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Posts Tagged ‘diabetes’

Managing Diabetes in the Summer. By Our Student Pharmacist, Anna Rader.

SummerDiabetesTips

Summer in Ohio means relaxing by the pool, spending time with friends and family at barbeques, and overall enjoying the warm weather before winter comes back again.

However, the increased temperatures can make it harder for diabetics to manage their blood sugar.

Here are some tips for managing diabetes during the hotter summer months.

7Tips

Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is a key element to managing diabetes in the summer. When dehydrated, blood sugar levels increase, leading to more urination, which worsens the dehydration. Not only does this cycle pose a problem, but dehydration can also lead to poor absorption of insulin. So, if your blood sugar gets too high the insulin used to correct it might not work as well if you’re dehydrated.

The best way to avoid dehydration is to drink plenty of water. Sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol will not help rehydrate.

Other ways to avoid dehydration include:

  • Wear loose, light-colored, light-weight clothing
  • Avoid activity in the hottest part of the day
  • Get active in the morning or evening

Be Flexible

Heat can affect blood sugar more than one might think. It’s important to check blood sugar more often in the summer and be flexible to adjusting insulin more frequently. Talk with your doctor about how to properly adjust insulin for the summer months. Time flies in the summer and setting alarms to remind you when to check blood sugar may be helpful to ensure you’re checking regularly.

Carry extra testing supplies, medication, and insulin with you just in case it’s needed. However, be aware these items should not be placed or stored in direct sunlight. Bring a smaller cooler to pack your items in to keep them cool in the heat.

Low blood sugar can be an issue in the summer, as well. Make sure you know the signs of low blood sugar and keep snacks with you to treat hypoglycemia when needed.

Easy snacks to pack that don’t need refrigeration include:

  • juice boxes
  • raisins
  • granola bars
  • applesauce pouches

These items can be kept in the car or on your person for quick use.

Signs of low blood sugar:

HypoglycemiaSX

Personal Care

Sunscreen is an important detail that is often overlooked in diabetes management. Sunburns can increase blood sugar and cause dehydration.

Sunscreen use should be an everyday occurrence for diabetics, with the use of SPF 30-50 for the best protection.

Sunglasses are another small item that can be overlooked, but have a big impact. Uncontrolled diabetes can negatively affect eyesight and diabetics should get an annual eye exam. Sunglasses with UV protection can protect the eyes from the sun’s harmful rays and keep the eyes from any further damage.

Appropriate foot care is another personal care item important to be mindful of in the summer. Diabetics should check their feet daily all year long for any damage to the skin or infections. The summer, though, is a time when people like to be barefoot or wear less supportive shoes. Diabetics should avoid being barefoot, especially on hot sand or pavement as these can cause unnecessary burns.

Check your feet daily, especially in the summer, and wear supportive footwear as much as possible.

The Ins and Outs of Blood Sugar Monitoring. By Our Student Pharmacist, Paul Matheke.

lancing3

As November, which was American Diabetes Month, comes to a close, it is important to remember the importance of blood sugar monitoring. Checking your blood sugar is essential to your diabetes care. Consistent blood sugar monitoring helps your providers see the trends in your diabetes and adjust your treatments accordingly.

However, we know that life can sometimes get in the way of consistent and quality readings. In addition, there are barriers that you could encounter that impact your willingness to check your sugars. And for those of you who don’t have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), we know there are a lot of steps involved in measuring and understanding your blood sugar levels. That is why we want to share some helpful tips to maximize the quality of your blood sugar monitoring routine.

  • When it comes to your finger-sticks: location matters.
    • Some patients report issues with finger-sticking to be the biggest barrier in their monitoring routine. Oftentimes, the issue patients have with their finger-sticks is pain. Whenever a patient is reporting excessive pain with lancet use, the location of their finger-sticks is often the culprit. There are two easy ways you can reduce finger-stick pain:
      • Sticking on the sides of your fingertips rather than the center
      • Rotating your fingers for sticking
    • Many patients who have excessive finger-stick pain use their lancet on the center of their fingertips. Now it’s not hard to imagine why this location could present a problem. This is the most sensitive area of your finger! Try using your lancet on the sides of your fingertips and you should notice a big difference in the pain you may experience during finger-sticks.
    • In addition, many patients use the same fingers for their sticking. Repeatedly sticking the same finger presents more opportunities for pain and over time may cause your skin to become calloused. The calloused skin will be difficult to stick and draw enough blood for a reading. That is why it is important to rotate your fingers for lancet sticks.

