Understanding the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia refers to a condition caused by low blood glucose levels. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy and a hormone known as insulin aids cells in absorbing and using glucose.

Hypoglycemia typically occurs with several conditions but is most commonly associated with diabetes medications, such as insulin. It is particularly common in individuals with diabetes who also have issues with food, medication, or exercise. However, other drugs and conditions can also cause low levels of blood sugar in people without diabetes. There are two types of non-diabetic hypoglycemia:

  • Fasting hypoglycemia, which can be linked to a disease or some medications
  • Reactive hypoglycemia, which typically occurs a few hours after eating a meal

What are the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia?

For most people, the symptoms of hypoglycemia usually appear when their blood glucose is 70 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) or lower. However, this number might vary between individuals and the symptoms can also be different. Common signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

  • Anxiety
  • Shakiness
  • Pale skin
  • Hunger
  • Sleepiness
  • Irritability
  • Numbness of the cheeks, lips or tongue
  • Irregular or fast heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Crankiness
  • Dizziness

As the blood sugar level goes lower, symptoms can include:

  • Confusion
  • Loss of consciousness, passing out
  • Seizures
  • Blurred vision

Causes of hypoglycemia

Possible causes in people with diabetes

People with diabetes might not be responsive to insulin (type 2 diabetes) or they might not make enough of it (type 1 diabetes). This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood stream to high levels. Therefore, most people with diabetes take medications such as insulin to correct this problem by lowering blood sugar levels.

However, too much insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop to extremely low levels, causing hypoglycemia. Other factors that can cause hypoglycemia include eating less than you normally do especially after taking diabetes drugs, or exercising more than usual.

Possible causes in people without diabetes

Causes of hypoglycemia in people without diabetes include:

  • Excessive alcohol consumption: Heavy drinking without eating blocks the liver from releasing glucose, causing hypoglycemia.
  • Medications: Taking oral diabetes medication without a prescription is one of the possible causes of hypoglycemia. Various medications, such as quinine can also cause hypoglycemia in people with kidney failure or in children.
  • Long-term starvation: Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, might result in low blood glucose levels.
  • Some illnesses: Liver illnesses such as severe cirrhosis or hepatitis can cause low blood glucose levels and ultimately hypoglycemia. Some severe kidney illnesses can also cause hypoglycemia by keeping the body from excreting medications and causing a buildup of medications which can affect glucose levels.
  • Hormone deficiencies: Some pituitary tumor and adrenal gland disorders can cause a deficiency of hormones that are responsible for regulating glucose production. In children, hypoglycemia can occur if they have extremely low levels of growth hormone.
  • Insulin overproduction: Insulinoma (tumor of the pancreas) can cause excessive insulin release, which can result in hypoglycemia. Various other tumors can also result in overproduction of insulin-like substances in the body. Enlargement of pancreas cells can cause overproduction of insulin, causing hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia after meals

what are the symptoms of hypoglycemiaAlthough hypoglycemia typically occurs when you’ve not eaten, this is not always the case. Sometimes the symptoms can occur after eating certain foods high in sugar, triggering the body to producing more insulin than needed. This condition is known as postprandial hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia and it can occur in people who have undergone stomach bypass surgery. However, it can also occur in individual who haven’t undergone this surgery.

Hypoglycemia Complications

If untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to:

  • Weakness and dizziness
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizure
  • Injuries
  • Falls
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Greater risk of dementia particularly in older adults
  • Death

What is Hypoglycemia Unawareness

Recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia can cause hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition whereby the body no longer produces symptoms that warn of low blood sugar level, such as irregular heartbeats and shakiness. As a result, the risk of severe hypoglycemia increases.

For people with diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness, their doctors might recommend blood sugar awareness training, raise their blood sugar level goals and modify treatment.

Under treated Diabetes

For people with diabetes episodes of hypoglycemia can be frightening and uncomfortable. This fear can cause them to modify their treatment without consulting a physician, which can cause uncontrolled diabetes. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening condition. Moreover, you should not change your medication dose without consulting your doctor.

Therefore, it’s extremely important to seek medical attention if you experience the symptoms of hypoglycemia or if hypoglycemia is not responding to treatment, whether you have diabetes or not.

Read more about dealing with HYPOS and HYPERS in diabetes!

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The Dangers of Extremely High Blood Sugar Levels

There are many dangers of having an extremely high blood sugar level. When the insulin levels are low the glucose skyrockets, which can permanently damage the body. The damage that the body can sustain includes heart damage and the increased chance of getting:

extremely high blood sugarwhich can be life threatening in the end. Extremely high blood sugar symptoms include tiredness, dehydration, a very dry mouth, vomiting and nausea, excessive urination, stomach pain and other side effects.  Hypoglycemia, or extremely low blood sugar, is also very dangerous and can lead to fainting, dizziness, confusion, hunger, feeling sweaty or clammy, increased heartbeat and other serious life threatening problems that can be dealt with by adding some simple sugar to the system.

