Why Diabetes Increases Burn Risk, And Tips To Stay Safe

Why diabetes increases burn risk, and tips to stay safe

Burns can happen to anyone, but people with diabetes may be more susceptible than others. In fact, between 10 and 15 percent of patients admitted to our Burn Center have diabetes.
High or unstable blood sugar levels, the hallmark of diabetes, can damage your nerves and blood vessels. This can cause poor circulation, which can leave you feeling cold, particularly your feet.
We often see patients who were burned trying to warm their legs and feet using hot water and heating pads or by propping them up against heaters and radiators. In the summer, we see people who burn their feet walking barefoot on very hot concrete.
Damaged nerves cause you to lose feeling, so you may not be aware you're being burned. And it also leaves your body less able to fight infection and heal from a burn.
Even a small burn can quickly get out of control, and one in 10 patients with diabetes who burn their feet requires amputation. But by following a few simple tips to prevent burns and seeking immediate treatment when one occurs, we can better thwart these types of outcomes.
Tips to prevent burns when you have diabetes
There are a few simple things you can do to avoid burn injuries:
Set a timer when using a heating pad. This will ensure you don’t accidentally leave it on too long or fall asleep with it on. It’s also a good idea to put a piece of cloth/clothing between the pad and your skin.
Avoid sitting too close to a warming device, such as a heater, radiator or fireplace. They can be hotter than you think and cause mild or severe burns.
Check water temperature with a thermometer or your elbow Continue reading

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Glu : The New Complication: Aging with Type 1 Diabetes

Update: You can now listen to our Diabetespeaks podcast episode of this event by clicking here: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ny8f7-7e17c9
With incredible breakthroughs in diabetes technology, therapy and clinical care, people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are living longer than ever. But as people age, they take on a whole separate host of challenges that are compounded by T1D. Many fear they will not have the self-reliance, care, support, or financial resources necessary to manage their blood sugar and continue to live well with diabetes in their golden years.
Last month, this concerning issue was presented at T1D Exchanges Annual Meeting. Four individuals currently or soon facing this dilemma spoke on a patient panel, bringing to light a new complication of type 1 diabetes rarely discussed in a public forum.
This is a new problem, based on our recent success in treating T1D, said Dr. Nick Argento , an endocrinologist and person with diabetes (PWD). The Joslin 50-year survivors used to be sort of an elite group. Thats not true anymore. Now, its expected, not the exception.
Joining Argento on stage was Paul Madden, Bunny Kasper, and Sandy Brooks, each with a different diabetes experience, but all in their later stages of life.
Bunny Kasper , who is in her mid-seventies and has lived with diabetes most of her adult life, volunteers as a support group leader for families with children who have T1D. She shared that this group of parents recently commented that she should find diabetes management easier because shes been doing it for so long. But what they didnt u Continue reading

Want to avoid diabetes? Drink alcohol!

Rediff.com Getahead Want to avoid diabetes? Drink alcohol!
It's not every day that medical studies say alcohol could be good for you but according to a recent study, drinking alcohol can significantly protect against diabetes.
Frequent alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes in both men and women, according to the study; alcohol consumption over three or four days a week gives the lowest risk of diabetes.
Previous studies have consistently suggested that light to moderate alcohol consumption -- in terms of amount consumed -- is associated with a lower risk of diabetes compared with abstention in men and women, whilst heavy consumption is associated with a risk greater than or equal to that of abstainers. However previous studies examining the role of drinking patterns (number of days drinking per week rather than volume) in relation to diabetes risk have given inconsistent findings, and studies on the effects of particular types of beverage are likewise inconclusive.
The present study, by Professor Janne Tolstrup and colleagues from the National Institute of Public Health of the University of Southern Denmark, examined the effects of drinking frequency on diabetes risk, and also considered association with specific beverage types.
The study used data from the Danish Health Examination Survey (DAHNES) from 2007-2008, in which Danish citizens aged 18 and over completed a self-reporting questionnaire, including items on lifestyle and health.Those who already had diagnosed diabetes were excluded, as were women who were pregnant or had recently Continue reading

Cannabis And Diabetes

A 2015 study tested 16 diabetic patients with neuropathy of the feet. Each patient received four testing doses. They each tried a placebo, low THC, moderate THC, and high THC. Patients took a two-week break before changing doses. The results? Patients felt a dose-dependent relief from neuropathic pain with cannabis treatment.Yet, another 2009 study found something different. The clinical trial tested 30 neuropathy patients with Sativex, a GW Pharmaceuticals drug created for multiple sclerosis patients. Sativex contains a 1 to 1 ratio of THC to CBD. In this trial, the Sativex was not effective in reducing neuropathic pain.
Both of these studies provide conflicting results, indicating that there is a lot we still need to learn about cannabis treatments. In animal models of diabetic neuropathy, cannabis has effectively improved nerve response.In fact, treatment with cannabis extract restored thermal pain perception in rats without worsening blood sugar levels. But, as always, more human research is needed.
Diabetes can also damage your eyes. Diabetic retinopathy occurs from damage to the small blood vessels behind the retina. It can eventually lead to blindness, and is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 20 to 64. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to suffer from this form of ocular degeneration.Fortunately, cannabis may be able to help this complication as well. 2006 research found that CBD may protect the eye from a growing plethora of leaky blood vessels. In diabetes, its not uncommon to experience ischemia, where different organs in your bo Continue reading

OLIVES: This low-carb snack fights inflammation, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and even helps you lose weight

Plus a LOT of other health benefits from this high-fat superfood!
Co-author of the best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix
This ONE Low Carb Snack Can Save Your Life, Prevent Alzheimer’s, Help You Lose Weight AND Look Younger!
You’ve seen them on every relish tray, in garnishes, in salads, and Italian and Greek dishes, and of course, the martini! I am talking about the ubiquitous olive—both green and black olives. While their oil seems to get all the attention, olives themselves are an awesome snack!
What’s so special about these oft overlooked little globes?
Olives contain all the same healthy fats that olive oil has. In fact, about 80% of the olive is in the form of healthy high oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. The same, of course that is in olive oil. This monounsaturated fat is anti-inflammatory and low glycemic making them an extremely healthy, low carb snack option.
Olives’ large collection of antioxidants not only help fight disease, but they also actually fight cancer, heart disease, weight gain, diabetes and help reverse aging! Olives even help boost blood levels of the powerful anti-aging substance, glutathione, which is one of the body’s most important antioxidant nutrients because of ability to recycle antioxidants. And they are the perfect Keto/low glycemic snack!
Olives come in green and black and if you’ve ever seen an olive bar at the grocery store, you will realize there are actually many, many different varieties of olives—all with varying levels of antioxidants—but all are ric Continue reading