Dogs Can Help Prevent Sugar Levels From Falling Low
Dogs are not only faithful companions, but they can also be put into medical use. According to a new study, dogs can help prevent sugar levels from falling too low in Type 1 diabetes patients.
According to reports, dogs can use their sense of smell to sniff out the start of a hypoglycemic episode and, thereby, prevent the sugar levels from falling dangerously low. The British researchers believe that teaching dogs how to detect higher levels of chemicals that are exhaled during a hypoglycemic episode could help prevent this health condition in people suffering from diabetes.
Patients suffering with Type 1 diabetes are practically required to test their blood sugar levels multiple times a day to make sure that their sugar levels are neither too high, nor too low. The body of such patients is incapable of producing insulin, a chemical that controls the levels of blood sugar in the human body.
Type 1 diabetes patients can experience episodes of hypoglycemia at any time of the day. In fact, the episode may occur without any prior warning and result in disorientation, fatigue and shakiness. If it lasts too long, episode of hypoglycemia may even lead to unconsciousness or seizures.
The recent study conducted by a team of researchers from Cambridge University looked at whether dogs can detect the chemical exhaled in the breath of their owners.
A pediatric diabetes specialist nurse named Claire Pesterfield, has trained her dog, Magic, to detect when her blood sugar drops to dangerous levels. In fact, her dog has a history of alerting her a thousand times in case of a minor hypoglycemic episode.
The indications given by the dog, even when she was asleep, allowed her to check the blood sugar on time and take corrective steps to bring her blood sugar levels to normal.