If your blood glucose levels remain too low, or too high, for a long period of time, this can cause what is called a diabetic coma.

So what happens when a person goes into a Diabetic Coma?

It is a life-threatening complication of diabetes that causes unconsciousness – if you don’t seek medical help immediately, this can be fatal. All people with diabetes are at risk of diabetic coma. The very first this you would do if faced with this situation is to call 911. This is an emergency situation.

Treatment for a diabetic coma

Hyperglycemic diabetic coma:  Which is if you have extremely high blood sugar levels, the medical professional will administer insulin and rehydrate the patient.

Hypoglycemic diabetic coma:  The patient would be injected with glucagon and give glucose.

How to Care for Extremely High Blood Sugar.

extremely high blood sugar

Monitoring your blood glucose levels constantly: helps diabetics to avoid the complications that can arise. This is done with a blood glucose meter. There are many different kinds of meters to choose from. Many of the meters available today are quite small and easy to use.

Most of the meters available have fast test times, only really require a tiny blood sample and you are able to download the results to keep good records of your levels.

Here’s some of the popular, portable and preferred pocket-sized meters you may want to look into:

  • Lifescan One Touch Ultraeasy
  • Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle
  • Accu-Chek Mobile
  • Accu-Chek Aviva Nano
  • Truone by Home Diagnostics
  • Bayer’s contour Next USB

 Diets can easily help with your extremely high blood sugar.

The correct diet for diabetes, will certainly help to lower your high blood glucose levels and maintain them. The foods you choose to eat can be so important to your overall health and wellbeing. What you eat can make an enormous difference to your blood sugar levels,  to your cholesterol and also your blood pressure levels.

These days we are advised by our diabetes health care professionals to focus more on creating healthy eating patterns, lower in saturated fats and higher in fiber, and our overall weight control.

extremely high blood sugarHigh Fiber Foods:

High fiber foods are beneficial as they have a low glycemic index. They regulate blood sugar metabolism and improve the health of the digestive system. A fiber-rich diet is generally lower in fat and sugar and makes you feel “fuller” for longer! You can find soluble fibers in oat bran, barley, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seed husks and flaxseed.

diabetic comaPlant Foods:

All fresh, whole, unprocessed plant foods are beneficial. Below are a few of these listed, that have been shown to improve blood sugar management.

  • Green tea
  • coffee
  • cocoa
  • black rice
  • Pumpkin, beans, eggplant
  • Blueberries, black currants, raspberries and strawberries

hyperglycemia treatmentProtein Foods:

Animal proteins that contain very little carbohydrates will reduce the glycemic index of foods they are eaten with and help to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Lamb is a great option. Free range preferably organic chicken is a good source of protein – but the best you could  probably get would be fish! Make sure it’s wild fish though, as fish farming is becoming an increasing problem with all the chemicals and the antibiotics used in the farming processes.

Exercise is Vital for Extremely High Blood sugar

I’m sure we could probably all gain from a few lifestyle changes – one of the main one being exercise! Some of these changes can certainly be challenging, but if you have diabetes, you really do need to make them a priority in your life. It’s no secret that losing those extra kilos and keeping them off, will definitely help to control your blood sugar levels. Apart form losing  weight, regular exercise also increases insulin  sensitivity. It’s recommended that a diabetic perform at least two and a half hours of medium to vigorous intensity exercise in a week. some examples would be fast walking, swimming, jogging, water aerobics.

 So talk to your doctor about lowering your dangerously high blood sugar levels!.

what to do when blood sugar is high

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Dealing with Hypos and Hypers in Diabetes

Blood glucose levels can go up or down during the day. The goal is to get them as stable as possible.

Dealing with Hypos:

Levels are generally low before meals, during or after exercise and in the middle of the night when there is a long time between meals. Higher glucose levels generally occur about two hours after meals and during stress. But everyone is different and diabetics should learn their patterns as completely as possible.

Low blood glucose is called hypoglycaemia, or ‘hypo’ for short. High blood glucose is called hyperglycaemia, or ‘hyper’ for short.

Symptoms of a hypo.

The symptoms of hypos appear quickly, over the period of a few minutes, and generally mean your blood glucose levels have slipped below 3.0mmol/L. This is easily checked on your blood glucose meter. Hypos usually happen only in people taking insulin.

Hypoglycaemia symptoms are:

  • anxiousness or nervousness,
  • palpitations or shakiness,
  • hunger and disorientation progressing to confusion,
  • mood change,
  • belligerence and clumsiness.

Prolonged symptoms can cause damage to the brain and nerves.

