Q. I'm
very skinny and I think I found a great place to inject insulin – in my
breasts! It seems to work so well there.
What do you think?
A. I do
NOT recommend injecting insulin into the breast area. Insulin injections can cause scarring and lumps to
develop. The breast is one area that you really want to keep lump-free. Having
lumps or scarring in the breast can make it more difficult to locate malignant
lumps and problems. Please consider using another location, such as your
abdomen, upper buttocks or hips, the back of your upper arms, or the outer side
of your thighs. These areas have a
layer of fat just beneath the skin, so they absorb insulin well. They also have fewer nerves, so they should
be more comfortable sites for you to use. Q. Does massage help diabetes?
A. Some studies suggest that massage can improve blood sugar levels and lessen the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy (nerve problems). Massaging an injection site may also increase insulin absorption. In addition, a relaxing massage may also reduce stress, which is also a plus.
Q. I read that I can buy special diabetes snack bars that will help keep my blood sugar level from dropping while I’m asleep. Money is tight right now. Is there something that I can make myself instead of buying the bars?
A. Extend
Bars were created by Dr. Francine Kaufman, a top pediatric endocrinologist and
former president of the American Diabetes Association as a tasty and effective way
to help prevent her patients from experiencing blood sugar lows during the
night. They contain a slow-digesting
form of carbohydrate. To make your own
slow-digesting carbohydrate snack, add about
1 1/2 teaspoons of UNCOOKED cornstarch to milk, a shake or pudding. The
cornstarch must be uncooked or the carbohydrate in the cornstarch will be
broken down too quickly.
Q. Its
allergy season, so I started taking my annual doses of allergy medication. I recently noticed that my blood sugar level
is running higher than usual. Do allergy
medications raise blood sugar levels?
A. You
didn’t mention which medication you are taking, but if it contains an
epinephrine-like drug such as ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylephrine, it
can raise your blood sugar level. If it does not contain this, the
physical stress of living with allergies could be the cause. Your blood
sugar level will often climb when your body is stressed in any way, emotionally
or physically.
Q. I recently read an article on the Internet that recommends
eating raw celery as a way to lower blood sugar levels. I’ve never heard this before. Is it true?
A. No reliable research shows that raw celery
can lower blood sugar levels. Be wary of
information that you read on the Internet, especially if it isn’t posted on a
reliable website by accepted medical experts.
Here are a few health websites I recommend:
Americanheart.org
Cartoonmd.com
Consumerlab.com
Dearjanis.com
Diabetes.org
Eatright.org
dLife.com
jdrf.org
joslin.org
medlineplus.gov
WebMD.com
*This article originally appeared in 2009
- For more great articles by Janis Roszler, visit the e-version of our magazine at walgreensdiabetes.com
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