Everyone longs for the warmer days of summer, but high heat can be dangerous for those with diabetes and extreme heatwaves can even be deadly. A combination of high heat levels and diabetes affects individuals in multiple ways and both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics are impacted.
High heat environments indirectly raise glucose levels. Engaging in activities requiring significant physical exertion causes people to sweat more. Diabetics can quickly become dehydrated without even realizing it and dehydration increases glucose levels. Even mild exercise can adversely affect diabetics and is why air conditioning and staying hydrated are so important for them.
Elevated temperatures can affect how the body utilizes insulin. Diabetics may need to test their blood more often to ensure their glucose levels aren’t too high or too low. They may also need to adjust what they eat and drink, along with their insulin dosage to compensate.
Diabetics get dehydrated more quickly than others in high temperatures. They sweat more and even if they drink more, they’ll typically have to urinate more frequently which can also be a component of dehydration.
Another issue for diabetics is complications of the disease such as damage to nerves, blood vessels, and sweat glands that can affect the ability to perspire and cool the body effectively. The impairment can quickly result in the medical emergencies of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Summer heat is often accompanied by high humidity levels that are equally dangerous for diabetics. The body’s natural cooling mechanism enables the body to sweat and as perspiration evaporates, the body is cooled. Humid conditions impair the process.
People with diabetes need to be careful when summer turns up the heat and humidity levels rise. Special attention should be paid to activity levels and hydration requirements. Testing glucose levels more frequently may become necessary depending on lifestyles, level of exertion, and the availability of a cooler environment to prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
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