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Spa bath

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gail2

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would i be right in saying that if you are diabetic you should not use a spa bath?
 
You shouldn't use a hot tub, but a spa should be OK I think. I have a mat thingy that goes in the tub and turns it into a spa, it's wonderful when I'm having a bad day with the arferitiss.
 
I think that most of this stems because of possible lack of feeling in diabetics with neuropathy and because of the general risk of hypos.

However, we actually possess a hot tub, and a pound to a penny, if I spend more than approx. 20 mins in it, I will hypo - so you do have to be careful. To be fair though - in the original manufacturers handbook it does state that they recommend their tub only be sat in for 20 mins at a time and if you choose to stay in it longer it's at your own risk.

Handily all the pumps and jets turn themselves off after the first 20 mins, so I get out and leave everyone else to it, whereupon they turn em back on for another cycle etc ......

I don't think they are actually verboten but if someone at a public spa didn't want the responsibility for anything going amiss, it's quite in order to stop ALL diabetics from using them.
 
reason i ask is that a staff member said we could go for a spa day so i guess we will go swimming instead
 
WOW I never new that!!!....🙄

I often go to my sisters and they have one with flashing lights music the whole works! and I have spent hours in there before and drinking!! Ooppsss!! 😱

You learn something new everyday!! 🙂
 
It all really depends, Gail. If you have full sensation in your limbs and extremities, there's no reason why you can't have a spa bath or use a sauna or steam room. Just be aware that it may increase your insulin sensitivity - but that can easily be overcome by either reducing your insulin intake on the day or ensuring you can easily access glucose.

Swimming could actually be more challenging - although you don't have the risk of injury caused from neuropathy, swimming is also the most intense all-round exercise you can do, so you can imagine that could have a significant effect on your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar level.

Simply put, there is no reason why anyone with diabetes should not do anything, assuming they know how to control their diabetes and they don't suffer from significant neuropathy. You can take cold medicine, you can skydive, you can drink Red Bull, you can scuba dive, you can sit in a hot tub, you can climb a mountain, you can drink booze, you can fly a glider...I know this because I've done all of these things and I am nowhere near dead, ill, sick or whatever.

You can do anything at all if you've got your medication and a packet of glucose tablets.
 
Hi Gail,

Just to add to the other posts as well - there is no reason why you can't still enjoy the spa day without any Jacuzzi's/whirlpools/spa-baths. When I last did this with a group of friends we each had our treatments of choice and spent the day in and out the swimming pools, relaxation rooms, gym, restaurant etc It was great, we never even bothered with the spa baths 🙂
 
I enjoyed one just recently and it didn't occur to me that the sauna, steam room hot tub etc could be a problem. I don't spend over long in sauna and steam room anyway, but must have spent at least half an hour in the hot tub.. Lovely.. I guess you just remember to be aware.
 
Well if I didn't have the security of the thing turning off after my allotted time, I'd just get Pete to time me as he keeps his waterproof watch on!

I go too wrinkly anyway not long after that, my skin is saggy enough without adding waterlogged to the equation.

I remember one new Year's Eve, 4 of us in our garden in the tub, it was snowing lightly and it was ace. Me and Mrs friend nipping out sporadically into the kitchen to check our BGs (both Ds) and -caution to the wind - fetch another bottle of fizz. It was excellent !
 
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