Can Neck Pain Cause Headaches
Headaches can be caused by many things, but there is no mechanism that can be pointed out as the single cause. When it comes to tension headaches, the cause is usually within the neck area, causing muscle tension as well as some trigger points.
There are some muscles located at the skull base, these are called suboccipital muscles, and they may cause headaches. The muscles aid movement of your skill and the 1st and 2nd neck vertebra.
Trauma, slouching posture, teeth grinding, bad ergonomics at your workstation, new glasses, as well as eye strain can lead to the tension.
How Can I Treat And Manage Hyperglycemia
People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can manage hyperglycemia by eating healthy, being active, and managing stress. In addition, insulin is a critical part of managing hyperglycemia for people with type 1 diabetes, while people with type 2 diabetes may need oral medications and eventually insulin to help them manage hyperglycemia.
If you dont have diabetes and have any of the signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia, call your healthcare provider. Together you can work to manage your hyperglycemia.
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Vasovagal Syncope As A Cause Of Dizziness
Vasovagal syncope is a common cause of dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. The vagus nerve is overstimulated and causes the body’s blood vessels to dilate and the heart to slow down. This anti-adrenaline effect decreases the ability of the heart to pump blood upward toward the brain. Without blood flow, the brain turns off. In Victorian England, young ladies’ sensibilities were easily offended causing a vasovagal episode called a swoon.
Some people faint at the sight of blood. Some parents faint when their child gets immunized. Some medical students faint at their first autopsy. Many types of emotional and physical stressors can overstimulate the vagus nerve, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, and at times fainting .
Fainting is not normal. If a person is unconscious, activate the emergency medical system , and seek medical care.
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When Your Blood Sugar Is High
Its easy to forget that your brain isnt getting the proper fuel it needs when your blood sugar is high, too, because while there is plenty of glucose in the bloodstream, it requires insulin to help your body actually make use of it.
While the effect of high blood sugar levels doesnt feel as emergent as the symptoms of low blood sugars, your body is still struggling in other ways.
Flooded with glucose but without adequate insulin quickly leads to varying levels of:
Diabetes-related ketones are the result of your body being forced to burn fat for fuel in a very dangerous way, producing ketones at a very dangerous rate and quantity. It is a state of stress for your entire body including your brain.
Additionally, when your blood sugar is high, your body will become dehydrated. The higher your blood sugar is and the greater the length of time its high, the more dehydrated youll become.
Dehydration even in those without diabetes is an obvious and well-known cause for a headache. But keep in mind that dehydration can also lead to high blood sugars. The less water there is in your bodily tissue and bloodstream, the more concentrated the glucose in your bloodstream becomes.
Drinking enough water as a person with diabetes ought to be considered as critical as taking your medications, but its an easy one to overlook.
Treatment Of Dizziness And Vertigo
Treatment depends on what your doctor thinks is causing your dizziness. Potential treatment options may include:
- canalith positioning procedures a special set of exercises designed to remove inner ear crystals in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- migraine prevention medication
- medication to dampen the sensations of dizziness
- anti-nausea medication
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Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes
Itâs important to get your blood sugar under control to avoid these serious conditions:
- Hypoglycemia. If your blood sugar falls below 70 milligrams per deciliter , it can lead to accidents, coma, and death.
- Hyperglycemia. Blood sugar that goes above 180 to 200 mg/dL can give you heart, nerve, kidney, and vision problems. Over the long term, it also can cause coma and death.
Over time, people with type 2 diabetes may have other health problems:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis. When you donât have enough insulin in your system, your blood sugar rises, and your body breaks down fat for energy. Toxic acids called ketones build up and spill into your urine. It can cause coma and death if you donât treat it.
- Heartand blood vessel diseases. People with diabetes are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which play a role in heart disease. Also, high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart.
- High blood pressure. Diabetes doubles your risk of high blood pressure, which makes you more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
- Nerve damage. This can cause tingling and numbness, most often in your feet and legs. But it can also affect your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart.
