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How to manage diabetes in heat

People with diabetes have a higher risk of heat exhaustion than those without condition because of their reduced capacity to sweat.

Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is unable to cool after exposure to high temperatures and humidity or even intense exercise episodes.

“In a person with diabetes, there is more concerns beyond blood sugar,” said Aimée José, RN, CDCE, a diabetes coach based in the San Diego region. “There are really two reasons. The first is neuropathy, which affects their ability to sweat. And the second is that when blood sugar increases, it can really worsen the effects of dehydration. It is much more difficult for the body to cool.”

Current signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • Sweating
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Dizzy or dizziness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fast pulse
  • Headache
  • Fresh and moist skin despite the heat
  • Muscle cramps

If you or someone you know feel these symptoms, look for shade, drink moisturizing liquids and cool the body with damp cloths or cold packs. The symptoms of thermal exhaustion can imitate those of low blood sugar, it is therefore important to check the blood sugar and, if it is weak, eat a snack to bring them back to the target beach.

If it is not recognized and treated early, heat exhaustion can quickly progress towards a heat stroke, which causes a very high body temperature (around 106 degrees F).

José says that signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion or a heat stroke in a person with diabetes should be treated as an emergency and justify a trip to the emergency service. “Do not wait because the exhaustion of heat can easily cause other dangerous problems, such as diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA]. “”

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