CHRISTMAS can be a hectic time, with the pressure to buy gifts, cook large meals, and travel to see family.
But like any time of year, it’s important to recognise any issues with your health.
With an estimated 5.6million people living with diabetes in the UK, and cases continuing to rise, a doctor has warned of the risk of the condition at Christmas time, along with signs to look out for.
Diabetes can lead to serious health complications, like heart attacks and strokes, if left untreated.
High blood sugar levels can result in type 2 diabetes, and there are a number of things over the festive period that can cause your levels to rise, such as being less active and overindulging in fatty, calorific and high-sugar foods.
Dr Adam Staten, an NHS GP and clinical director at One Day Tests, said: “Over the Christmas period there are lots of events during which people will overindulge.
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“To reduce the risk of diabetes during this period, the key is to try to maintain a healthy lifestyle outside of these events.
“In particular, this means trying to avoid eating food with a high sugar content, and continuing to exercise regularly.”
To avoid complications if you have diabetes, it’s important to look out for symptoms.
In its early stages, diabetes may not cause any, or it can trigger vague ones such as tiredness, said Dr Staten.
But if and when symptoms do occur, he said there are three “typical” ones to look out for.
1. Feeling thirsty all the time
Diabetes makes it difficult to control blood sugar levels.
When too high, the kidneys work harder to filter out the excess sugar, which can lead to dehydration and a feeling of thirst.
Polydipsia is the term given to increased thirst and is defined as having persistent and unexplained thirst, regardless of how much you drink.
Passing more than five litres of urine a day might also be a sign.
During the Christmas period, wanting to drink lots – particularly alcohol – could be confused with feeling more thirsty.
While feeling thirsty for booze isn’t directly linked to diabetes itself, people with the condition who experience increased thirst due to high blood sugar levels could interpret it as craving alcohol.
But it’s crucial to remember that drinking alcohol can negatively impact blood sugar levels and should be carefully managed if you have diabetes.
2. Needing to wee more than usual
This time of year can make you pee more.
A 2019 study found colder weather can make overactive bladder symptoms worse.
This is because chilly conditions can cause the muscles around the bladder to tense up, which can increase the urge to urinate.
But frequent urination is also a common symptom of diabetes.
Medically known as polyuria, it’s defined as passing more than three litres of urine a day compared to the normal daily output in adults of about one to two litres.
In diabetes, because the level of sugar in the blood is abnormally high, not all of the sugar can be reabsorbed.
Some of the excess glucose from the blood ends up in the urine, where it draws more water, resulting in large volumes of urine.
Other conditions that can cause polyuria include pregnancy, liver failure and kidney disease.
3. Blurred vision
Blurry vision during Christmas time is often caused by the combination of cold weather, which constricts blood vessels in the eyes, and excessive exposure to bright lights from decorations, particularly LED lights, which can strain your eyes.
But it can also be a sign of diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes.
It can cause:
- Gradually worsening vision
- Sudden vision loss
- Shapes floating in your field of vision (floaters)
- Blurred or patchy vision
- Eye pain or redness
- Difficulty seeing in the dark
These symptoms don’t necessarily mean you have diabetic retinopathy, but it’s important to get them checked out.
How to know if these symptoms are diabetes-related
Diabetes symptoms will last until the diabetes is brought under control, said Dr Staten.
“Symptoms like thirst, passing lots of urine and blurred vision are directly related to high blood sugar levels so they will persist until the blood sugar levels are brought down,” he added.
“If diabetes is picked up later, people may already have symptoms related to the complications of diabetes which can include tingling, numbness or burning pain in the feet.”
How to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes
According to Diabetes UK, there are a few diet tweaks you can make to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes:
- Choose drinks without added sugar – skip out the sugar in your tea and coffee and stay away from fizzy and energy drinks
- Eat whole grains such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal flour, wholegrain bread and oats instead of refined carbs
- Cut down on red and processed meat like bacon, ham, sausages, pork, beef and lamb
- Eat plenty of fruit and veg – apples, grapes, berries, and green leafy veg such as spinach, kale, watercress, and rocket have been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Have unsweetened yoghurt and cheese
- Cut down on booze – and have a few days a week with none at all
- Have healthy snacks like unsweetened yoghurt, unsalted nuts, seeds and fruit and veg
- Eat healthy fats included in nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil
- Cut down on salt
- Get your vitamins and minerals from food instead of tablets
Can you develop diabetes during the Christmas period?
Type 2 diabetes is related to diet and lifestyle and usually develops over a period of years.
So, while someone might technically become diabetic over the Christmas period, a single indulgent Christmas is unlikely to cause diabetes if your diet and lifestyle are otherwise healthy, assured Dr Staten.
He advised: “You should see your GP as soon as possible if you think you have symptoms of diabetes.
“The aim with diabetes is to diagnose and treat it early to prevent any complications developing.
“Even if you have no symptoms, everybody is entitled to an NHS health check every five years between the ages of 40 and 74 which will screen for diabetes.”