1009006-Lancets_5-to-consider_with-BG

  • If lancets give you needle anxiety, tell your doctor!
    • There can be alternative lancing devices that may be more comfortable for you.
  • Find a routine that works for you.
    • Forming a habit of when you check your sugars is one of the easiest ways to have a strong glucose monitoring routine. This routine building starts with your diet and meals. It is important to keep your meal timing and size consistent each day and reduce snacking. Inconsistency with your meals can impact the quality of your blood sugar readings and make controlling your diabetes more challenging.
  • Measure your sugars at the right time.
    • Make sure you are measuring at the best times to record your sugar. Generally, there are three great times to be checking your blood sugar that will help your doctor assess your diabetes plan:
      • When you wake up
      • Right before eating a meal or two hours after eating
      • If you are having symptoms of high or low blood sugar
    • Remember your fasting sugar goal, the level you take right when you wake up and before you eat breakfast, is 80 mg/dL – 130 mg/dL.
      • This may also be your goal before eating any meal throughout the day.
    • Your sugar goal two hours after eating is going to be anything less than 180 mg/dL.
  • Record everything.
    • Many patients don’t check their sugars as often as their doctor wants because whenever they check their numbers are usually fine. Also, some patients may be afraid of “bad” numbers.
      • Unfortunately, it’s not enough to check your sugars whenever you feel like they are good.
      • Your providers want to see the full picture of your diabetes and the best way to do that is to measure consistently and often.
      • Providers want to see the trends of your sugars. Just because your sugars are good at one time of the day does not mean they are where they need to be at other times.
      • If your sugars run high at other times of the day, your diabetes therapy may need to be adjusted.
      • Finally, there are no such thing as “bad” numbers. You do not need to hide bad numbers from your doctor. Your providers want to know if your sugars are running too high or too low, because this can harm you and may mean a need to optimize your diabetes therapy. Knowing consistent numbers helps individualize your care.
    • Keep a blood sugar reading log.
      • Many patients take readings, but do not log what these readings mean. When they go to the doctor with all their readings, it can be difficult to remember the circumstances surrounding each reading. The numbers are great, but blood sugar monitoring is even more effective when we can start to figure out how blood sugars tend to run.
      • Ask your doctor for a blood sugar monitoring log.
      • Make note of the differences between what you ate or what was happening around each reading.

Ultimately, blood sugar monitoring is vital because it helps you take control of your diabetes and receive the best care from your providers. That is why it’s important to discuss your diabetes care and goals with your doctor so you can get an individualized plan.

lancinglog

References:

[1] ADA. The Big Picture: Checking your Blood Sugar. American Diabetes Association. Accessed November 24, 2021. https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/medication-treatments/blood-glucose-testing-and-control/checking-your-blood-sugar

[2] CDC. Monitoring Your Blood Sugar. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated August 10, 2021. Accessed November 24, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/managing-blood-sugar/bloodglucosemonitoring.html

Images:

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/best-lancets#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

[2] https://www.statnews.com/2019/10/08/time-in-range-new-metric-diabetes-blood-sugar/

[3] https://www.postertemplate.co.uk/templates/health/blood-sugar-chart-templates/

Surviving Cough and Cold Season with High Blood Pressure or Diabetes. By Our Student Pharmacist, Alexander Schlater.

cough_cold_medicines

So you’ve got high blood pressure and diabetes, and now, on top of everything else, you’ve got a cold.

You head to your neighborhood pharmacy to pick up some medicine for your incessant cough and pounding headache. As you navigate the aisles scanning a hundred different boxes, all claiming to provide maximum relief, you wonder which is right for you. You also remember an article you read on the Internet, that some cough and cold products can be dangerous if you have high blood pressure or diabetes. You see a box that says for high blood pressure, but that price tag can’t be right, can it? Luckily, your friendly pharmacist notices you are troubled and comes over to assist. You detail your predicament and they happily explain everything you need to know about choosing cough and cold products if you have high blood pressure or diabetes.

First of all, don’t be intimidated by the mountain of choices on the shelf. Most cough and cold products use the same handful of ingredients in different combinations under different brand names. If you ask a pharmacist about a product, the first thing they will do is flip the box over to see what the active ingredients are, and you should too. All too often people will choose a product with a familiar brand name without knowing what they are actually getting. Some products will specifically say they are safe with high blood pressure or diabetes, but many products that don’t say this are still perfectly safe. Don’t pay a premium for the same ingredients with a fancy label.

blood_pressure

If you have high blood pressure:

If you have high blood pressure, but your blood pressure is well controlled by taking blood pressure medication, you may be okay to use cough and cold products, especially for short term use, but check with your doctor.

