Source- https:\/\/www.spin.ph\/<\/p>\n
THERE\u2019S the temptation to think that \u2014 despite the masks and face shields \u2014 things are heading back to normal. Restaurants have now been\u00a0given the go-signal\u00a0for 24 hour operation, barbershops and salons are allowed to increase the number of customers that can step inside, and buses are back to plying EDSA (though\u00a0commuters are reportedly struggling with the tap cards).<\/p>\n
Butwe should always be reminded that there\u2019s still a dangerous virus lurking in the air.<\/p>\n
Multiple studies have shown that people with the most risk from COVID-19 are the people with so-called \u201ccomorbidities\u201d \u2014 hypertension, diabetes, and the like.<\/p>\n
These comorbidities are often lumped together under the term \u201clifestyle diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease are closely linked with the way people live their life,\u201d said Dr. Michael Villa to\u00a0SPIN Life.\u00a0<\/i>Villa is a member of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cThese noncommunicable diseases are associated with smoking, too much alcohol, lack of physical exercises, and too many calories or unhealthy eating habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the c-word that\u2019s important here. (And no, we\u2019re not talking about calories, though we\u2019ll get to that a little later.) The SARS-CoV-2 virus is\u00a0communicable<\/i>; diabetes is not. We don\u2019t catch the latter from other people \u2014 we only do it to ourselves.<\/p>\n
And when it\u2019s paired with something like COVID-19, well. Let\u2019s just put it this way.\u00a0A review of over 33 studies published late July\u00a0found that comorbidities were present in 74.37 percent of fatal COVID-19 cases. Almost a quarter (24.89 percent) of these fatal cases also had diabetes.<\/p>\n
But with or without COVID-19, \u201cdiabetes can become a serious medical condition if not properly addressed,\u201d continued Villa. \u201cIf you have diabetes, you need to manage your blood sugars and regularly monitor blood sugar to stay within their target range.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
For those suffering from diabetes, you\u2019ll need to keep your eye on the data. As you eat, the level of your glucose \u2014 or blood sugar \u2014 changes, and you need to know how and why these changes happen. Self-management of this disease can be aided by tools like flash glucose monitoring (sometimes called a patch glucose meter).<\/p>\n
\u201c[These] can help track fluctuations in the daily glucose levels of people with diabetes,\u201d Villa said.<\/p>\n
In addition, these diagnostic tools will also give real-time information to your doctor so they can cook up a better care plan.<\/p>\n
But even so, nothing beats a lifestyle disease than some lifestyle changes. It bears repeating, but Villa also dished out some common sense advice for managing your blood sugar \u2014 and keeping yourself even better protected from COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Eat the right amount of calories and cut too much refined sugars from your diet.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cEating foods high in refined carbs and sugar increases blood sugar and insulin levels which may lead to diabetes over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Work out regularly.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cPerforming physical activity on a regular basis has shown to slow or help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis (bone loss), and loss of muscle mass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keep hydrated with water.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cDrinking water instead of other beverages may help control blood sugar and insulin levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lose weight.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cEven a small amount (about 5 percent) of weight loss can give you health benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quit smoking.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cSmoking can accelerate the development of diabetic complication and make it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3523],"tags":[3572,3204,3570,2627,1058,3571,3569,184],"class_list":["post-5491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","tag-comorbidities","tag-covid-19","tag-customers","tag-dangerous-health","tag-diabetes","tag-edsa","tag-operation","tag-virus"],"yoast_head":"\n