Recognizing Diabetes Symptoms

If you happen to be a diabetic or know someone who is, recognizing what diabetic symptoms are, is very important. This also applies to you if you have a strong family history of diabetes – as you will want to be aware of symptoms if and when you develop the disease too.

Type 2 diabetes usually starts out as a silent disease. Most people with diabetes are unaware they have it. They may dismiss their symptoms –

  • fatigue,
  • lethargy,
  • poor vision,
  • irritability,
  • reduced libido,
  • passing urine more frequently or having to get out of bed at night to go to the toilet – as part of getting older or other problems.

Early Onset DiabetesSymptoms of Early Onset Diabetes

Most people who are diagnosed with diabetes have probably already had it for five to ten years. An early symptom of diabetes is that the person may be experiencing episodes of hypoglycemia. With this symptom, the person will suffer tremors, sweating, dizziness, and hunger.

People with symptoms of diabetes-related high blood sugar often have a general feeling of malaise, weight loss, and nausea. You may also feel dizzy or lightheaded. When these symptoms occur, the blood sugar is often above 300 mg/dl, but can be as high as 600 milligrams per deciliter. Glucose greater than 600 milligrams per deciliter can cause an altered sense of consciousness and coma.

People with type I diabetes symptoms are a bit different from diabetes type 2. These guys have some of the symptoms of diabetes type II, but it can get much more serious symptoms such as diabetic ketoacidosis. This occurs when products of metabolism called ketones accumulate in the body. This causes stomach pain, loss of consciousness, and generalized coma, which can be fatal. Type I diabetics may also have symptoms of hypoglycemia if they take too much insulin.

Treat symptoms of diabetesDiabetics may develop symptoms of diabetes, although they have moderate control. Diabetics are at risk of losing their nerve function in the nerves of the legs, a condition called peripheral neuropathy.

Treat symptoms of diabetes

This results in an inability to feel things with their feet. diabetic foot ulcers may develop as a result of poor nerve and circulatory function.

People with diabetes can develop diabetic symptoms of poor visibility. This is because untreated diabetes causes changes in blood vessels of the eyes for vision is poor. The condition is called diabetic retinopathy and can be treated with laser treatments to the retina.

Kidney disease is another symptom of diabetes. This typically occurs when diabetes is not well treated. You may or may not have real symptoms such as fluid retention, but the evidence shows that the kidneys fail. This can lead to the need of a kidney transplant or dialysis if symptoms are severe.

The cardiovascular system may play a role in diabetes. Peripheral vascular disease (or poor circulation in the legs), is a symptom of diabetes. This can lead to cold feet or foot ulcers in diabetics. The heart can also participate. Diabetes is a risk factor for suffering a heart attack.

This is the main reason for the early care of diabetes and control is important for diabetics at all stages of the disease. In fact, most of the complications of diabetes can be improved by early detection.

Early Onset Diabetes

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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!

symptoms of Hypoglycemia

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Just How Low Is Low Blood Sugar

How low is low blood sugar?

Generally speaking, your blood sugar should never dip to 70 mg/dL or lower. When a person’s blood sugar dips lower than it should, this is known as hypoglycemia. It is a dangerous condition that could even be life threatening if not attended to. While hypoglycemia is more of a problem for diabetics than for non-diabetics, it should be noted that 70 mg/dL is the standard limit for what constitutes low blood sugar.

Causes and Symptoms

How Low Is Low Blood SugarHypoglycemia can be caused by one or more factors. It is often brought on if either glucose or insulin is released into the bloodstream too quickly. Taking insulin or diabetes medication at the wrong time can also cause hypoglycemia. Those who have diabetes should be sure to eat enough at mealtimes and for snack, especially if insulin has just been taken.

Skipping meals, drinking alcohol and/or changes in exercise habits can also bring about hypoglycemia if a person has diabetes type 2.

Some of the many symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

  • double vision
  • headaches
  • nervousness
  • rapid heartbeat
  • shaking
  • sweating
  • fatigue

However, there is also the danger of a person not feeling any of the above mentioned symptoms before more serious symptoms set in. Some of the most serious symptoms of hypoglycemia include fainting and seizures.

