How Does Illness Affect Blood Sugar Levels
When you get sick whether it’s a minor illness like a cold or a bigger problem the body sees the illness as stress. To deal with the stress, it releases hormones that increase sugar in the blood.
In one way, this is good because it helps supply the extra fuel the body needs. But in a person with diabetes, it can lead to blood sugar levels that are too high. Some illnesses cause the opposite problem. If you don’t feel like eating or have nausea or vomiting, and you’re taking the same amount of insulin you normally do, your blood sugar levels can get too low.
Blood sugar levels can be very unpredictable when you’re sick. Because you can’t be sure how the illness will affect them, it’s important to check blood sugar levels often on sick days and change your insulin doses as needed.
What Should I Eat First Thing In The Morning If My Blood Sugar Is Low
Low carbohydrate diets should be avoided since they may produce low blood glucose. Before going to bed, I had a snack. Choosing high-fiber snacks may help avoid low blood sugar in the morning by slowing down glucose absorption. Rather of three substantial meals, eat modest, regular meals throughout the day.
Who Can And Cant Take Glimepiride
Glimepiride can be taken by adults .
A diabetes specialist may sometimes prescribe glimepiride for children and young people less than 18 years of age.
Glimepiride isnt suitable for some people. To make sure its safe for you, tell your doctor if you:
- have had an allergic reaction to glimepiride or any other medicines in the past
- have severe kidney or liver disease
- have G6PD-deficiency
- are due to have surgery
- are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding
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Is It Low Blood Sugar
People with diabetes need to check the amount of sugar in their blood often. You can get dizzy if it drops too low. That also can cause hunger, shakiness, sweating, and confusion. Some people without diabetes also have trouble with low blood sugar, but thats rare.
A quick fix is to eat or drink something with sugar, like juice or a hard candy.
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You Know That Low Blood Sugar Can Make Your Head Spin But Can High Blood Sugar Too Make You Feel Dizzy Or Lightheaded
The answer is yes, but the way this happens is not what youd expect.
Connection Between High Blood Sugar and Feelings of Dizziness
High blood sugar can make you dizzy because of the physiologic response to high glucose levels, says Stacy Mitchell Doyle, MD, resident physician of FoodTherapyMD and long-time advocate of plant-based nutritional protocols.
In order to clear the sugar from the blood, your body will try to eliminate the sugar by urinating it out, explains Dr. Doyle. So the result is dehydration, which makes you feel dizzy.
The feeling wont be like the dizziness youd experience if you were to sit strapped to a rotating stool and rapidly swung around.
It also wont be the same sensation youd get if you were to suffer an attack of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. high blood sugar, dizzy
But the sensation could still be described as having a dizzy-like or lightheadedness feeling.
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Urgent Advice: Contact Your Doctor Straight Away If You Take Too Much Glimepiride
Taking too many glimepiride tablets can give you low blood sugar.
Early warning signs of low blood sugar include:
- feeling hungry
- feeling confused
- having problems concentrating
If you think you have low blood sugar, have some food or drink that quickly gets sugar into your bloodstream such as sugar cubes or fruit juice.
This type of sugar wont last long in your blood. You may also need to eat a starchy carbohydrate, like a sandwich or a couple of biscuits.
Food Taken At The Previous Night
A diabetic patient has to follow a strict diet. The number of carbohydrates and sugar cannot exceed the doctors prescribed amount.
A blood sugar spike in the morning can occur if the patient takes more food than the medications can handle. Try to remember the last meal that you took before going to bed.
You have most likely taken more food than what your endocrinologist advised you to have.
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A Low Blood Sugar Level And Driving
You may still be allowed to drive if you have diabetes or youre at risk of a low blood sugar level for another reason, but youll need to do things to reduce the chance of this happening while youre driving.
You also need to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and your car insurance company about your condition.
For more information, see:
High Blood Sugar Levels
Blood sugar levels that are too high can also cause nausea.
In the case of hypoglycemia, its important to consume food or drink with sugar in it to raise blood sugar levels, which should help to relieve nausea. In the case of hyperglycemia, its crucial to check blood glucose often to ensure they dont raise to dangerously high levels and to be in contact with a healthcare provider.
One of the serious complications of uncontrolled high blood sugar includes diabetic ketoacidosis , which commonly occurs in people with type 1 diabetes, and diabetic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome in people with type 2 diabetes, of which nausea is a symptom of both.
Other signs and symptoms signs of diabetic ketoacidosis include abdominal or stomach pain, fatigue, frequent urination, excessive thirstiness, fruity odor to the breath, shortness of breath, and sometimes unconsciousness.
Dehydration from nausea and vomiting can further worsen electrolyte imbalances, which is why its essential to seek prompt medical attention for these conditions.
