How Does
How Does Alcohol Affect Diabetes?
Alcohol and Blood Sugar Levels
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The key to controlling diabetes is to control blood sugar, as a glucose level that rises and falls rapidly is hard on the body. If you drink alcoholic beverages containing carbohydrates, such as wine or beer, your blood sugar level can rise, then drop quickly. If it drops too low you're in danger of going into diabetic shock or having a reaction.
A diabetic whose blood sugar is too low can show the same symptoms as someone who has consumed too much alcohol. According to the American Diabetes Association, hypoglycemia can occur in a diabetic who drinks anytime between the moment he starts and 12 hours later. And diabetics who drink too much alcohol tend to eat irregularly and incorrectly, which further worsens their condition.
Alcohol and Diabetes Complications
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Complications from diabetes can include heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and blindness, and when you add alcohol the risk grows. Drinking alcohol causes more triglycerides in the blood, which can clog arteries and raise cholesterol, increasing the chance of developing heart disease and atherosclerosis. Alcohol also raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure in diabetics is bad for the organs. Drinking alcohol can also cause blood vessels in the eyes to break, clouding vision and increasing the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. It can also cause or worsen diabetic neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves.
Alcohol and Medication
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Diabetics who use pills or insulin to control their blood sugar level might feel it drop too low when they drink alcohol. One of the liver's jobs is to make glucose when your blood sugar drops, and drinking alcohol interferes with this process, preventing the liver from doing so. The ADA says that just 2 ounces of alcohol prevents the liver from making glucose. Over time, alcohol consumption can damage your liver enough that it can't make glucose at all, which can lead to your blood sugar level being out of control.
eHow Article: How Does Alcohol Affect Diabetes?