Check the label for these active ingredients that can raise your blood pressure:

Use caution taking products containing NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen. These are used to treat pain, fever, and swelling and may be sold alone or in combination products used for cough and cold or flu. These can make high blood pressure worse especially at higher doses.

Although aspirin is considered an NSAID, at low doses it can actually help protect your heart. If your doctor prescribed or recommended daily aspirin for heart health, keep taking it as directed.

As an alternative you can take acetaminophen. It has the same effect on reducing pain and fever, but won’t affect your blood pressure.

Use caution taking nasal decongestants.

These come in two main types, pills or nasal sprays. The pills contain either the ingredient pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. Pseudoephedrine is the one sold behind the pharmacy counter. Both can increase your blood pressure. The nasal sprays contain either the ingredient oxymetazoline or phenylephrine (the same one as in the pill).

As an alternative you can use an intranasal steroid such as fluticasone, triamcinolone, or budesonide. These can help with nasal congestion without affecting your blood pressure, and, if you have allergies, they will help with those too.

sugar_free

If you have diabetes:

As with high blood pressure, if your diabetes is well controlled with medications, these products may be suitable for short term use.

Use caution taking nasal decongestants. The same ones that can raise your blood pressure can raise your blood sugar. These include pills containing the ingredients pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, and the nasal sprays containing the ingredients phenylephrine and oxymetazoline.

Use caution with liquid, chewable, and lozenge medications.

These products often contain sweeteners which may increase your blood sugar. Since sweeteners are inactive ingredients, they might be harder to identify from the label. When in doubt, check with your pharmacist. If possible, opt for a pill that is swallowed. Many products also have sugar free varieties available.

As you can see, there really aren’t that many products that you need to avoid. Don’t be intimidated by all the different brand names and sensational claims. Check your medication label for the active ingredients and know what you are taking. And rest assured, if you’re ever unsure of what is best to take, your pharmacist always has your back. All you have to do is ask.

Diabetes: Don’t Sugar Coat It! By Our June Student Pharmacist, Brittany Roy.

According to 2010 statistics taken from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes Mellitus was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and affected approximately 25.8 million Americans. This number increased to 29.1 million in 2012 and has continued to rise. Because of the long-term complications that can result from diabetes, it is important that patients are educated about what the disease is and how to recognize symptoms so that they know when to seek help from their doctor.

So let’s start by talking about what exactly is happening in the body when you have diabetes.

Insulin and sugar overview

Your body is entirely made up of individual working units called “cells.” These cells make up your skin, bones, blood, and organs that are responsible for keeping you alive. In order for the cells of your body to function properly, they need energy in the form of sugar. The food that you eat is changed into a type of sugar called “glucose,” which then travels in your blood stream to all of the different cells in your body to be utilized as energy. However, in order for this sugar to move from your blood into the cells, your body needs insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas. You can think of insulin as the “key” that unlocks the cells and allows glucose to enter.

In patients with Diabetes Mellitus, their body is either unable to produce enough insulin (most commonly associated with Type 1) or unable to properly utilize the insulin that it produces (Type 2). Because of this, cells remain “locked” and glucose (sugar) is unable to get in. This results in patients having too much glucose in their bloodstream (referred to as “hyperglycemia”) and not enough in their cells.

Consistently high blood glucose levels can cause damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and heart, and can also cause nerve damage. High glucose levels can also lead to slow wound healing, vision loss, kidney failure, stroke, heart attacks, numbness or tingling in your extremities or, in severe circumstances, amputation of extremities.

diabetes-symptomsIncluded is a diagram that shows symptoms associated with high levels of blood glucose. It is important to contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms so that you can be tested for diabetes.

While there is currently no cure for diabetes, proper control can help to reduce the chances of developing some of these complications. Most people will eventually end up having to use insulin injections in order to control their blood glucose levels. However, in addition to medication use, good control can also be achieved by lifestyle modifications involving proper nutrition and regular exercise.

This is a very brief overview of diabetes–it is simply too broad of a topic with too much information to include in one short blog post.

However, I hope that you at least now have a better understanding of what diabetes is and how to recognize it. For further questions, simply ask your doctor or pharmacist! Or you can check out the American Diabetes Association’s website. They have a ton of detailed and valuable information available in patient-friendly terms. Just follow the link: www.diabetes.org

 

 

 

References:

www.learningaboutdiabetes.org

www.diabetes.org

http://blog.diabetesms.com/?p=2767

http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/cray-diabetes-center/living-with-diabetes/what-is-diabetes.html