HOTFLASHES | July 2022

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Women 

Diabetes is a condition that can affect anyone–regardless of their age, race, sex, or lifestyle. While diabetes is more common in men, a study from the Annals of Internal Medicine found that, while men’s death rate for diabetes is falling, women’s death rate hasn’t changed.

While some diabetes symptoms may be the same from a woman to a man, there are some symptoms that can be unique to women. It’s important to know all the possible signs of diabetes, so that you can spot them and have them checked out as soon as possible.

Symptoms that are unique to women include:

  • Vaginal and oral yeast infections can be more common in women with diabetes because higher levels of glucose (blood sugar) can cause the growth of more fungus, including the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections, oral yeast infections, and vaginal thrush.
  • Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) can also be more common for women with diabetes because the immune system may be compromised due to hyperglycemia (too much glucose).
  • Female sexual dysfunction can be a potential symptom of diabetic neuropathy, which is when high blood glucose damages nerve fibers. This can lead to loss of feeling in your hands, feet, and legs, but it can also affect sensation in your vaginal area and lower you sex drive.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome is a disorder that produces more male hormones in women than is normal, and this can lead to irregular periods, weight gain, acne, depression, and infertility. However, it can also cause insulin resistance that can cause elevated blood sugar levels and increase your risk of diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes in both men and women:

  • Increased thirst and hunger
  • Frequent urination
  • Weight loss or gain with no apparent cause
  • Fatigue
  • Blurred vision
  • Wounds that heal slowly
  • Nausea
  • Skin infections
  • Patches of darker skin in areas of the body that have creases (such as elbows or knees)
  • Irritability
  • Breath with a sweet, fruity, or acetone odor
  • Reduced feeling in hands and feet

If you noticed any of the symptoms listed above in yourself or a family member, it’s important that you or your loved one see a healthcare provider. Untreated diabetes can be very dangerous. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your provider can help you with ways to manage the disease, including medication or insulin.

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/symptoms-in-women#complications

 

The Importance of Child Immunizations 

As parents, we all have concerns about our children from what kinds of food they’re eating to who they’re with, so it’s only natural to have concerns about things like vaccines. We’ve addressed some of parents’ most commonly asked questions and frequent concerns below.

  1. Vaccines protect your child from illness. When your baby is born, they don’t have a lot of immunity, which just means the body’s way of preventing disease. Their immune system is not fully developed, which can put them at a greater risk of getting an infection or catching a virus. Breastfeeding can pass on some antibodies to diseases, but it doesn’t protect your baby from everything. Since your child will be exposed to thousands of germs every day through the air they breathe and things they put in their mouth, vaccines are just an added way to protect them from those germs. Some diseases are just too strong for a baby’s immune system to handle, so the antigens in vaccines, which just means the parts of germs that make the body’s immune system work against those germs, give your child that extra boost they need.
  2. The ingredients in vaccines are as safe and effective as possible. Because such extensive lab testing is done on vaccines, the ingredients in today’s vaccines are safe and effective. Even after a vaccine is licensed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other federal agencies continue to monitor a vaccine’s effectiveness and overall safety. All common ingredients in vaccines (listed below) play an important role in the vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing your child from getting sick.
    • Adjuvants help boost the body’s response to being vaccinated, and these are also commonly found in antacids, buffered aspirin, antiperspirants, and more.
    • Stabilizers make sure that a vaccine continues to be effective after it is made. These are also commonly found in foods that we eat like Jell-O®, and they are also naturally in our bodies.
    • Formaldehyde can sound scary, but it is used to prevent contamination from bacteria when the vaccine is made. In addition, there is also more formaldehyde naturally in the body than in vaccines.
    • Thimerosal is only used in multi-dose vials of the flu vaccine during the manufacturing process. While no reputable scientific studies have shown a link between thimerosal in vaccines and autism, single dose vials of the flu vaccine are available as an alternative that doesn’t contain thimerosal.
  3. Side effects from vaccines are generally very mild. Just like medications that we take, vaccines can have side effects. In babies, you may notice some extra fussiness or fatigue, and it’s common for children to run a mild fever after vaccines as well. It’s normal to experience some body aches and redness, swelling, and/or tenderness at the spot the vaccine was given. These mild side effects usually go away on their own within a few days. Serious and long lasting effects from vaccines are incredibly rare.

If you still have questions or concerns about vaccines overall or certain vaccines that your child may need, it’s always a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about those questions and concerns.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/vaccine-decision.html

 

Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats 

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Note: If you are sensitive or allergic to gluten, look for oats labeled “gluten-free” as oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat or barley.)
  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened non dairy milk, such as almond or coconut
  • 6 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions: Stir oats, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Divide among five 8-ounce jars. Screw on lids and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days.

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/268775/cinnamon-roll-overnight-oats/