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The Big Picture: Checking Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar monitoring is the primary tool you have to find out if your blood glucose levels are within your target range. This tells you your blood glucose level at any one time.
Its important for blood sugar levels to stay in a healthy range. If glucose levels get too low, we can lose the ability to think and function normally. If they get too high and stay high, it can cause damage or complications to the body over the course of many years.
The logging of your results is vital. When you bring your log to your healthcare provider, youll have a good picture of your bodys response to your diabetes care plan. To help keep track of your levels, we have a glucose log. We also have a blood glucose log available for purchase that is smaller so you can carry it with you.
Treatment Options For Diabetic Gastroparesis
The principal goals for the treatment of gastroparesis are to correct fluid, electrolyte, and nutritional deficiencies, to reduce symptoms, and to identify and rectify the underlying cause of gastroparesis, if possible. This latter goal should be emphasized in clinical practice. Prior to any intervention, the underlying mechanism that may exacerbate an already existing gastroparesis should be managed, and clinicians should be aware that certain medications might exacerbate gastric emptying abnormalities, including H2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, antihistamines, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and calcium channel blockers. In the case of diabetic gastroparesis , optimum glycemic control should be achieved, and repeated fluctuations in glucose levels avoided because gastric emptying is extremely sensitive to changes in the serum glucose levels.,
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Is It Possible To Get Sick From Low Blood Sugar
Hunger, trembling, racing heart, nausea, and sweating are all symptoms of low blood sugar. It may cause coma and death in extreme circumstances. Hypoglycemia may be caused by a variety of factors, however it most usually occurs as a side effect of drugs like insulin. Insulin is used to treat high blood sugar in diabetics.
Diabetic Gastroparesis Causes Serious Abdominal Discomfort
It could be that you are one of the estimated 25-55% individuals with type 1 diabetics or the one-in-three people who have type 2 diabetes and experience symptoms of gastroparesis for which there isnt yet an effective treatment targeted to improve this gastrointestinal condition.3
Lets gain some perspective on the management of this gastrointestinal condition thats further complicated by the presence of diabetes. Patients who sought out Mahdusudan Grover, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, hoping to gain relief from gastroparesis had only one option: metoclopramide , the only drug approved to help patients with the condition but it comes with serious potential side effects and black box warnings.
Dr. Grover explains that the procedure involves removing a part of the stomach called the pylorus to help the stomach empty into the intestines more easily. Unfortunately, he says its too soon to know which patients may benefit the most by having the operation.
However, there is an endoscopic procedure, called EndoFLIP, which can determine if there is problem with the way the pylorus is working, and by gathering this information, it will narrow the possibility to those patients who clearly have poor pyloric function.
Still, Dr. Camilleri says that the surgery looks promising and is largely safe, making it an encouraging option for those whose Endo-FLIP examinations show some pyloric dysfunction.
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When To Call A Professional
If you have type 1 diabetes and feel unwell, check your blood sugar levels often. Also test your urine for ketones. Call your doctor if you have:
- Unexplained nausea and vomiting with or without abdominal pain,
- Moderate or high levels of urine ketones, or
- Your blood sugar is high and you cant lower it by adjusting your insulin dose.
Nutritional Solutions To Avoid High Blood Sugar
Dr. Doyle says, The solution is to drink plenty of fluids and to keep your blood sugar down in the first place!
And the absolute most effective way to do that is to adopt a whole food plant based diet.
This is a diet based on vegetables, fruits, whole unprocessed grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with minimal animal products and processed foods or sugars.
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Symptoms Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
DKA is a very serious condition. If you have diabetes and think you may have DKA, contact your doctor or go to a hospital right away. The first symptoms to appear are usually:
- Excessive thirst
The next stage of DKA symptoms includes:
- Abdominal pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- A fruity odor on the breath
If your sugar is very high or symptoms are severe , you should go to the nearest emergency room.
/98 Factors That Can Give An Inaccurate Blood Sugar Reading
As per the International Diabetes Foundation, 42.5 crore people suffer from diabetes globally and this number is expected to increase to 62.9 crores by 2045.
Talking about India, studies have shown that prevalence of diabetes in urban areas has increased from 2 per cent in 1970 to 25 per cent in 2015 and in rural areas from 1 per cent to 14-16 per cent, respectively.
The data is shocking and alarming. To keep our blood sugar levels in check, we rely on glucose testing. But the thing is, these readings might be inaccurate sometimes. Though with the advancement in technology, modern meters have made inaccurate readings less common. But it still can happen and heres why.
Here are eight reasons why your meter can show inaccurate reading and what you can do about it.
