Diabetes is a complicated chronic illness that can have many adverse side effects on your health and general well-being. Because alcohol has a significant impact on blood sugar levels, you might want to quit or limit your usage depending on the severity of your diabetes and other medical circumstances.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that makes blood sugar control difficult over time. During digestion, certain foods are broken down into glucose, circulated throughout the body. When your blood glucose levels rise, your pancreas releases insulin to assist your cells in using glucose as fuel. People with diabetes have trouble producing their insulin or effectively utilizing it, resulting in an elevation of blood glucose levels that can lead to significant health problems, including heart and kidney disease and reduced eyesight.
There are numerous varieties of diabetes. Many people with type 1 diabetes have an autoimmune disease that targets and destroys pancreatic cells that produce insulin, resulting in severe insulin deficiency. Because many persons are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as children or teenagers, it is sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes. It can affect anybody of any age. The causes of type 1 diabetes are still being researched. Both genetic and environmental factors have been linked to its development. If you have a parent with type 1 diabetes, you face an elevated risk of developing it yourself. Around 5-10% of persons with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
To live, individuals with type 1 diabetes must take insulin. Signs of uncontrolled or undiagnosed type 1 diabetes that are serious may appear rapidly and include indications such as:
- It causes hunger and thirst to increase.
- Increased urination.
- Blurry vision.
- Fatigue.
- Weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not have enough insulin or when tissues cannot utilize insulin effectively to transform blood sugar into energy. Type 2 diabetes can strike at any age, although it is most common among those in their fifties and beyond. People who are overweight or obese, don’t get sufficient exercise, or have specific genetic characteristics may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
People who have type 2 diabetes may experience a few of the same symptoms as those with type 1 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes frequently suffer from problems with wound healing and numbness or tingling in their extremities owing to the harmful impact high blood sugars have on our microvasculature (or tiny blood vessels). Although diabetes can initially cause few subtle symptoms, specific long-term effects may progressively worsen. Because diabetes is a silent disease, most people do not realize they have it until its symptoms get worse or they develop health problems such as blindness or heart illness.
Gestational diabetes is the third form of the disease that affects women who haven’t had diabetes before and develops during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, which is uncommon, might have significant consequences for the baby’s health. Therefore a doctor closely monitors the mother throughout her pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born; nevertheless, it may also progress into type 2 diabetes in some people.
Blood tests that measure glucose, such as:
- The hemoglobin A1C test measures your average glucose levels over the previous three months.
- A fasting blood glucose test inquires about your blood sugar levels when you are not eating.
- A random plasma glucose test can be done even if you haven’t eaten.
Must Read: Is Sugar Alcohol Bad for You?
How Does Alcohol Use Impact Diabetes Control?
Alcohol can cause several adverse effects on individuals with diabetes. It may make managing your blood sugar more complex in various ways. For example, it may generate dangerously high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes who drink alcohol and are otherwise well-fed. However, people with diabetes who drink alcohol and eat inadequately can develop dangerously low blood sugar.
Chronic heavy drinking might affect various metabolic processes (including blood glucose homeostasis) and may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes throughout life. Drinking may also raise the risk of a variety of other diabetes-related illnesses, including severe heart and brain problems.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
DKA is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. DKA occurs when the body produces high levels of ketones due to not having enough insulin. Alcohol can also increase the risk of developing DKA, especially in people with diabetes already at risk for the condition.
People with alcoholic ketoacidosis may have the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Rapid breathing
- Sweet, fruity breath odor
If you have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor right away. Treatment for alcoholic ketoacidosis typically includes hospitalization and sometimes a temporary halt to alcohol consumption.
People with diabetes are also more likely than average to develop DKA, especially if they don’t carefully follow their doctor’s advice about taking insulin and monitoring their blood sugar levels. People who drink excessive amounts of alcohol are at even greater risk of developing DKA—the combination of heavy drinking and not taking insulin or following a doctor’s treatment plan can substantially increase the risk of developing DKA.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Research has found that people with diabetes may produce more triglycerides than healthy individuals and that these elevated levels of triglycerides are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Some research suggests that heavy drinking might result in lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels and higher triglyceride concentrations, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
One study has found that the risk of developing coronary heart disease is more than twice as great in older men who have 20 or more drinks per week compared with their nondrinking counterparts. One reason for this increased risk is that heavy drinking can raise triglyceride levels while decreasing HDL cholesterol levels, associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
Brain Damage
Heavy drinking may also increase the risk of developing brain damage in people with diabetes. One study found that heavy drinkers with diabetes were more likely to experience deficits in executive function, visual memory, and working memory than nondrinkers with diabetes. Furthermore, this study found that the more alcohol someone with diabetes drank, the greater the chance that they would experience brain damage.
Drinking May Exacerbate Heart and Brain Health Challenges
Heavy alcohol consumption may make it more difficult for people with diabetes to monitor their heart health because it can reduce sensitivity to insulin, which is necessary for regulating blood sugar levels. The combination of heavy drinking and diabetes also poses elevated risks for heart and brain health problems, including stroke, heart attack, and memory loss.
Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition in which the high sugar levels associated with diabetes damage the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining of the back of your eye. The disease can result in blurred vision and blindness if left untreated. Some research indicates that heavy drinking may increase one’s risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.
