Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Why are electric blankets discouraged for people who have diabetes? 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 you have any degree of nerve damage, you 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.
M. Regina Castro, M.D. Air pollution and exerciseVegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes? Longo DL, et al., eds. Diabetes mellitus. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; Accessed Oct. 9, 2016. Diabetic neuropathies: The nerve damage of diabetes. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Are electric blankets safe or dangerous? The Electric Blanket Institute. See more Expert Answers Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic Diet OnlineA 4-Step Plan for HappinessMayo Clinic on Alzheimer's DiseaseControlling High Blood PressureThe Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet Other Topics in Patient Care & Health Info Diseases and Conditions A-Z Tests and Procedures A-Z Drugs and Supplements A-Z Patient and Visitor Guide
Safety Advice for Electromagnetic Fields (PDF) Should I Ground Myself and What's Wrong with Earthing Mats and Pads? Electric Fields and Body Voltage | Is it good to earth oneself? In the author's opinion, earthing is not recommended in environments with a lot of unshielded, ungrounded electricity, but it can be helpful in the outdoors away from electricity. The following discussion will go into more about earthing and its potential dangers. To Ground or Not to Ground -- That is the Question Whereas popular earthing books may advise you to take off your rubber sneakers so that you can ground yourself, popular DIY guides to wiring actually advise the opposite. Because when working with electricity, wearing rubber sneakers provides insulation against potential shock. From a safety standpoint, you want to avoid becoming part of the circuit when you are handling a live wire. By grounding yourself, you may become a target of electrical fields that are looking for the path of least resistance back to the ground (through you), and run the risk of a shock.
10 Precautions for EMF Safety (PDF) On the other hand, there are applications where grounding yourself is said to be desirable. For example, when working with electronics, grounding oneself can prevent one from damaging electronics via static electricity that one might get from walking on a carpet. So what is the verdict-- is grounding dangerous or beneficial to human health? Perhaps, if you'll excuse the pun, there could be a middle ground -- there are times to ground and times not to ground.. When NOT to Ground Oneself: When there is a lot of unshielded, ungrounded electricity around you, there is a risk that in grounding yourself, your body may provide the shortest pathway to the ground, i.e., the path of least resistance. When to Ground Oneself: Grounding yourself is potentially beneficial when there is little electricity around you, such as outside on the bare earth, away from external sources of EMF's. Grounding appliances such as a lamp or laptop with 2-pin plug directly to the earth is potentially beneficial, so they do not interfere with one's electrical system (in the same way that one grounds oneself to avoid interference with sensitive electronics).
Electric mattress pads are machine washable. Heated mattress pads ensure a warm bed at night. Heat coils, or wires, woven into the blanket warm up when you plug the pad into an outlet and turn it on. Proper washing methods take into account the delicate nature of these wires, since a damaged wire poses an electrical danger to the home and renders the pad useless. Fortunately, electric mattress pads are still machine washable, so it takes minimal effort to clean them for future use. Turn the mattress pad control switch to the off position. Unplug the cord from the wall then detach the cord from the pad. Inspect the mattress pad for exposed or broken wires. Pads with damaged wires pose a fire hazard and require replacement. Set the washing machine dial to the gentle or delicate cycle and allow the machine to fill with lukewarm water. Add a mild laundry detergent in the amount recommended on the detergent label. Place the pad in the machine and presoak it for 15 minutes. Turn the dial to the gentle or delicate cycle and wash for 2 minutes.