The doctor shared guidance on the BBC on how diabetes can affect everyday life in a surprising way
The BBC 's Dr Xand has shared advice for people with diabetes. He revealed the surprising way that diabetes could affect your ability to balance, leaving you at greater risk of falls and injuries.
He appeared on Morning Live today, Tuesday, May 12, after recalling how he was "closer to falling over than I should be" during the show's Strictly Fitness segment the previous day. Dr Xand explained that balance might not appear particularly important, but revealed it is actually our body's "sixth sense", highlighting several conditions that can have a significant impact on it, and consequently influence your risk of falls and injuries.
He said: "There are causes of balance problems that are a hard medical diagnosis. You might have an inner ear problem giving you vertigo. You might have multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's, in which case that needs to be managed.
"Diabetes is probably the biggest one because your balance involves nerve signals going to your brain, from your eyes, your ear and your muscles. Diabetes can interfere with all of that.
" A 2015 study found that diabetes can trigger issues such as nerve damage and vision problems, which can directly affect your balance and heighten your risk of falls. Furthermore, other complications associated with the condition, including high blood sugar, can lead to reduced sensation in the feet, muscle weakness and vertigo, making it even more difficult to maintain balance. Dr Xand warned: "If you are unsteady, you're tripping or stumbling or worried about falls, definitely talk to your GP.
And if you have any of those things that make you more vulnerable, if your vision is deteriorating, if you have any problems with dizziness or vertigo, or you find that any part of your muscles or your nerves aren't working...speak to your GP.
" Dr Xand also outlined how people can improve their balance, pointing out that dance or yoga can be a particularly effective way to strengthen this "sixth sense". But for those who aren't quite so balanced on their feet, he offered another straightforward exercise. He said: "I've got a water bottle, you could use a tin of beans, you could use anything you wanted...
If I stand on one leg and be careful standing on one leg, have a chair nearby, grab your water bottle as well...
"Stand on one leg and pass the water bottle around you. Your centre of gravity changes a little bit and you can feel all the muscles work all the way up and down your body.
"If you're someone who doesn't stand a lot, perhaps you're a wheelchair user, balance is still important. It's still your ability to locate yourself in the world, so we can also think of anything that moves your centre of gravity off and then returns to the neutral position.
" He demonstrated this by reaching one arm out to the side while seated, before returning to an upright, neutral position. Dr Xand cautioned people against assuming that the risk of falls and injuries is solely a concern for older people. He said: "I think it's really important that we don't frame it in terms of age and we just think about the sort of extremes of life. "
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