PROTECT YOUR skin

Everyone needs to follow good sunprotection habits.

“The inflammation from sunburn causes pain and stress, which can increase blood [glucose],” says Professor O’Malley. If you have neuropathy, you may not feel the effects of the sun until it’s too late.

The No.1 rule of sun protection? Apply a broadspectrum sunscreen every two hours to exposed skin when you’re out in the sun. SunSmart Australia recommends using a sunscreen labelled SPF 30 or higher, which is also water-resistant and broadspectrum (filtering both types of UV radiation). If you use insulin, keep skin cool at your injection site.

“Skin that’s warm absorbs insulin faster,” says Professor O’Malley. Heat increases blood flow to skin, so injected insulin gets into your circulation faster, rapidly driving glucose into cells. The result: you may have an unexpected low. If you’ve been in the sun and your skin is red and hot, inject into an area that hasn’t been exposed.