How Do Colder Temperatures Influence Blood Sugar Levels?

Dr.Parinita Kaur, 3 mins read

Ahh…winter is almost on the doorstep. The time to cocoon and rearrange the wardrobe and pile up the warm, cozy clothes on the top. And get on the couch, sip the hot, mouth-smacking coffee with crunchy finger chips.

But along with cold breezes, a few more things come - various health conditions. People with pre-existing diseases and weak immune diseases should be more cautious as many conditions get worse in this season. One such condition is blood sugar. Shocked? 

You read right. The temperature has a great influence on destabilising your blood sugar levels. How?

Well, the blood sugar level is usually low in summer and high during winter. Talking more technically, a hormone, insulin, transports the sugar in your blood to the cells so it can be used as energy. But when there is a deficit of insulin, or it's not working properly, it can result in high blood sugar. And if you have diabetes, it can even worsen the situation.

Additionally, during winter, cold weather keeps people indoors. Usually, people exercise less and eat more, which can cause insulin resistance. Let's go deeper into it to understand the effect of winter on diabetes and keep winter blues away.

What's the Relation Between Winter and Diabetes?

It has been seen that cold weather freezes insulin medications and degrades them. This, in turn, affects the effectiveness of the medications. Moreover, the chilly breezes stress out your body more than usual. This makes your body release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. This further triggers the liver to release more glucose for energy and thus increases blood sugar levels.

Frizzy weather also has impacts on haemoglobin A1C levels, which plunges the risk of developing serious-diabetes pertaining conditions.

To keep your blood sugar level within the range, you need to periodically check it, as a single test doesn't give you a complete picture.

However, increased blood sugar levels can act as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it raises the risk of complications associated with diabetes, such as nerve damage. On the other hand, it tricks the body into thinking it is warmer and ensures your body doesn't freeze. 

How to Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels in Winter?

Keep Yourself Warm

Stroll along the sides of the park, dust off your bicycle…and have fun! There are many things to keep yourself warm during winter, so cold freezes don't affect insulin function. You can also enroll in yoga, dance, and gym classes.

Eat Well and Be Active

Seasonal diseases like the common cold and flu can make diabetes management difficult. To protect yourself from getting sick, follow these rules:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently.
2. Get flu shots.
3. Sleep 7 to 8 hours a night
4. Contact your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms

In addition, you need to carefully choose what you should eat and what you should not. Count your carbs intake per meal and keep it in the recommended range (aim for 45 to 60 grams per meal and 15 to 20 grams per snack). Include delicious veggies, soups and stews.

Work on Reducing Your Stress

During winter, meeting with friends, especially those who reside far away from your house, becomes difficult. So, use this moment as a #metime. Do meditation, activities that excite you most, and improve your focus to mitigate the stress.

You can also spend this time with your family. This will improve your engagement with your family members. Various studies show that spending quality time with family can reduce anxiety and stress.

Monitor Your Blood Sugar Level 

It is a very critical step in keeping your blood sugar level in the normal range and managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It will also let you know what things are making your number go up or down so you can better decide your lifestyle. 

You can use a blood sugar metre. The recommended range before a meal is 80 to 130 mg/dl, and 1-2 hours after a meal is below 180 mg/dl.

Furthermore, getting an A1C test at least twice a year is always advised. This test will tell your average blood sugar level over three months. If the test results are unfavourable, you need to change your diabetes care plan and discuss it with your doctor.

Wrapping it up!

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has affected many people. And even a study points out that between 2000 and 2019, there was a 3% increase in mortality rates by age. This may have raised your eyebrows. Don't fret!

There are ways to manage diabetes. First, learn about diabetes. Second, know your diabetes ABC (A1C, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol). Third, learn how to live with diabetes. Fourth, manage your routine and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Since diabetes is now a familiar disease to many families, let's come together to educate everyone about diabetes and how to manage it. Share this blog on your social media page to scale up this mission. 

Also, Read: Prediabetes Can You Stop Development of Diabetes with Lifestyle Changes?