The Sentinel

Diabetes is a silent killer because people tend to ignore symptoms

Photo: Sweet Life/Unsplash

by Shelli Dankoff
OSF Healthcare

Evergreen Park - During the winter months there is typically a spike in seasonal illnesses such as common colds, flu, and pneumonia. While there are tips and tricks forkeeping seasonal illnesses at bay, they are sometimes unavoidable. And for those with other health conditions a simple cold can be so much more than that.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), when someone who has diabetes gets sick with things like colds or the flu, the illness and stress cause their body to release hormones that raise blood sugar (blood glucose) levels, making it harder to keep their blood sugar in their target range. The ADA adds that while having diabetes in and of itself does not necessarily make someone more likely to get a cold or the flu, it does raise the chances of getting seriously sick. Some people may not even know they have diabetes until a severe illness occurs.

“If you have poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes and develop symptoms of something like the flu, you will have increased risk factors of severe illness. I would encourage those people to get quickly examined at an urgent care or their primary physician,” says Mohammed Khan, M.D., an OSF HealthCare family medicine physician.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that nearly a third of people with diabetes do not know they have it, and someone can go years before getting a diagnosis. The reason diabetes can fly under the radar is because the symptoms can be minor, especially early on.

“When patients have certain symptoms like more frequent urine and going to the restroom more often, losing weight, having lack of energy, having dry mouth, feeling thirsty and drinking more often, having recurrent infections like skin and urine infections – those are the things that indicate a screening for diabetes,” explains Dr. Khan.

He adds, “People who have diabetes sometimes ignore the symptoms and think they are not affected which is why it is a silent killer. The body is getting destroyed from the inside and many do not notice it unless you go to regular health exams or are screened for it. Diabetes is also one of the most common causes for chronic kidney disease. For a lot of people who develop problems like kidney failure or needing dialysis, the root cause for that most of the time is diabetes.”

Dr. Khan advises people who do have diabetes to keep it under control as best as possible, as well-controlled diabetes helps manage seasonal illnesses when they do occur. However, serious illness can still occur.

“With diabetes, your immune system goes down which is a risk factor. If you have diabetes, you want to make sure you are fully vaccinated and get the flu shot and are up to date on COVID vaccinations. If they are at a higher risk factor due to age and are in the age group to receive the pneumonia vaccination, we encourage get that as well, Dr. Khan advises.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a pneumonia shot for anyone age two or older who, because of chronic health problems (such as diabetes) or age, has a greater chance of getting pneumonia, and urges all eligible individuals who are six months and older to get their annual flu shot.

If you have diabetes, have a kit on hand with the following items in it: A glucose meter, extra batteries, supplies for your insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor, ketone test strips, a week’s worth of glucose-lowering medication (but don’t store these longer than 30 days before use), glucose tabs or gels, and flu or cold medications that won’t disrupt your diabetes management.

If you do end up with a seasonal illness, keep track of your symptoms and let your primary doctor know if they get worse. If your symptoms become severe or unmanageable, go to the nearest urgent care or emergency department.

If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes but are exhibiting any possible signs and symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor.

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Last month was National Diabetes Awareness Month. With almost 1.3 million Illinoisans diagnosed with the disease, people with diabetes make up 10% of the population, and another 3.4 million people have prediabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

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Shorter days throughout them are thought to be linked to a chemical change in the brain and may be part of the cause of seasonal affective disorder or more commonly known as SAD. Exposure to artificial UV light have shown effectiveness in limiting the changes brought less sunlight.

Photo: Yuris Alhumaydy/Unsplash

by Shelli Dankoff
OSF Healthcare

BLOOMINGTON - Now that Labor Day has come and gone, so have the days of summer sun into the evening hours. While this is a typical sign of changing seasons, it can also come with a change in mood for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

It’s estimated that SAD affects 5-million to 8-million people a year in the United States, particularly in late fall and colder, winter months when days are shorter and nights are longer.

It is thought to be related to the lack of available sunlight, leading to a deficiency of Vitamin D. This can disrupt a person’s natural sleep cycle, and the effect on the brain can cause a person to function differently.

“People in the winter time, particularly in northern, far northern latitudes or far southern latitudes, farther away from the equator will tend to get kind of sluggish and maybe depressed, they start to have carbohydrate cravings, and it may be enough that it’s really a significant problem for them,” explains Dr. Scott Hamilton, a psychiatrist with OSF HealthCare Behavioral Health in Bloomington.

As a behavioral health psychiatrist, Dr. Hamilton works with people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. He says there’s a difference between SAD and a case of the occasional winter blahs. If you find your mind and mood are impacting your relationships, ability to work, or social activities, it’s something that needs to be addressed.

There are a number of treatment opportunities for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Dr. Hamilton says one of the most effective is bright light therapy.

“These have a UV shield, full spectrum light, 30 minutes in the morning is how most studies were done with pretty good results. Pretty uniformly positive results in people that have wintertime depression, and people that don’t have winter depression, they do sometimes still help, but they’re not as likely to be helpful.”

Dr. Hamilton says these light boxes are available online, often for less than $50. He also says that simple behavior modification can help with SAD symptoms. He says eating well and exercise can have a tremendous effect on depression symptoms, but if a person is having a tough time functioning on a day-to-day basis, he or she might want to see a therapist for professional help.

“I think trying that and getting more exercise and doing some healthy things first does make sense,” said Dr. Hamilton. “If they get to the point where they can’t function or they get suicidal thoughts, things like that, then they ought to talk to somebody. Those would be the real red flags.”

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