Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can be a very temperamental chronic illness to live with. Not only can it change on a daily basis due to lifestyle choices and bodily functions, it can also be greatly affected by the external world. Seasons, altitude and high stress environments are just some of the everyday encounters that can affect type 1 diabetes. Luckily, there are precautions we can take to learn how to live better with type 1 diabetes.
Warm seasonal changes or travelling to a hot climate can have disastrous effects on type 1 diabetes. Higher external temperature not only affects the body of a type 1 diabetic, but their supplies as well. Taking the proper steps to prevent any potential heat-related disasters is necessary to enjoying the warmth.
Read on to learn more about the specific ways in which heat affects type 1 diabetes as well as the easy precautions we can take to keep our bodies and minds happy so we can relax when the temperatures rise.
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Heat and the Body
Every person living with type 1 diabetes is different, and everyone’s diabetes is different too. Therefore the effects of external factors on two people living with type 1 diabetes can be greatly varied. For some, the heat may cause blood glucose levels to go low, and any exercise done in a hot environment can cause major low glucose events. On the contrary, for some, the heat causes glucose levels to rise, and can cause dangerously high glucose which can lead to ketoacidosis.
Dehydration is also a lot more common in the heat and when a body is experiencing dehydration, it typically does not absorb the hormone that regulates glucose in the blood as well. For a person living with type 1 diabetes this can lead to prolonged high blood sugar and possibly ketoacidosis.