Type 2 diabetics are especially susceptible to the effects of summer heat. If blood sugar levels are not kept in check, dehydration is a very real danger. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of type 2 diabetics have to make a trip to the emergency room to be re-hydrated... and millions of type 2 diabetics ruin their medications or testing supplies by exposing them to the heat.
Most Type 2 diabetics don't realize that the temperature outside does not have to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or even more before there is a danger of heat-related illness. Most diabetics have an impaired ability to sweat. If there is high humidity, even 80 to 90 degrees F (27 to 32 degrees C), can bring on heatstroke or dehydration. Every year people with Type 2 diabetes die because they did not know they could not stand a "little" heat.
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
dizziness or even fainting
muscle cramps
cool, clammy skin
headaches
nausea
a rapid heartbeat
Three Tips to Help Avoid Dehydration:
1. Check your blood sugar levels often when it is hot; both high and low blood sugar levels can be be a problem during the heat.
2. Take care with exercising... it is best to exercise early in the morning or in the evening when the temperatures are lower... miss exercise during the daytime altogether when the temperatures are high.
3. Drink plenty of water, add lemon slices to help it taste refreshing. Fruit juice and sports drinks are loaded with sugar and can add to the problem.
Medications Can be Affected by the Summer Heat Also:
1. Summer heat is also harmful to diabetic medications, especially insulin. More than about an hour of exposure to 98 degree F (37 degree C) heat ruins insulin. Leaving a vial of insulin in your car with the windows rolled up can ruin it in minutes. Heat inside an unventilated vehicle can run as high as 140 to 160 degrees F (50 to 60 degrees C). But insulin is not the only medication that can be ruined by heat.
2. Oral diabetes medications, test strips, and test meters likewise can be ruined by heat.
The solution is not to leave these supplies at home during the summer. It is best to carry a glucometer with you, especially if there is danger of uncontrolled high blood sugars that accompany deadly dehydration. Keep these supplies in insulated totes that you cool with a "blue ice" pack, and always keep a back up supply of blue ice in the freezer at home. For occasions when it is not possible to use a refrigerator, keep a supply of water-activated Frio to keep insulin, oral medications, and diabetes supplies cool without refrigeration when there is no electricity or the electricity goes out.
With careful planning you can still enjoy summer and have stable blood sugar levels.
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You will get access to information diabetics have asked for over recent months.
Beverleigh Piepers RN... the Diabetes Detective.
http://drugfreetype2diabetes.com/blog
Beverleigh Piepers is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article are complete and active. Copyright (c) 2010 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
