People with diabetes, like everyone else, need vitamin D. In order for it to begin to be synthesized in the body, you need to spend at least 15 minutes in the sun. Vitamin D regulates metabolic processes, is responsible for the formation of new cells, and provides bone strength. This substance is produced only in the sun, it is difficult to get a sufficient dose with food. Therefore, being in the sun is a vital necessity.
The sun’s rays promote the production of the hormone of joy – serotonin. It is important to remember that people with diabetes are at high risk for skin burns. In diabetes, the reaction of the cardiovascular system to being in the sun is different from normal. This is one of the most vulnerable systems in patients with diabetes. It is impossible to predict how vessels will react to sunlight. Therefore, you should make sure that your tan is as safe as possible.
People with diabetes are advised to follow the following safety precautions while in the sun:
- Diabetics are more prone to fluid loss than other people. Thus, you should always have a bottle of water to quench your thirst in time. It is recommended to drink at least two liters of fluid per day.
- It is not recommended to walk on the beach without shoes. With diabetes, the skin does not heal as quickly as in a healthy person. There is a risk of infection, which in turn will lead to hyperglycemia, diabetic foot and other problems.
- Do not sunbathe on an empty stomach.
- To protect the skin, people with diabetes should always use creams, lotions and sunscreens. Be sure to use SPF creams. They help to sunbathe safely. Choose the level of protection depending on the type and sensitivity of your skin. The optimal value is SPF-30. This cream protects against harmful radiation and allows you to sunbathe.
- Always wear a hat to avoid sunstroke. Doctors recommend not sunbathing for more than twenty minutes. After this time, you need to go to the place where there is a shadow. It is especially harmful to sunbathe from 11 to 16 hours.
- Check the condition of your feet and apply a layer of sunscreen regularly. People with high blood sugar are prone to loss of sensation in the legs. Often diabetics do not notice that their lower extremities have sunburned. This can lead to dangerous complications, including gangrene.
- It is important to ensure proper storage of medicines, as some of them are sensitive to high temperatures. This is especially true of insulin.
- Be sure to take regular blood glucose medications (such as Amaryl or Daonil).
- You can sunbathe with diabetes only in sunglasses. If the eyes are not protected from direct sunlight, retinal damage and retinopathy can occur.
The main rule before going to the beach – consult a doctor. The doctor will help determine whether it is really safe to sunbathe in the presence of such pathology. After all, there are many factors that can negatively affect the well-being of people with diabetes during sunbathing:
- high blood pressure and heart disease;
- the presence of excess weight;
- skin damage.