Are you diabetes or heart patient? If you are, then you need to be very conscious before you start fasting. Fasting during Navratri can prove harmful for you. You may face various health problems and complications due to fast. People who have diabetes and heart problems, they should not fast, because there are high chance of risks and complications.
According to modern medical science, heart and diabetes patients should need to take some specific precaution and care during Navratri fast.
1. A person who have type 1 diabetes, should not fast.
2. If diabetes patient’s blood sugar level falls below 60 mg, they should not end fast immediately.
3. Fast should also be withdrawn if blood sugar is less than 70 mg per percentage in the first few hours after the start of the fast.
4. The risk related with fasting is low in type 2 diabetes, which is well balanced with diet alone. But, there is a potential chance of post meal high blood sugar, if the patients over engage in eating.
5. Type 2 diabetic patients on diet control who also do a regular daily exercise program should modify their exercise program. It is recommended not to do it when they are fasting. They should do workout only after 2 to 3 hours of post sunset meal.
6. A diabetic patient who have uncontrolled high cholesterol and high blood sugar, restriction of fluids intake during the day can cause heart attack and dehydration leading to paralysis.
7. Patients on metformin alone can fast as the chances of low blood sugar is minimal. Two-third of the normal dose of metformin should be provided immediately before post sunset meal and remaining one-third can be provided in the morning, if they can take a fruit-based breakfast. Similarly patients on pioglitazone can fast without following any change in the dosage pattern.
8. Diabetic patients who are taking sulfonylurea drugs, should consult with their doctors before fasting. Only gliclazide and glimepiride, which have also less chances of low blood sugar can be delivered during fast but under medical supervision. Sometimes, these drugs may be switched to short-acting drugs like repaglinide during the time of the fast should again under medical supervision.
9. Patients who are using insulin and eating only one meal a day may have to balance the dose of their insulin and the necessity of insulin may decrease up to 40%.
10. During fast most diabetic patients will be controlled on a single dose of longer-acting insulin at bed time or plain insulin before the major meal.
11. Patients on plain insulin should consult to their doctor whether they require to shift to lispro insulin instead of regular insulin to decrease the risk of low blood sugar.
12. Fasting diabetic patients who eat heavy dinner may have to accordingly change their insulin dose
13. Similarly, the dose of high blood pressure drugs may be minimized up to 40% during Navratri fasts.Health in your hand………….protect your health and lead happy life!