Causes of hypos.

Causes of hypos include too much insulin, lack of carbohydrate intake, excessive alcohol or excessive physical activity.

What do I do when I have a hypo?

Diabetes groups advise diabetics with a hypo to first make sure they are in a safe place and to stop operating a car or machinery. Have some quick acting carbohydrates like half a can of soft drink or juice OR 3 teaspoons of sugar or honey OR 6 or 7 jelly beans. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and repeat the dose of quick-acting carbohydrates if the levels don’t rise. Symptoms should ebb quickly; if not, make sure an ambulance is called.

Dealing with Hypers.

Hypers happen when the blood sugar levels are too high, sometimes higher than 15mmol/L. A hyper comes more gradually than a Hypo and can sometimes take days.

Causes of hypers.

Possible causes of a hyper may be not enough insulin, too much food, an illness or infection and stress.

Symptoms of a hyper.

Symptoms include :

  • excessive thirst,
  • passing large volumes of urine,
  • dramatic weight loss,
  • lack of energy over several days and progression to nausea and vomiting,
  • abdominal pains,
  • sweet smell on the breath,
  • drowsiness and eventually unconsciousness in the worst case.

The symptoms can usually be alleviated with more than the usual dose of insulin. Diabetics should talk to their doctor about having some fast-acting insulin and drink plenty of water or other sugar-free fluid to compensate for the frequent urination. Seek medical treatment if the symptoms worsen.

Read more about the complications of diabetes here!

Diabetic Complications

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Top 10 Signs and Symptoms of Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia is a condition where a person’s blood sugar level is too high. Although this can happen to anyone, it is of particular concern to diabetes patients. Hyperglycemia is caused by resistance to insulin or loss of insulin producing cells. In most cases, the body is usually unable to produce an adequate amount of insulin to metabolize glucose in the bloodstream. This can happen when people with diabetes eats to much of the wrong food or forget to take their diabetes medication.

Self-monitoring and good management of blood sugar levels is the key to preventing hyperglycemia especially for people who’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes. If you’ve not been diagnosed with diabetes, you should report any symptoms of hyperglycemia to a doctor in order to be tested for diabetes and other conditions that can lead to hyperglycemia. High blood sugar should be controlled in order to prevent chronic hyperglycemia and complications that may be caused by the condition.

The Most Common Signs and Symptoms of Hyperglycemia Include:

  1. Increased Hunger

symptoms of high blood sugar

This condition is also known as polyphagia and it simply means that you’re experiencing increased hunger. Therefore, you may find yourself feeling hungry and wanting to snack shortly after eating even when you had previously managed to easily limit your snacking especially between meals. Polyphagia is caused by the reduced ability of your body to metabolize glucose. Since glucose is a very important nutrient for all cells in our bodies, when they become malnourished, they usually signal the body that they need more food to maintain proper functioning, resulting in feelings of hunger.

  1. Increased thirst

The medical term for this symptom is polydipsia. The kidneys normally absorb sugar in the bloodstream in order to recycle it and make it readily available to supply our blood cells. However, when there’s too much sugar in the blood stream, the kidneys are overworked but they may still be unable to keep up. When the kidneys are unable to absorb glucose, they discard it by simply excreting it in urine. This usually results in increased urination which often causes dehydration and you may end up feeling thirsty.

  1. Increased Urination

This symptoms that is impossible or very difficult to ignore. The medical term for increased urination is polyuria. It simply refers to a noticeable increase in the volume of urine passed, frequency of urination, or both. Hyperglycemia results in excess sugar in the blood stream causing the kidneys to discard it in urine. Therefore, the kidneys must work extra hard and this inevitably results in more urine or frequent urination.

  1. Blurred Vision and Eye Damage

High blood sugar levels cause the lenses in our eyes to swell. On the other hand any change in the size or shape of the lenses causes significant changes in vision which usually result in blurry vision. This problem should be addressed as soon as it arises because it can cause permanent changes in your vision.

  1. Weight Loss

Although weight loss does not sound like a logical outcome especially when you think of excess glucose in the bloodstream, it can actually happen and it makes sense when the process is broken down. Remember, the body is unable to process the glucose in the bloodstream. Therefore, the cells that need nourishment in form of glucose do not get it. The body responds by tapping into the fat reserves stored in different area in order to use it for energy. As these reserves are gradually depleted, weight loss occurs.

  1. Slow Healing Cuts and Wounds

The healing function for people with hyperglycemia can be slowed quite dramatically. Healing can be slower than normal for more than one reason. Blood vessels can become narrowed due to high glucose levels and this can reduce blood flow hence causing slower healing. The negative effect of high glucose on red blood cells can also slow the healing process. This is a very dangerous condition because wounds that take longer to heal are more susceptible to other infections.

