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Any Tips On How To Stay Cool In This Heat??

A

Alex_B

Well-Known Member
Messages
168
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
As you know it's very hot in the U.K. right now, I can't eat properly because the weather is making me feel sick. Even when I think of eating I feel sick. I have a fan, which doesn't really help. I do drink loads throughout the day. Water, weakened squash. I manage to eat a little bag of mini cheddars here and now, but that's about it. I freeze squash so I can have a nice icy drink throughout the whole day. Just need to stay cool as my sugars are sky high most mornings, even when I take 30 units of novorapid and 20 units of Tresiba. It's just getting worse, I daren't speak to my DSN as she will moan and say it's my fault, because apparently I can control the weather now. Any tips???
 
We all differ with diabetes and how things like heat affects us is one example of that.
My theory (and it is only a theory of which I have no evidence) is that it depends on how well you cope with the heat regardless of diabetes which dictates how it affects your BG. If you don't like the heat, find it very uncomfortable and stress about it, that stress will cause your BG to rise. Whereas, if you embrace the weather (may be easier said than done for some), you get less stressed and your BG is unaffected.

I was hearing on the radio this morning that some places are discouraging iced drinks, etc. because the body does not like sudden changes in temperature. I do not know how true this is but I know I drink water from the tap rather than the fridge.
That said, I do keep out of direct sunlight when outside and keep my curtains drawn during the day to avoid my house over heating. When I am in, the windows are open (behind the closed curtains).
I gave up on a fan some years ago as it seems to just move around hot air and not cool it down much. So I focus on reducing the opportunity for the air in my house to get hot.

Some years ago, I lived in Australia during a hot summer. Being British, when I chose my house I saw no point in air conditioning. As the temperature rose, I started to see why the Aussies spend money on it. If I was hot after work (which had air con), I would walk round the air conditioned shops, watch a movie in an air conditioned cinema or go for a swim.

If you find your BG is high in the morning during this weather, have you tried increasing your basal (long acting insulin) dose a little?
 
Wow your getting it bad. :(

I'm afraid I can't help that much I'm on Nova and Lantus and it is a struggle, fortunatly I'm not running that high although I have uped the insulin a little.

As for keeping cool, well sat here in work in t-shrt and shorts (I hate wearing shorts) with all the windows open the lights off and the fans going, and at the moment it is 29 degrees in here and only going to get warmer.
 
I need some help too. I am type one diabetic, diagnosed 18 years ago. I am working in an office in central London and we have no air con. I am finding it incredibly difficult to function and I don't know if it would be best if i asked my boss to work from home?
 
I would love to answer that but I'm sitting in front of my fireplace at the mo, so how hot is hot in the UK?. thought it was a cold climate.
 
Hey besiddes drinking water with icecubes in the whole day it actually can help to wear a wet/moist towel or scarf around ones head like a turban : because as the moist / water evaporate on the outside it will cool down what is on the inside , its the same trick done when packing drinks or beers in moist newspaper at the beach to cool them before drinking so a long cotton scarf either around head or neck that is a bit wet would help keep you cool
 
Moggely said:
I would love to answer that but I'm sitting in front of my fireplace at the mo, so how hot is hot in the UK?. thought it was a cold climate.
Click to expand...

In Denmark it Will reach 33 degrees celcius today in all the country it is expected guess GB is being hit by the same heatwave comming from the Sahara right now most people do not have an aircondition
 
I don't like eating in this heat, so I don't until I'm hungry. Usually something small somewhere after noon and then my evening meal around 9:30, when it gets a bit cooler. I've needed to up my dose of quick acting upon waking and I've upped my basal a bit as well. So it's basically less food, more insulin and keeping a close eye on my bg to do a correction.
And sitting in front of 2 fans with a wet towel.
Hope you'll feel better soon!
 
Moggely said:
I would love to answer that but I'm sitting in front of my fireplace at the mo, so how hot is hot in the UK?. thought it was a cold climate.
Click to expand...
It was 33 degrees yesterday and about the same today. There has been no rain in the South East to speak of for weeks. We are turning into a tropical island.
 
helensaramay said:
We all differ with diabetes and how things like heat affects us is one example of that.
My theory (and it is only a theory of which I have no evidence) is that it depends on how well you cope with the heat regardless of diabetes which dictates how it affects your BG. If you don't like the heat, find it very uncomfortable and stress about it, that stress will cause your BG to rise. Whereas, if you embrace the weather (may be easier said than done for some), you get less stressed and your BG is unaffected.

I was hearing on the radio this morning that some places are discouraging iced drinks, etc. because the body does not like sudden changes in temperature. I do not know how true this is but I know I drink water from the tap rather than the fridge.
That said, I do keep out of direct sunlight when outside and keep my curtains drawn during the day to avoid my house over heating. When I am in, the windows are open (behind the closed curtains).
I gave up on a fan some years ago as it seems to just move around hot air and not cool it down much. So I focus on reducing the opportunity for the air in my house to get hot.

Some years ago, I lived in Australia during a hot summer. Being British, when I chose my house I saw no point in air conditioning. As the temperature rose, I started to see why the Aussies spend money on it. If I was hot after work (which had air con), I would walk round the air conditioned shops, watch a movie in an air conditioned cinema or go for a swim.

If you find your BG is high in the morning during this weather, have you tried increasing your basal (long acting insulin) dose a little?
Click to expand...

Don't have the windows opened after sunrise cos it will be hotter outside than in and you will be letting the hot air in. Like you I keep the curtains closed all day and open the windows about 8pm. A tip I picked up in Aus was to run a sheet through the washer on a rinse/spin cycle, then sleep under that.
 
There are a number of cool mats available for dogs. They have chemicals inside which cool when you press them. We have one in our caravan and it is great to sit on when its hot. Even just putting your bare feet on one tends to cool the whole body. They are less than a tenner on ebay.
 
When it gets hot here, and I am playing bowls I some times have a folded damp tea towel wrapped around my neck that has been in the fridge for a few hours.

You can buy a similar product here. https://tiechilly.co.uk/

Our mid winter temp today is a min of 12° C and a top of 25+° C.
 
I put hot water bottles in the fridge for my son, also put his pjs in the freezer in a bag. Sitting with you feet in a bowl of tepid NOT cold water is also very good
 
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