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Maybe It’s Sugar Intolerance
If you lack the ability to digest the simple sugar found mainly in fruit called fructose, you may have hereditary fructose intolerance, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Genetics Home Reference website. Symptoms develop in infancy when fruits are first introduced. In addition to nausea, symptoms include diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, low blood sugar and failure to thrive. If you continue to ingest fructose, it can lead to liver and kidney damage, eventually resulting in seizures, coma or death. Hereditary fructose intolerance affects about one in 20,000 to 30,000 people per year worldwide.
How Does Hyperglycemia Happen
Insulin is a hormone that lets your body use the sugar in your blood, which comes primarily from carbohydrates in the food that you eat. Hyperglycemia happens when your body has too little insulin to use the sugar in your blood.
People with type 1 diabetes can have episodes of hyperglycemia every day. Although this can be frustrating, it rarely creates a medical emergency. Not taking enough insulin can lead to hyperglycemia .
Other things that can cause hyperglycemia include:
- Having trouble seeing or concentrating
- Experiencing stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
- Having sweet-smelling or fruity breath
- Cuts or sores that do not heal, infections, and unexplained weight loss may also be signs of long-term hyperglycemia.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should check your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is very high, you should also test for ketones in either your blood or urine.
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Examples Of Appropriate Snacks May Be:
- 6 saltine crackers
- 1 slice toast and 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup milk
The food eaten for a reaction need not be subtracted from a meal plan.
Obtain a blood sugar when symptoms occur if you are able. If symptoms are severe, treat the reaction first and then obtain a blood sugar. Do not drive nor operate equipment if you feel your blood sugar is low.
If your blood sugar drops low enough for you to become unconscious, you must be taken to the hospital and/or treated with glucagon.
Glucagon is a hormone that causes the blood sugar to rise. It can only be given by injection. It is used to treat a low blood sugar if a person becomes semi-conscious or unconscious due to a severe low blood sugar. Please ask your nurse for instruction on glucagon. Your doctor will need to write a prescription for glucagon so you can have it available at home.
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What Is The Definition Of Dangerously Low Blood Sugar
When your blood glucose level drops below 70 mg/dL, you may develop hypoglycemia. It may make you feel unsteady, weak, hungry, or dizzy, among other things. However, some persons might not show any signs or symptoms. Its serious if your blood sugar drops below 54 mg/dL, and you should get care immediately soon.
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What Causes A Low Blood Sugar Level
In people with diabetes, the main causes of a low blood sugar level are:
- the effects of medicine especially taking too much insulin, medicines called sulfonylureas , medicines called glinides , or some antiviral medicines to treat hepatitis C
- skipping or delaying a meal
- not eating enough carbohydrate foods in your last meal, such as bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes and fruit
- exercise, especially if its intense or unplanned
- drinking alcohol
Sometimes theres no obvious reason why a low blood sugar level happens.
Very occasionally, it can happen in people who do not have diabetes.
How To Get Rid Of The Dizziness
Dizziness affects different people differently and there are many things that can cause it. It is something that is very hard to describe and a number of people have a hard time expressing what it is that they feel.
Dizziness cannot be described as a condition or a disease on its own. It is more of a symptom and may indicate that there is another underlying issue. Dizziness may go away after a while and in some cases, but sometimes, it lingers. However, there are many ways in which it can be treated.
If you experience dizziness, especially regularly, you should consider talking to a doctor who can give a clear evaluation. You may be given medications, lifestyle changes, therapies, and sometimes surgery.
Medications can treat the causes of dizziness such as the buildup of fluid within the ear or drug side effects.
Acupuncture can also be used to deal with dizziness. This is especially when you use medications, but the dizziness remains persistent. Dizziness could be an indication of dehydration and so it is wise to drink more water or other liquids that are not alcoholic to hydrate. Consider lying down if you feel dizzy. It is also wise to avoid tobacco use.
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In Most Cases High Blood Pressure Does Not Cause Headaches Or Nosebleeds
- The best evidence indicates that high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds, except in the case of hypertensive crisis, a medical emergency when blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or higher. If your blood pressure is unusually high AND you have headache or nosebleed and are feeling unwell, wait five minutes and retest. If your reading remains at 180/120 mm Hg or higher, call 911.
- If you are experiencing severe headaches or nosebleeds and are otherwise unwell, contact your doctor as they could be symptoms of other health conditions.
A Side Effect Of Medication
Like other medications, some diabetes drugs can cause nausea as a side effect.
These include the common medication metformin, which people should take with food to avoid or reduce nausea.
A person may experience nausea when they start taking injectable medications, but this symptom often goes away once they become used to the injections. If it does not, it is worth talking to the doctor about possibly adjusting the dosage.
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