Should I drink alcohol if I have diabetes?
In this blog, we will figure out the relationship between alcohol and keeping diabetes under control!
Beyond health consequences, the harmful habit of consuming alcohol brings significant social and economic losses to individuals and society at large.
Drinking alcohol causes disability and death relatively early in life. Among people aged between 20–39 years, approximately 13.5% of total deaths are caused by alcohol.
But the main question that arises is if it's safe to drink for a diabetic person.
Most diabetic people tend to drink alcohol in control, but that is not enough. It's important to understand the risks involved in drinking and the steps that can be taken to lower them.
Diabetes and the risks involved in drinking.
People affected by Diabetes should be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking. Since it can interfere and cause some of the complications of the disease to get worse.
First of all, alcohol can interfere with the liver to do its job of regulating blood sugar. It can also interfere with the effectiveness of the prescribed medications given for diabetes. And even if you never drink or plan to drink, you should first consult your physician about whether it's safe to drink or not considering your diabetes conditions.
Here's what you need to know:
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Low or high blood sugar level
The liver is supposed to release sugar into the bloodstream whenever needed to maintain levels. But once you start drinking alcohol the liver processes the alcohol instead of releasing the sugar. As a result, there may be a rise or fall of sugar in the body of an individual.
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Interference with the prescribed diabetes medicines
People who take oral diabetes medicines should first talk with their physicians to see if it is safe to drink alcohol. As alcohol can interfere with the effects of some diabetes medicines, putting you at risk for low blood sugar or high blood sugar depending on how much you drink and what medicine you take.
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Never drink alcohol if you're empty on your stomach
Even if you decide to drink alcohol on a limit, be sure to eat a snack or a meal high in carbohydrates to ensure no issues. As food intake slows down the rate at which alcohol is to be absorbed by the liver.
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You can save your life by knowing the limit
As suggested by the physician, you will eventually come to know if you can drink or not. Your limit of consumption can be affected by various factors like your sex, age, type of diabetes, and medications. It’s always better to keep the doctor within the loop whenever you decide to engage in alcohol consumption. This is to have better support from the doctor in case of complications arise later.
- Other issues may be:
• Alcohol has a lot of calories, which can lead to weight gain that makes it harder to manage diabetes.
• If you have other diabetic complications such as nerve, eye, or kidney damage, understanding the advice to not drink at all under these circumstances is a wise choice to not worsen these complications.
• Being intoxicated makes it harder to recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar, henceforth increasing the risk.
So another question arises- how much alcohol is safe to drink and when?
To drink alcohol safely, one must first fulfill some conditions like
• Your diabetes is in control.
• You must know the consequences of drinking beforehand and the steps to prevent those.
• Ask your physician's advice if it is safe for you to drink alcohol.
You can also call your doctor if you feel these symptoms:
• Double vision or blurry vision
• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Feeling cranky or acting aggressive
• Feeling nervous
• Headache
• Hunger
• Shaking or trembling
• Sweating
• Tingling or skin numbness
• Tiredness or weakness
• Trouble sleeping
• Unclear thinking
For better care of your diabetes, we always recommend of regular consultancy with your doctor. Having treated many clients over the years, our doctors have helped patients lead a diabetic life without serious complications. For a better understanding of your own conditions, book a personal consultancy with our diabetic experts at KINS Diabetes Speciality Centre.
Excerpts of information communicated in the blog has been extracted from Medline Plus site, a governmental owned website.
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000968.htm
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