Staying Safe in The Summer Heat
By: Jessica Hrdlicka MS, RD, LD/N, CDCES
If you have diabetes, hot weather can affect your blood sugar, hydration, medications, and even your monitoring devices. Heat raises the risk of dehydration and can make insulin absorb faster than usual, sometimes leading to unexpected lows.
Here are the main things to watch for:
Stay hydrated
- Drink water regularly, even before you feel thirsty.
- Limit alcohol and sugary drinks in extreme heat.
- If you sweat heavily, electrolyte drinks without excessive sugar may help.
Check blood sugar more often
Heat, dehydration, activity, and sun exposure can all change glucose levels quickly.
- Monitor more frequently during outdoor activities or travel.
- Continuous glucose monitors and test strips can become less accurate if overheated.
Protect insulin and supplies
Many diabetes medications and devices are temperature-sensitive.
- Don’t leave insulin, pens, pumps, CGMs, or meters in a hot car or direct sunlight.
- Use insulated diabetes travel cases when outdoors.
- If insulin has been exposed to extreme heat, it may lose effectiveness.
Be careful with exercise
Physical activity in hot weather can cause blood sugar to drop faster or increase.
- Exercise during cooler hours (early morning or evening).
- Take breaks in shade or air conditioning.
- Carry fast-acting glucose.
- Stay Hydrated
Know signs of heat illness
Symptoms of heat exhaustion and low blood sugar can overlap.
Watch for:
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Nausea
Seek urgent medical care for:
- Fainting
- Trouble breathing
- Severe confusion
- Very high blood sugar with vomiting
- Signs of heat stroke – slurring, severe headache, loss of vision, etc.
Foot care matters more in summer
People with diabetes can be more vulnerable to burns and unnoticed injuries.
- Avoid walking barefoot on hot pavement or sand.
- Check feet daily for blisters, redness, or cuts.
Medication considerations
Some diabetes medications may increase dehydration risk. Ask your clinician whether your medicines need special precautions during extreme heat.
Helpful resources:
- American Diabetes Association heat safety guidance
- CDC extreme heat safety tips
For more information on diabetes management, preventing heart disease, chronic kidney disease, weight loss or nutrition education please call 561-659-6336 ext 8012 to schedule an appointment today. Please enjoy our May 2026 Living Well with Diabetes Newsletter
Tips for Treating Low Blood Sugar while using an Automated Insulin (AID) Delivery Pump
By: Monika Lambertson MS, RD, LD/N, CDCES
AID systems – also known as hybrid closed-loop systems- combine an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and an algorithm to automatically adjust basal insulin based on glucose trends: increasing it for rising levels and decreasing or suspending it for falling levels or predicted lows. AID systems have been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of low blood sugar events, but lows and even serious lows can still occur.
The rule for low blood sugar treatment, known as the “15:15 rule” (15g of fast-acting carbohydrate, wait 15 minutes and recheck blood sugar), remains the standard for treating lows (70mg/dl or less). However, with AID systems, many people find they need less than 15g of carbohydrate to treat lows because the pump has already reduced or completely suspended insulin delivery ahead of time. If you have found that treating lows with 15g of carbohydrate frequently results in a rebound high 30 -60 min later, consider using less carbs to treat.
The American Diabetes Association 2026 Standards of Care states that “For most individuals, 15g of fast-acting carbohydrates should be ingested. Individuals using AID systems should typically ingest 5-10g carbohydrate unless there is hypoglycemia in conjunction with exercise or there has been a significant overestimation of a carbohydrate/meal bolus.” When deciding on how much carbohydrate to take when treating a low, consider how long the pump has been suspending insulin, the glucose trend graph, and insulin on board (IOB) which is an estimate of insulin in your body working to lower blood sugar. If the pump has been suspended for a time, if the trend graph is a gradual decline (not steep) and/or there is little or no IOB, then likely a smaller amount of carbohydrate will be needed to return blood sugar to the target range.
Practical Treatment Tips with AID Systems:
- Always carry low blood sugar treatment
- Treat lows promptly - do not ignore low alerts or think that the system will correct the low automatically
- Choose fast-acting carbs such as glucose tablets, juice, soda, hard candy, or fruit snacks
- Avoid fatty carbs (such as chocolate or peanut butter crackers) as these take longer to digest and will delay recovery
- To correct mild to moderate lows, start with 5 – 10 g carbs instead of the 15 grams (for example 1 to 2 glucose tablets instead of 3 or 4)
- For more significant drops (<55mg/dl), or if the low occurs during or after exercise, or if there was a significant overestimation of carbs in a recent bolus, use 15 grams of carbs to treat
- After 15 minutes, recheck with fingerstick if the sensor value is still below 70mg/dl before re-treating due to sensor lag time
- If uncertain how much carbohydrate you should use, always err on the side of caution and use the “15-15 rule”
- If treatment with carbs is not working, the person is unable to swallow carbohydrates safely (seizing or severely confused), or if the person feels like they may pass out or have passed out, Glucagon (injection or nasal) should be used. Glucagon is by prescription only.
If you are experiencing frequent lows always contact your medical provider or diabetes educator to determine and correct the cause. If you would like more information on managing low blood sugar or need a pump training refresher, please call the education line to schedule an appointment with one of our certified diabetes care and education specialists at 561-659-6336 ext 8012. You can also check out the resources available on the American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org
Healthy Meal Planning Class & Pre-Diabetes Sessions are available! Join our classes to stay motivated in 2026 & feel great!
Healthy Meal Planning Class
West Palm Beach Location (Virtual on ZOOM!)
2101 N. Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Tuesday June 9th 10am-12pm
Pre-Diabetes Class
West Palm Beach Location (Virtual on ZOOM!)
2101 N. Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Tuesday June 16th 10am-12pm
If interested attending this program please contact our scheduling department at (561) 659-6336 Extension 8012 today!
At Healthy Living with Diabetes we want to ensure that you are satisfied with all services received. We also would like your input on educational workshops that you would like us to offer, information you would like to read about in Healthy Living with Diabetes Monthly or feedback on any workshop that you may have attended. You can contact the director of education personally by email jcook@PBDES.COM or leave a message at (561) 659-6336 ext. 8012. We would love to hear from you!
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