Featured Cause of the Month: Disaster Preparedness | Heat Exhaustion Awareness | Healthy Kitchen: Fourth of July Recipe Round-up

JULY 2020

FEATURED CAUSE OF THE MONTH:

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANNING

Disasters can have an unnerving affect on any individual and can happen at any time throughout the year. Disasters can be natural or man-made and include: hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, gas leaks, fires and terrorism. Regardless of the event, an emergency preparedness plan is critical, especially for individuals that have diabetes.

Taking the time to develop an emergency plan and prepare supply kits can be life saving and should be taken very seriously. For those with diabetes, these tips can help ensure you’re maintaining blood glucose in target ranges during a disaster.

Disaster Planning Tips

Supply Stash: Pack a “go-bag” that is fully stocked for your diabetes management needs: batteries, test strips, CGM Supplies, back-up pump or pump supplies, skin preps and alcohol pads. Keep this bag in a safe and accessible place.

Think Cold: Keep a portable cooler and ice packs on hand to keep insulin cold when traveling to a safe location or if you are without electricity.

Prescriptions: Keep current diabetes medications and other prescriptions on hand. Be sure to properly label medications and have pharmacy information, if needed.

Identification: Medical ID’s are very important in an emergency. They come in many wearable forms – bracelets, necklaces, dog tags and key chains. Medical ID’s allow others to your know your health status if you become ill.

Hydration: Keep at least a three days water supply on hand. This reduces the risk of dehydration during an evacuation to a safer location.

Nutrition: Proper fuel can be an issue during a disaster, especially for those with diabetes. Keep a supply of shelf-stable foods that will meet your protein, carbohydrate and fat needs. It’s also smart to include a supply of glucose-control liquid meal supplements, in case full meals are unavailable. Keep these items in a bag, so they can be easy to grab and go.

HEAT EXHAUSTION AWARENESS

Heat and Diabetes

Heat Exhaustion is prevalent during the summer months as temperatures and humidity rise. It’s important to take proper precautions to avoid heat exhaustion, especially individuals with diabetes. Excessive heat can lead to blood glucose spikes and dehydration.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: excessive thirst, weakness, headache and loss of consciousness. Dehydration comes as a result of heat exhaustion, which can lead to symptoms associated with salt depletion: nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and dizziness. Heat Exhaustion can also lead to heat stroke.

To prevent heat exhaustion, be sure to properly hydrate and keep water with you at all times. Drink before you start to become thirsty, as thirst is not always a proper indicator of hydration levels.

If an individual starts to display signs of heat exhaustion, remove them from the sun, give them water to drink, and apply cold wet cloths or ice on the back, armpit and groin areas.

Keep hydration on the forefront as you enjoy summer activities. If you or someone around you starts to show signs of heat exhaustion, quickly take the proper measures. Children under five and adults over 65 are most at risk.

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY

During this week, we also celebrate Independence Day on Saturday, July 4th. Independence Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1776. From all of us at DMS, we wish you and your family a safe and healthy holiday!