  1. Dry Mouth

This condition is also known as xerostomia. Dry mouth can result due to the negative impact of high blood sugar levels on the salivary glands. It can cause significant difficulty with both eating and swallowing. For people who wear dentures, this condition can make it very difficult for them to keep their dentures in place and they are also more likely to develop sores. Moreover, since saliva is very important for the health of gums and teeth, people with dry moth are also more likely to develop other dental problems.

  1. Itchy or dry skin

Dry skin can be caused by the reduction of moisture due to high blood sugar levels. Since nerve damage is also another potential complication of high blood sugar levels, it can also interfere with the body’s ability to perspire and this also dries the skin. It is very important to understand that dry skin is generally more prone to itching and cracking, which increases the risk of injury. The reduced ability of the patient’s body to heal itself can make this a very serious condition because of the high risk of infection.

  1. Irregular Heartbeat

Irregular heartbeat is also known as cardiac arrhythmia. High blood glucose levels can deplete the supply of potassium, which is very important especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy and regular heartbeat. This is the primary reason that higher blood sugar levels can cause cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).

  1. Seizures

This is a potentially dangerous and frightening symptom. Seizures are triggered by hyperglycemia in some people. Since normal brain function mainly relies on a steady supply of nutrient-rich and oxygen-rich blood, hyperglycemia can interfere with the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients hence triggering seizures in some individuals. However, it’s essential to understand that the likelihood of seizures varies from person to person.

Your blood sugar level may rise if you forget or skip your oral glucose-lowering medication or insulin, eat too many carbohydrates, are ill, are under stress, have an infection, exercise less or become inactive, or when you engage in strenuous physical activity when your insulin levels are low and blood glucose levels are high. However, you shouldn’t worry about hyperglycemia if you keep your blood glucose levels under control by following your exercise program, meal plan and medicine schedule.

Read here for more on Blood Sugar Levels!

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Alcohol and Diabetes

Is alcohol and diabetes a good combination? If you have diabetes, you probably know the impact of different foods on your blood sugar levels. How does alcohol influence glucose readings, and can diabetics consume alcoholic beverages safely?  What is the best alcohol for diabetics? Diabetics can incorporate alcoholic beverages in their diet in a safe and responsible way. However, it is essential to always keep in mind that consumption of alcohol should always be done with food. This is mainly because alcohol increases the risk for low blood sugar especially in diabetics. Therefore, it is safety to consume alcoholic beverages either with meals that include carbohydrates such as starch or snacks such as crackers.

Here is what you should know about Alcohol and Diabetes

  1. What happens if you Mix Alcohol and Diabetes Medications?

alcohol and diabetes type 2

Alcohol causes blood sugar levels to fall or rise depending on the amount you consume. On the other hand, diabetes medication such as meglitinides or suldonylureas also lower blood sugar levels by stimulating production of more insulin by the pancreas. Combining alcohol with the blood glucose lowering effects of diabetes medication can lead to insulin shock of hypoglycemia which are medical emergencies.

  1. Alcohol impairs liver function

The liver must work to remove alcohol from your blood instead of regulating the blood sugar level. Therefore, it is vital to avoid drinking alcohol when your blood sugar level is already low. Be sure to test your blood sugar level before consuming alcohol.

  1. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach

One of the main benefits of consuming alcohol with food is because food slows down the absorption rate of alcohol into your bloodstream. When drinking alcohol, you should always eat a snack or meal containing carbohydrates.

  1. Can Alcohol cause Hypoglycemia?

Alcohol can cause a drastic drop in your blood glucose level within a few minutes of consumption and up to 12 to 14 hours afterwards. You should always check your blood sugar level after consuming alcohol to make sure it is still within the safe zone.

  1. Drink slowly

alcohol and diabetes

It takes about 2 hours for the liver of someone who weighs 150 pounds to break down just a single alcoholic drink. When you drink too much alcohol too fast, you may feel disoriented, dizzy, and sleepy. Always wear a bracelet that will let people know that you are diabetic, so in case you are intoxicated, they know that these symptoms could also be as a result of hypoglycemia. People who are hypoglycemic need glucose or food in order to raise their blood sugar levels.

  1. Diabetes and Alcohol – It is Essential to Know your Limit.

Your physician will tell you the amount of alcohol that you can consume safely depending on your medication and health condition. It is essential to understand that sometimes this may mean keeping off alcohol completely. In most cases, men with diabetes should have no more than two drinks. Women may have no more than one alcoholic drink. Drinking alcoholic beverages slowly and understanding your limit can save your life.

Diabetics should be cautious especially when consuming alcohol because it can make some diabetes complications, even worse. Therefore, it is essential to consult with your doctor, so that they may prescribe the best diabetes medications for you – especially if you are combining alcohol and diabetes.

 

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