One of the complications / side effects of having a high sugar level is the effect on the foot. Too often, one hears of people with very high sugar levels who have had to have their feet amputated due to the damage caused by a high blood glucose level. This makes it essential that you try to keep your sugar levels in check, and at the same time make sure that you get your feet checked out at regular intervals (more so if you are a diabetic with a high sugar level). Some of the steps you should take to ensure that your feet remain healthy are:
- Visit your doctor for regular inspection of your feet
- Make sure that your feet are washed on a daily basis, and you do not ignore any wounds or lesions on your feet
- Be careful about what you apply between your toes, since that area tends to retain oils for longer periods
- Make sure that you do not get tempted to increase your toenails (cut them often), and cut them straight (since that reduces the chances of having ingrown nails at the corners of the nails)
- Make sure that your feet remain warm and dry (this means that you should not subject your feet to cold conditions, and if wet, dry them quickly)
- This one is a bit more strange, but important. Don’t sit with your feet crossed.
Posts Tagged ‘High Blood Sugar’
Quick tip: Foot care for diabetics
November 14th, 2009Diabetes – Avoiding weight gain due to accumulation of glucose
November 14th, 2009One of the main characteristics of Diabetes Mellitus is the inability of the cells of the body to absorb the glucose present in the blood steam. This results in a higher level of the glucose in the blood, which is why the sugar levels of the diabetes afflicted is normally higher. However, a high level of blood sugar (with fasting above 110, post Prandial above 140 mg) can lead to damage to different sections of the body such as the blood vessels, the kidney, feet, eyes, and also lead to cardio-vascular problems. However, another side effect is the accumulation of this unabsorbed glucose leading to the weight level of the patient increasing. This increase in weight has other side effects, and is something that needs to be avoided.
How do you avoid an increase of the weight that is normally a part of diabetes ? Well, there is no easy way – you need to control your diet, and increase the level of physical exercise you do. Some of the measures you can take are:
- Have a more regulated diet – Eat breakfast regularly, and eat healthy. Contrary to popular belief that skipping meals helps, it can result in a reduced level of the body metabolism, which means the energy being burnt by the body reduces.
- Eat healthy. In today’s world, the consumption of junk foods such as fried stuff, pizzas, burgers, chips and fries, carbonated high sugar fizzy drinks, all of these tend to increase the weight of the body. You should modify this diet to include more fibre such as vegetables, oats, whole grains, etc. This has a great effect in controlling the gain in weight.
- Exercise. If you are going somewhere close by, walk rather than go by car. Go out for walks after meals. If you can use the stairs rather than the elevator, do so. Go for a jog in the morning, and soon you will find that you get a energy rush in the morning that helps you for the rest of the day.
- Check you sugar levels periodically. This helps in ensuring that your sugar level remains in control, and has a good effect on weight control.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetes
October 13th, 2009Fasting : 80-120 mg/dl
Pre-meal : Less than 130 mg/dl
Post-meal(PP) : Less than 160 mg/dl
A diabetic should strive to maintain his/her blood sugar level as close to normal level as possible.
Low Blood Sugar
Insulin or pills help to control diabetes but can sometimes cause low blood sugar, especially during/after exercise if you :
- Skip a meal.
- Eat late meals.
- Do not eat enough.
- Take too much medication.
If you have low blood sugar, you may feel shaky or dizzy, sweaty irritable, hungry or tired. In such conditions, it is important to eat or drink something sweet right away. Consult your doctor immediately.
High Blood Sugar
In general, high blood sugar is defined as plasma glucose above 126 mg/dl fasting and above 200 mg/dl after meals. If your blood sugar remains high for long periods of time, it can cause significant short term and long term complications as mentioned. It is therefore important to keep your blood sugar under control by creating a balance between lifestyle modifications and medications such as pills or insulin.
