Diabetes research is turning up new information on diabetes and diabetes management all the time. In 2009, I wrote a blog about the effects of heat on blood glucose control if you have diabetes. I mentioned, then, that heat doesn't have a direct effect on your blood glucose, but that heat can lead to changes in your daily routine which, in turn, can affect your blood glucose.
Later research, published in September 2010 by researchers at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz., suggests, additionally, that some Arizonans with diabetes have considerable gaps in their "heat awareness."
This lack of awareness led to actions such as waiting until temperatures were quite high (above 101 F, or 38.3 C) before taking precautions against the heat and leaving medications and supplies at home rather than risk exposing them to the heat — meaning not having the supplies to manage diabetes while away from home.
Sweating is an important means of cooling the body in hot weather, and the ability to sweat can be affected in some people with diabetes. Other studies have shown an increase in emergency room visits, in those who have diabetes, when temperatures are high. Diabetes equipment and medications can also be affected by heat.
Tips for managing diabetes in warm temperatures remain the same:
In extreme heat, also take these extra measures: