Diabetics warned to take extra care during Ramadan

Diabetics who fast during Ramadan have been asked to take the necessary precautions to ensure they do not harm themselves.

Diabetics who fast during Ramadan should take the necessary precautions to ensure they do not harm themselves, Dubai Health Authority's twitter clinic, @DHA_Dubai, urged on Thursday. The panel of experts at the twitter clinic are specialists from Dubai Hospital and the Dubai Diabetes Centre, a specialised multidisciplinary diabetes care and management centre.

“A majority of our patients prefer to fast during Ramadan despite having diabetes,” said Dr Mohammed Belal Alshammaa, consultant endocrinologist at Dubai Diabetes Centre.

“While they are aware that they are exempt from fasting, they are keen to follow all the rituals of Ramadan. Therefore, we at the DHA provide them with all the information and medical advice necessary to ensure they do not suffer from complications of fasting.”

The DHA endocrinology and diabetes centres meet patients prior to Ramadan to check if they are medically capable of fasting, to adjust his or her medication and provide an individual diet plan.

“The most important step for any diabetic who chooses to fast is to ensure he visits a health practitioner so that the doctor can advise whether it is safe for him to fast and to gauge whether his body will be able to manage long hours of fasting,” Dr Alshammaa said.

Home blood tests are essential during fasting to avoid hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia, especially during the first few days.

“Self-monitoring of sugar, timely medication and the right diet are all steps that diabetics need to take, especially since their body does not have the ability to control fluctuations in blood-sugar levels,” said Dr Fathiya Al Awadi, head of the endocrine unit at Dubai Hospital.

“They also dehydrate faster, especially when their sugar levels rise, therefore they need to ensure they take sufficient precautions to maintain their sugar levels while fasting.”

A drop or rise in the sugar level for diabetics can cause symptoms such as weakness, shaking of the hands, difficulty in speech and heart palpitations, said Zeina Younes, dietician at Dubai Diabetes Centre.

“As a precaution, all diabetics should always have a sugar source at hand that is fast acting, such as glucose gel or tablets, fruit juice, sugar, honey or dates, which they need to consume if they are experiencing low sugar,” she said.

Patients who are not controlling their diabetes well, especially those with type 1 diabetes, those who have had diabetic ketoacidosis three months prior to Ramadan, diabetic patients who are pregnant and those with renal failure or who are on dialysis are advised against fasting.