Blood Sugar Goals

Knowing how low is low blood sugar is not enough. A person needs to take action to ensure that his or her blood sugar levels remain stable. Generally speaking, a healthy person’s blood sugar levels should remain between 80 mg/dL and 160 mg/dL. While many diabetics have a higher range that what has been mentioned here, it is not impossible for a person with diabetes type 2 to attain to this healthy blood sugar level. However, those who have diabetes will want to consult a doctor, as one’s ideal blood sugar level range does vary from person to person.

An Introduction to Hemoglobin A1C Tests

Hemoglobin A1C tests can help to determine just how low is low blood sugar. These tests can be found in many doctor offices, but there are also home kits that can be used by a diabetic without professional medical help. The hemoglobin A1C home test should be used before mealtimes, after mealtimes and before going to bed. It will help one get a good idea of what his or her average blood sugar level is at various times of the day.

Ideally, a diabetic should strive for a blood sugar level of 80 mg/dL to 160 mg/dL. However, this goal may not be realistic for everyone, which is why consulting a doctor and using a Hemoglobin A1C home test kit is important. Knowing about blood sugar ranges, especially the low range will help keep you in good health.

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What is the normal range of blood glucose?

 

normal range of blood glucose
normal range of blood glucose

The normal range of blood glucose depends on many things including weight, age, and other small things. The glucose in the body’s main forms of energy and is really just sugar in the blood stream. If the glucose becomes too high it can damage the person’s body and even kill them. The normal range of blood glucose in an adult is 180m/dl after meals. If the body has a constant or uneven change in the blood glucose levels it may be a sign of diabetes.

Hypoglycemia is where the body has a two low an amount of blood sugar. This happens usually when someone does not eat properly and needs to consume more energy. The symptoms of hypoglycemia are shaking, confusion, dizziness, and fainting if levels become too low. This can be easily reversed with a simple dose of sugar (by eating) or insulin. On the other hand hyperglycemia is there is a high of blood glucose. This presence of hyperglycemia in the body generally means that the body is not producing the amount of insulin needed to convert the sugar into energy. This is usually called diabetes and can be very serious. (Your doctor must take readings before diagnosing you with the disease) The damage that this can do includes heart and kidney disease, and eye sight loss. Both of these can be treated but will change your life forever, for better or worse. Watching what you eat and by knowing your prescribed normal range of blood glucose levels you can watch for these.

Managing a normal range of blood glucose is a fairly easy responsibility. For those with only small mild cases of hyperglycemia can easily manage a normal range of blood glucose with proper exercise and a proper diet. Those who have a more serious case of diabetes much constantly watch what they eat and their blood glucose levels with a meter. Plus they may have to use insulin that they inject into their blood stream to help with the blood glucose level.

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Symptoms of Diabetes in Women

Symptoms of Diabetes in Women
Symptoms of Diabetes in Women

Symptoms of diabetes in women can be many, can varied, but it is important for every woman to be familiar with the symptoms of diabetes in women, especially if she has a family history of diabetes. In the present day, diagnoses for heart disease, high blood pressure and many forms of cancer are on the decline due to advances in medical knowledge as to what preventative measures can be taken.

Diabetes rates, on the other hand, continue to rise at an alarming rate, and though there is no cure for diabetes early diagnosis and treatment can help mitigate some of the worst of the disease’s health effects. This makes familiarity with the symptoms of diabetes in women very important knowledge.

Before any discussion of how to recognize diabetes in women can begin it is a good idea to note that some women are subject to gestational diabetes, or diabetes during pregnancy, which usually resolves itself after the child is born and the mother’s body returns to a more normal state. Type one and type two diabetes are chronic incurable, but treatable, conditions that occur with or without pregnancy.

The three classic early symptoms of diabetes in women that a woman should be on watch for are increased thirst, increased hunger, and increased urination. These symptoms manifest because the body is not correctly processing the glucose that comes from food and is needed to power the cells of the body. Along with these symptoms it is common for women who may be developing diabetes to get frequent yeast infections, extreme fatigue, weight fluctuations, and even numbness or poor circulation in the extremities.

If you or someone you know begins to develop these symptoms it is definitely time for a trip to the doctor for a fasting glucose test to ascertain whether you may be developing diabetes. The key to proper management and treatment of diabetes is early diagnosis, and this can be achieved if you are familiar with the symptoms of diabetes in women.

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