- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
More answers
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- Carbohydrate counting and diabetes: Looking beyond carbs
- Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
- Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
- Diabetes foods: Is honey a good substitute for sugar?
- Reactive hypoglycemia: What causes it?
- Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
- Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
- Blood sugar and mood: Any connection?
- Byetta: Can diabetes drug also help me lose weight?
- Low-phosphorus diet: Best for kidney disease?
- Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
- Glycemic-index diet: A helpful tool for diabetes?
- Caffeine: Does it affect blood sugar?
- Diamaxol: An herbal cure for diabetes?
- Hyperinsulinemia: Is it diabetes?
- Diabulimia: How are diabetes and eating disorders related?
- The 'dawn phenomenon': What causes it?
- Diabetes: How does it affect my liver?
- Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
- Whole grains: Good for diabetes prevention?
- Selenium supplements: Do they increase my diabetes risk?
- Diabetes: Do alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
- see all
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Diabetes: Are electric blankets off-limits?
Why are electric blankets discouraged for people who have diabetes? What's the danger?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Diabetes has many possible complications, including nerve damage (neuropathy). Over time, excess blood sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the nerves. This can cause tingling or numbness that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and over a period of months or years gradually spreads upward. Left untreated, it's possible to lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. If a person has any degree of nerve damage, he or she may not be able to sense if an electric blanket or heating pad is too hot — which can lead to inadvertent burns. The same issue applies to water temperature when bathing.
If you have diabetes and would like to use an electric blanket, warm up your bed with the blanket before bedtime — then turn the blanket off or remove it from the bed before you climb in.
Next questionAir pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) and diabetes. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/diabetic-neuropathy.jsp. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- Take charge of your diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/tcyd/foot.htm. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
