MEDICAL MINUTE: THE THANKSGIVING CRASH
Thanksgiving season is upon us! There are so many things to love about this holiday that I can scare begin to count them, but the food has to be near the top. Unfortunately, most of us tend to overindulge a little when it comes to the dressing, sides, and desserts. As a matter of fact, most Americans eat a whopping 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Turkey Day. If you are a diabetic, this can spell serious trouble. The sudden rush of sugar and carbohydrates in the bloodstream is sometimes more than the pancreas can deal with and high blood sugar ensues. For this reason, many of my friends on the ambulance have termed Thanksgiving night as the “Thanksgiving Crash” from all the cases of hypoglycemia that are dealt with that night.
Several weeks ago we discussed issues surrounding diabetes; specifically, Type I diabetics. Today, I want to talk about the more common Type II. In fact, Type II diabetes affects about 27 million people with another 86 million that have the precursors of the disease or are prediabetics. That’s almost 25% of the United States population and you can bet that a larger than average share comes from the Magnolia State! As a reminder, your pancreas is a pie shaped organ that is found in the upper-center portion of your abdomen. The main mission of the pancreas is to make a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the key that takes the glucose floating in your bloodstream and unlocks the door to the cells where it is used for energy. Unlike Type I, people with Type II diabetes make plenty of insulin, but their cells don’t use it as well as it should. This is called insulin resistance. The pancreas will try to produce more insulin to get that sugar into the cells, but it can’t keep up and the sugar eventually builds in the bloodstream.
So, what causes Type II diabetes? There are some things that are beyond your control. Those who are over the age of 45, have a family history of diabetes, or are of Black or Hispanic race and ethnicity are predisposed to the condition. It isn’t fair, but it is in our genes. However, there are several things that can be done to decrease your risk factors. There is a cluster of conditions called the “metabolic syndrome” that greatly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. These include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and excess body fat. Eliminating as many of these with diet, exercise, or medication can greatly decrease your risk of developing diabetes. Other factors that cause Type II diabetes are more modifiable yet. Getting little to no exercise, smoking, and stress is linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Fixing even one of those risk factors can have a huge impact on your health.
The symptoms of high glucose can be gradual, so much so that you might not even notice them. An unsuspecting diabetic will find that they are thirsty all the time. This is because the brain senses there is too much sugar in the bloodstream and tries to dilute it by adding extra fluid. This leads to the second sign of frequent urination that is abnormal for the individual. Over time, the excess of sugar can cause the destruction of nerves in the body. Often, this can cause a person to feel tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. An unknown diabetic might feel tired all the time and become irritable without even realizing it. The long-term effects of chronic high blood sugar can lead to a coma or even death. Normal blood sugar ranges from 60-100 mg/dl, however, a person with uncontrolled Type II diabetes might see their sugar skyrocket to 500-1000 mg/dl!
Getting your blood sugar under control is one of the keys to good health. If you experience any of the above signs or symptoms, make an appointment with your physician to have a complete lab report done. Whether you feel ill or not, it is always a good idea to know your numbers when it comes to your blood sugar levels. Have your glucose level checked yearly or consider purchasing a home monitor from any local pharmacy. They are relatively cheap and easy to operate. Otherwise, you can take small steps by eliminating extra fat and staying active throughout the year. This will help in so many ways with your overall health. And if you are a current diabetic, maybe have just one piece of pie this Thanksgiving. Stay safe out there.
M. Eric Williams, MS, NR-P is a Mississippi native and the Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Technology Education at Jones County Junior College. He is a current Doctoral student at Delta State University and has 15 years’ experience in healthcare. If you have questions or comments, you may contact him at eric.williams@jcjc.edu
