Is Your Diabetes Harder to Control in the Heat? Here's What You Can Do

 Summer is here, but not everyone loves the rising temperatures and longer days  especially if you have diabetes to manage. Dehydration, fluctuating blood sugar, and heat fatigue can also make the season a challenging time.  Understanding how your body responds to temperature changes is critical in ensuring effective diabetes management in summer.

How Heat Affects Blood Sugar Levels
 

Get ready to sweat  and not in the figurative sense: Insulin use in your body will be affected by the intense heat. High temperatures can cause your blood vessels to expand, which accelerates insulin absorption and may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Conversely, if you are dehydrated, you may have blood glucose spikes. Summer generally lends itself to an increase in activity, which throws another wrench into blood sugar control.

Poor storage of drugs, particularly insulin, can also render medications less effective. Glucometer accuracy and strip performance, essential tools for everyday monitoring, may also be affected by heat. Therefore, being proactive is essential for stable diabetes management in summer.

Tips for Managing Diabetes During the Summer Months
 

• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration, which can raise blood sugar levels.
• Monitor Blood Sugar Frequently: Heat can mask symptoms of hypoglycemia. Check your levels more often than usual.
• Store Medications Safely: Always keep insulin and other medications in a cool, shaded area. Avoid leaving them in a car or direct sunlight.
• Wear Lightweight, Breathable Clothing: This helps regulate your body temperature and reduces the risk of heat exhaustion.
• Avoid Midday Sun: Schedule walks or workouts during cooler parts of the day, like early morning or evening.
• Use a Cooling Pack: Especially when going outdoors, use insulated pouches for insulin pens or vials.
  
   

Controlling diabetes can be trickier in the summer, but it’s completely manageable with the proper strategies. Be aware of how heat affects your body, stay hydrated and modify plans as appropriate. Take medications and keep devices at proper temperatures and check glucose levels more often during outdoor activities.

Don’t forget, your health doesn’t go on vacation and neither does your diabetes management. And if you’re noticing any unusual and unexplained changes, or if what you have been doing suddenly feels less effective to manage your symptoms  it is critical to get in touch with your health care provider.

With our experienced endocrinologists at GEM Hospital by your side, we can optimize your diabetes care during summer so that you can make the most of the summer fun, irrespective of the temperature outdoors. We provide cutting-edge diagnostics, personalized consultation and lifestyle recommendations specifically targeted to diabetic patients in the heat of the summer.

Schedule an appointment  with GEM Hospital now and get started on the right track for your summer diabetes care. Your health is worth the effort, truth be told, but especially in warm weather. Stay calm, stay safe and be smart with your diabetes this summer.