you dig into a plate of sesame beef or sweet and sour chicken, it isn't just the white rice that can cause a problem. High-fat foods can make your blood sugar stay up for longer. The same is true for pizza, french fries, and other goodies that have a lot of carbs and fat. Check your blood sugar about 2 hours after you eat to know how a food affects you. Your blood sugar rises as your body works to fight off an illness. Drink water and other fluids to stay hydrated. Call your doctor if you've had diarrhea or vomiting for more than 2 hours or if you've been sick for 2 days and aren't getting better. Be aware that some medicines, such as antibiotics and the decongestants that can clear your sinuses, can affect your blood sugar. Overwhelmed or unhappy at work? It takes a toll. When you're under stress, your body releases hormones that can make your blood sugar rise.It's more common for people with type 2 diabetes. Learn to relax with deep breathing and exercise. Also, try to change the things that are stressing you out, if that's p Continue reading >>
