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Managing Your Health in the Fall Season for Diabetic Patients: Tips and Precautions

[건강이 최고] Be careful about overeating and drinking too much, drink plenty of water, and get vaccinated against the flu.

The most important factor in preventing and managing diabetes is practicing a regular and healthy lifestyle. In dry and unpredictable weather like fall, you may have difficulty managing your blood sugar levels. We introduce 7 ways to manage your health in the fall season for diabetic patients with the help of Professor Ko Gyeong-soo of the Diabetes Center at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital (Director of Sanggye Paik Hospital).

1. Be careful about overeating and drinking too much

Fall is the season when appetite increases. It is very difficult to resist eating delicious food in front of you, but it is most important not to overeat.

Diabetic patients are prone to overeating even if they only eat small amounts of various types of food. Excessive drinking or high-calorie, fatty foods make it difficult to control blood sugar and weight. Even if you eat as much as you can, it is best to eat only enough to feel full, and you should avoid anything that seems sweet or greasy at first glance.

2. One or two pieces of fruit are enough

Fall fruits with high sugar content also require caution. Fruits that increase blood sugar levels vary depending on each individual’s level of blood sugar control, but if blood sugar control is well controlled, it is advisable to eat one or two pieces of one type per day.

3. You must drink plenty of water

In the fall season, when the weather is dry, it is important to drink enough water. The recommended daily water intake (mL) for diabetic patients is to multiply their body weight (kg) by 30. For example, if your weight is 60kg, about 1,800mL (60×30) is appropriate. Drinking a lot of water does not affect blood sugar control.

However, in severe hyperglycemia, the amount of urine increases and secondary dehydration occurs, causing thirst, so in this case, drinking water is the only way to prevent hyperglycemia from worsening. Additionally, if you consume beverages that contain a lot of sugar, blood sugar levels rise, urine output increases, dehydration occurs, and the vicious cycle of thirst again may repeat.

4. Pay attention to skin care

Skin becomes dry in the fall, which can worsen itchiness, so you need to frequently apply moisturizer to keep your skin moisturized.

If high blood sugar becomes severe, dehydration can cause the skin to become dry and itchy. In addition, since whole body itching may appear as an early symptom of diabetic neuropathy, it is necessary to control blood sugar levels and regularly check for complications.

In women, fungal vaginitis may cause itchy symptoms around the genital area. In this case, infection treatment should be combined with blood sugar control.

5. Get vaccinated against flu and pneumonia

Diabetic patients are vulnerable to infections, so it is advisable to get vaccinated. The fall vaccines recommended for diabetic patients are the influenza vaccine and the pneumococcal (pneumococcal) vaccine administered every October to December. The pneumococcal vaccine is recommended to be administered every five years, but recently, vaccines that are effective even after being administered once in a lifetime are being used.

6. Be more careful on days when you’re sick

On days when the body is sick due to a cold, infection, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., the need for insulin increases relatively, causing blood sugar levels to rise, and in severe cases, dehydration and ketoacidosis may occur.

Therefore, when you are sick due to a cold, etc., you should perform a self-blood sugar test every 4 hours, and if you have diarrhea or vomiting, you should test your blood sugar more often. It is best to take insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic agents as usual, and visit a hospital if symptoms such as high fever, nausea, or vomiting become severe.

7. Exercise safely

Fall is a good season for exercising. For safe exercise, checking blood sugar levels before exercise is essential.

If your blood sugar level before exercise is more than 300 mg/dL, postpone exercise. If it is less than 100 mg/dL, exercise after eating a snack because there is a risk of hypoglycemia during exercise. It is appropriate to exercise 1-2 hours after a meal, and if high blood sugar persists, it is best to avoid exercise and take a rest. It is also a good idea to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and bring snacks to prevent low blood sugar. Before and after exercising, you should check your feet for any wounds such as ulcers.

If you have diabetic retinopathy as a complication of diabetes, a rapid rise in blood pressure may cause retinal hemorrhage, so you should be careful not to exceed 170 mmHg in systolic blood pressure during exercise.

Daeik Kwon Medical reporter [email protected]

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2023-09-22 19:20:00

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