Kidney Disease
Diabetic kidney disease is a leading cause of death in people with diabetes. People with diabetes are at increased risk for developing kidney disease for several reasons, including damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys and high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol. Some research suggests that heavy drinking may also increase the risk of developing diabetic kidney disease.
Nitrous Oxide
Studies have found that people with diabetes who consume alcohol are more likely to inhale nitrous oxide, or “whippet,” which may increase serious complications. Nitrous oxide is a gas with solid anesthetic properties that dentists often use during oral surgery because it can result in loss of consciousness. When used with alcohol, nitrous oxide can be even more dangerous because it can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure and impaired judgment.
Neuropathy
Alcohol may intensify diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes that can result in tingling or pain in the hands and feet. Some research has found that heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing neuropathy among individuals with diabetes.
Heart Attack Risk
Diabetes can increase one’s risk of having a heart attack. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a heart attack than people without diabetes. Research suggests that heavy drinking may further increase this risk.
Alcohol and diabetes can be a dangerous combination, leading to increased heart and brain health problems, blindness, kidney disease, and neuropathy. If you have diabetes, it is important to drink in moderation or avoid drinking altogether. If you do drink, be sure to discuss your alcohol consumption with your health care provider to ensure it does not pose any additional risks for your health.
Treatment Options
Inpatient or outpatient treatment may be selected based on the severity of someone’s alcohol use disorder or co-occurring disorders. Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol might be severe and, in some cases, deadly. Therefore if detox is required, it is advised to undergo rehabilitation at a facility with around-the-clock medical supervision.
Why do alcoholics get diabetes?
There is a two-way relationship between alcohol and diabetes: Diabetes can cause alcohol abuse, and alcohol abuse can cause diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or utilizes it incorrectly. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use glucose, or sugar, for energy; when the body does not have enough insulin to turn sugar into energy, high blood glucose levels, which can eventually cause damage to organs and lead to an increased risk of malnutrition.
High blood sugar from untreated diabetes can also change how the body processes alcohol, resulting in higher-than-usual blood alcohol concentrations after drinking. This can make it easier for people with diabetes to become intoxicated and increase the risk of alcohol-related health problems, such as liver disease.
Alcohol abuse can also cause or contribute to the development of diabetes. Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to use sugar for energy, eventually leading to high blood sugar levels and diabetes. Alcohol abuse can also damage the pancreas, producing insulin and other hormones needed for blood sugar regulation. In addition, heavy drinking can damage the liver and decrease a person’s ability to process blood sugar, potentially leading to low blood sugar levels that require a person to take more diabetes medication.
Alcohol abuse has been associated with an increased risk of pancreatitis, a disorder in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. Pancreatitis can lead to pancreatic atrophy, which damages the pancreas and reduces its ability to produce insulin.
Accordingly, if someone has diabetes and abuses alcohol, they are at an increased risk for developing severe complications related to their sugar metabolisms, such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy.
What are the Symptoms of Alcoholic Diabetic Neuropathy?
Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy include tingling in the feet or hands that can progress to muscle weakness; feelings of “pins and needles;” loss of sensation; pain; swelling; ulcers; dry, itchy skin; infections; and slow-healing sores.
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is another symptom of diabetic neuropathy if high glucose levels damage blood vessels feeding the penis. If you have diabetes and notice you are experiencing erectile dysfunction or other signs of advanced neuropathy, it is essential to seek care from a doctor.
What can you do to protect your health?
If you have diabetes and drink alcohol, the best thing you can do for your health is abstain from drinking or limit yourself to one unit of alcohol per day. If you have been diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, it is essential that you seek help through rehabilitation and/or counseling.
If you have diabetic neuropathy, it is essential to take steps to protect your feet, including washing them daily, drying them thoroughly, and applying lotion or cream to the skin. Inspect your feet regularly for cuts, blisters, or other signs of injury and see a doctor if you develop any sores that do not heal quickly. If you have diabetic retinopathy, it is essential to have regular eye exams by an ophthalmologist.
If you have diabetes and are pregnant, it is essential to speak with your doctor about how much alcohol is safe for you to drink. Alcohol can cause low blood sugar in pregnant women with diabetes, leading to a dangerous condition called hypoglycemia. It is also essential for women with diabetes to take extra care to maintain good blood sugar levels while pregnant since high or low blood sugar can harm the mother and the fetus.
If you have alcohol use disorder and diabetes, you must abstain from drinking. In addition, it is essential to seek help through rehabilitation and/or counseling to address your alcohol use disorder. Doing so can improve your diabetes control and reduce your risk of developing complications related to your sugar metabolism.
Many people with diabetic neuropathy experience a decrease in their quality of life. You may find that you can no longer work or participate in social activities, which can be frustrating. It is important to remember that diabetic neuropathy does not have to prevent you from living a full life – there are always options for treatment and support to help you live your best life possible.
If you think you may have alcoholic, diabetic neuropathy, it is essential to speak with a doctor about getting a nerve conduction test. Your doctor will be able to determine whether you have alcoholic, diabetic neuropathy by reviewing your medical history and asking about your drinking habits.
Ref: https://portlandpress.com/clinsci/article-pdf/65/6/645/454944/cs0650645.pdf
