Thursday, July 21, 2016

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.
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