In winter, when it is cold, eating will increase relatively in order to maintain body heat. Under normal circumstances, cold promotes the breakdown of liver glycogen into glucose in the body, and the secretion of insulin increases accordingly, promoting the uptake of glucose by muscle tissues to generate heat. In diabetic patients, due to the lack of insulin, glycogen breakdown increases and cannot be used by muscle tissue, resulting in an increase in blood glucose. Therefore, diabetic patients in winter will be relatively aggravated, according to clinical observation, winter is the season of diabetes aggravation and more complications, so in the winter, diabetic patients should enhance self-care awareness, under the guidance of doctors for effective treatment at the same time, in daily life, but also pay attention to the following points, good self-care, safe through the winter.
Emotional stability
Mood swings and diabetes have a close and subtle relationship, so sympathetic excitement can prompt the release of glycogen in the liver into the blood, which can increase blood sugar levels, leading to aggravation of the disease or reduce the effectiveness of treatment, so patients should learn to control their emotions to maintain emotional stability.
Moderate diet
Diabetic patients originally eat a lot, especially in winter, the temperature drops, sweating decreases, the secretion of various digestive juices increases, appetite is more vigorous, is also one of the factors of blood glucose elevation, so should be under the guidance of doctors to develop scientific recipes, control the main food such as rice, flour and starchy food, avoid sugar and pastry, hungry people, can increase the side dishes such as soy products, dairy, meat and so on more fresh vegetables to meet the needs of the body.
Pay attention to hydration
Winter is a relatively dry season, water is easy to lose, and more cardiovascular lesions in winter, need to pay attention to the dilution of blood, to do adequate hydration. Some diabetic patients do not drink water if they do not feel thirsty, while some diabetic patients (especially some senior patients) do not feel thirsty and drink less water. 60% of the human body is water, wait until thirst and then drink water such a habit is not good, it is best to develop the habit of drinking water regularly and in moderation. The elderly is best to drink water once before going to bed. Because many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular pathologies occur at night, bedtime hydration is mainly to dilute blood, reduce blood viscosity, reduce the occurrence of ischemic diseases.
Prevent infections
Respiratory, skin and urinary tract infections are common complications of diabetes, and even become life-threatening factors. Therefore, attention should be paid to the cleanliness and hygiene of the skin, bathing frequently, and skin breaks, boils and folliculitis should be treated promptly; pay attention to oral hygiene, insist on brushing and rinsing in the morning and evening, after meals, and patients suffering from dental disease should be treated promptly; actively treat chronic pharyngitis, sinusitis and bronchitis to eliminate the hidden danger of pneumonia.
Pay attention to constipation
Winter is more “dry”, easy to constipation, constipation when the force of defecation increases abdominal pressure, easy to induce cardiovascular disease, and even life-threatening. So diabetic patients in winter, in addition to hydration, should also pay attention to eat more high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, to try to avoid constipation.
Pay attention to foot care
Diabetic patients, more vascular insufficiency and neuropathy, resulting in local blood circulation disorders of the foot, nutritional disorders and local sensory dullness, foot skin damage or tinea infection, etc., can occur or develop into a long-standing chronic ulcer, or even develop into a serious infection or gangrene that is difficult to control, and sometimes forced to amputate or infection spread to the whole body causing life-threatening sepsis. Therefore, diabetic patients should wear loose shoes, often change socks, keep the feet clean and dry, and soak feet with hot water at about 45 ℃ for 15 minutes every night, which helps prevent cold and improve local blood circulation. At the same time, we should prevent bruises, actively treat tinea pedis, and avoid tearing the feet and rubbing the toes to stop itching, in order to prevent skin lesions from causing purulent bacterial infections.
Pay attention to warmth
Cold stimulation can increase catecholamines in the body, which can lead to increased blood pressure and coronary artery spasms, easily inducing serious complications such as cerebral hemorrhage and myocardial infarction, so attention should be paid to keeping warm and adding clothes in a timely manner.
Appropriate exercise
Exercise is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of diabetes, and it is also a measure to enhance cold tolerance and resistance to disease. You can actively and appropriately participate in jogging, walking, tai chi, sword dancing and other fitness exercises according to your age and health condition, which can stimulate insulin secretion, which is very beneficial to regulate blood sugar and stabilize your condition.
Strengthen blood sugar monitoring
In winter, physical exertion is relatively low, and dietary intake directly affects blood sugar level; other patients and factors also tend to interfere with the control of blood sugar level. Diabetic patients can use blood glucose meter, which is simple to operate and can accurately conduct blood glucose test anytime and anywhere. Patients can increase the frequency of blood glucose monitoring according to their specific conditions will be beneficial for diabetics to understand their condition and take timely measures.
In addition, diabetic patients should take medication on time, regular medical consultations, regular monitoring of blood glucose, blood pressure changes, timely adjustment of drug doses, to avoid the occurrence and development of various acute and chronic complications. Especially in winter, the incidence of cardiovascular disease increases, for those patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension should be extra careful to prevent cardiovascular accidents caused by fluctuations in blood pressure and blood sugar.