ASK DIABETES HEALTH

I am a mother of a 20-year-old girl who has Type 2 Diabetes. My daughter ensures that she drinks plenty of water during the summer months.But during the monsoon, she is unsure of how much water to drink every day.

Could you please advise?

Water plays a vital role in metabolism. It cleanses the system and flushes out toxins from the body. In the summer season,

water intake should be more like 8-10 glasses of water in a day because the body sweats more in this season but in monsoon season, 6-8 glasses of water in a day is sufficient. While travelling, water intake should be at least 6-8 glasses to avoid dehydration.

Studies have shown that drinking a glass of warm water after waking up in the morning helps improve your bowel movements.

Adding a few drops of lemon juice in warm water is effective in increasing antioxidants in the body.Some water-containing fruits like watermelon, sweet lime, orange, lemon, all types of berries, guava, pineapple and its juices may help to compensate for the water requirement. She can also improve his fluid intake by incorporating healthy drinks like buttermilk, lime water and soups. Some vegetables like cucumber,bottle gourd, red pumpkin, ridge gourd and bitter gourd also help hydrate the body.It is important to ensure that water is either filtered or boiled. During the rainy season, many diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, jaundice, typhoid etc. are caused by intake of contaminated water, so water should be clean and safe to avoid infections. Drinking clean and purified water helps fight against and prevent many illnesses.

Ms Rutuja Mahajan

Clinical Nutritionist

I am 62 years old and have been living with Diabetes for 1S years. I recently underwent eye surgery to remove my cataract. Could you please explain to me how I can take post-operative care of my eyes to protect them from infection in the monsoon season?

Modern-day cataract surgery is a day-care procedure with quick recovery. The post-operative care needed after cataract surgery is not season-specific and remains the same irrespective of the time of the year. It is a myth that cataracts should not be performed in the summer or rainy season.

The current advanced cataract removal techniques allow the person to undergo surgery in any season.

A few things to remember here:

• Blood sugar levels should be kept under control before and after surgery to avoid infection, irrespective of the season.

• One may bathe from neck down. Mer the surgery, one should avoid splashing water into the eyes for a few days.

• The features of the wound size in the current day cataract operation is - a) self-sealing,

b) suture-less and

c) of 2.2-2.8 mm.

The healing of such a small wound is fast.

• Though the wound is small, the eye needs to be protected against small, accidental injuries during sleep. Therefore, a protective eye shield should be placed on the eye.

• No extraneous water should enter the eye and for protection against that, eye goggles should be worn for a few days, irrespective of the season. The above instructions are to be followed in any season by all patients who undergo cataract surgery. In addition, a person with Diabetes should keep his or her blood sugar levels under optimal control for better and faster healing.

Dr Savita Bhat

Consultant Ophthalmologist