Endocrinology and Diabetes Consultant, Dr. Safiah Al-Sherbini has underlined that diabetes problems in the summer are the same in all other seasons. "Unfortunately, we have some bad habits in summer which complicate dealing with diabetes, whereas many people resort to changing their sleeping patterns by sleeping during the day instead of night, in a manner which affects taking meals and medicine regularly, therefore, affecting their glucose levels," she explained.
Dr. Safiah has provided diabetics with some advices which must be followed before travelling, including carrying sufficient medicines and medical reports which determines patient's health status and medication, providing enough care to foot, wearing comfortable shoes that protect foot from wounds, and carrying medicines, particularly insulin in small bags away from luggage as very low temperature in the medicine cabinet affects their quality. The patient may also ask his treating physician to include such information in the medical report as the majority of airlines don't allow carrying more than 100m of liquids in the handbag without a medical report.
In addition to that, she advised the patient to carry with him/her a glucose meter, sugar stripes, and a small bottle of locally made juice. Moreover, the patient must take medicine regularly, maintain his/her healthy diet and drink sufficient water.
This came while hosting of Dr. Safiah Al-Sherbini at the National Center for Media and Health Awareness of the Ministry of Health (MOH) via the Center’s toll-free number: 8002494444 and the Ministry's Twitter account: @SAUDIMOH. It is worth mentioning that the MOH has launched its health awareness campaign of this year's summer to educate community members on the summer and travelling diseases and provide them with the most common advices that will help protect them –Allah willing- from various diseases and health problems. To avoid developing type 2 diabetes, she advised the Information Center's audience to maintain fitness, start a daily exercise program, go on a healthy diet and reduce taking white (refined) sugar.
Responding to questions by a number of MOH's followers on Twitter, Dr. Safiah said that double vision (blurred vision) may occur because of diabetes complications resulting from a disorder in the nerves of the eye or brain or from any other diseases. "We should not show any tolerance towards this disease," she advised. Furthermore, she pointed out that mouth dryness (or xerostomia) could be one of the signs of high levels of blood sugar. "In this case, we have to measure glucose levels in blood," Dr. Safia said, adding that this disease might occur also as a result of breathing through the mouth while sleeping. She noted that there are other causes which must be defined and treated.
Likewise, she said that peripheral neuropathy might be one of the complications of diabetes. It usually begins with a numbing in the toes then extends to the top parts of the body to include hands. "However, this disease doesn't usually cause numbing to the whole body. There are also other causes for the occurrence of numbing such as the lack of vitamin B12, calcium and magnesium," she explained.
Dr. Safiah noted that diabetes patient may donate blood if blood sugar levels are maintained within the acceptable range provided that he must consult his treating physician before doing so. Wrapping up her speech, the Endocrinology and Diabetes Consultant said that in the pre-diabetes stage, levels of blood sugar are higher than normal but lower than diabetes, in which the blood glucose level read 100-127 mg/dl while fasting and 140-180 mg/dl after having a meal or a sugar solution. Thus, the person might develop diabetes.