Warning for diabetics during Ramadan

Preparing the diabetic patients for the upcoming month of fasting, Dubai Diabetes Centre held an awareness programme Wednesday.

Though patients suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes are exempt from fasting, most patients tend to prefer fasting, which prompted the centre to host lecture on things to do and not to do while fasting.

The centre aims to meet with diabetics keen on fasting on an individual basis to ensure that patients are medically capable of fasting, and to make modifications to their prescriptions or diet, if necessary.

With diabetics being particularly sensitive to extreme changes in diet and with the month of fasting coinciding with peak summer in UAE, special care needs to be taken so that they are not dehydrated.

Dr Ahmed Al Jebawi, consultant endocrinologist at the DDC, outlined the difference between type-1 and type-2 diabetics. Those with type-1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin and are at a higher risk of spikes and dips in blood sugar levels compared to Type-2 diabetics.

Their fasting could lead to serious complications including loss of consciousness, according to Dr Al Jebawi.

“A drop in the sugar level can cause several other symptoms such as weakness, shivering of hands, difficulty in speech, heart palpitations and so on. This can happen in both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. On the other hand, a condition called Diabetic Ketoacidosis can occur in people with type-1 diabetes when there is no insulin in the body. This happens if the long-acting insulin dose is missed and it can even cause the patient to fall into a coma.

 herefore the insulin should be taken properly,” he said.

He also suggested that diabetics more than others, should avoid oily and sugary dishes after Iftar.

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