- Eyedamage. Diabetes can cause:
- Glaucoma, a buildup of pressure in your eyes
- Cataracts, a cloudiness of your lens
- Retinopathy, which is damage to the blood vessels in your eyes
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Causes Of Dizziness And Vertigo
A wide range of conditions and diseases can cause dizziness, including:
- inner ear problems disorders of the inner ear account for about half of all cases of persistent dizziness. Such disorders include Menieres disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular neuritis
- anxiety disorders stress or anxiety may play a role in causing dizziness or, more commonly, may be a contributing factor in dizziness from other causes, such as inner ear disease
- brain disorders a common cause of dizziness is migraine, even without the headache that most people associate with a migraine. Very rarely, other causes of dizziness can include stroke or other brain diseases
- other conditions some cases of dizziness are due to underlying medical conditions such as low blood pressure, infection, some heart problems and hypoglycaemia . Medications that are used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure can also cause dizziness in some people
- unknown causes although a cause may not be found in some people, it does not necessarily mean that these people cannot be helped by the appropriate treatment.
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Food And Eating Habits
Despite the constant recommendations to eat healthfully when you have diabetes, its not necessarily easy to change your eating habits. No one is perfect! But when it comes to your food choices or how and when you eat, its worthwhile to focus on a) trying to get into an eating routine and b) making healthful food decisions most of the time. Youll reap a host of benefits by doing so, including more stable blood glucose levels, reaching and staying at a healthy weight, a lower risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, and, yes, fewer headaches. What and how you eat can be directly responsible for headaches, especially migraines. Typical triggers for migraines include:
Too much or too little caffeine Alcohol, especially red wine, whiskey, Scotch, and champagne Aged cheeses Nitrates and nitrites, found in cold cuts, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon Monosodium glutamate Foods or drinks containing aspartame, a nonnutritive sweetener Citrus fruits
Other culprits: skipping or delaying meals, and not drinking enough fluids.
Why Are Diabetes And Headaches Linked
In essence, diabetes and headaches are linked because the high or low blood glucose/sugar associated with diabetes results in changes in the head. For more detail, lets get our heads round the main causes!
Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is when blood glucose levels rise above 7.0 mmol/L or 126 mg/dL. One of the typical symptoms of high blood glucose is a headache.
There are a few different reasons why this happens. The first is low energy. For people with diabetes, their own insulin is not doing the job of making glucose enter the cells .
Without that glucose, the body doesnt get the energy it needs. And without that energy, the body isnt getting the fuel it needs to function. This includes the brain headaches can be a sign that the brain isnt getting energy.
Hyperglycemia can also cause headaches because of dehydration. Essentially, the body tries to flush the excess glucose out through the urine, meaning more bathroom visits, and less fluid in the body. The brain needs fluid to function.
A headache being a signal of high blood glucose is such that people who havent been diagnosed with diabetes should always be aware. A headache could be one of the tell-tale early signs of diabetes.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is the opposite of hyperglycemia. Its where blood glucose is too low: below 4.0 mmol/L or 70 mg/dL. Low blood glucose and headaches are equally concerned with low energy.
Poor sleep
Neuropathy
High blood pressure
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Signs And Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar
Each persons reaction to low blood sugar is different. Learn your own signs and symptoms of when your blood sugar is low. Taking time to write these symptoms down may help you learn your own symptoms of when your blood sugar is low. From milder, more common indicators to most severe, signs and symptoms of low blood sugar include:
- Feeling shaky
- Color draining from the skin
- Feeling sleepy
- Feeling weak or having no energy
- Blurred/impaired vision
- Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue or cheeks
- Headaches
- Nightmares or crying out during sleep
- Seizures
The only sure way to know whether you are experiencing low blood sugar is to check your blood sugar, if possible. If you are experiencing symptoms and you are unable to check your blood sugar for any reason, treat the hypoglycemia.
A low blood sugar level triggers the release of epinephrine , the fight-or-flight hormone. Epinephrine is what can cause the symptoms of hypoglycemia such as thumping heart, sweating, tingling and anxiety.
If the blood sugar level continues to drop, the brain does not get enough glucose and stops functioning as it should. This can lead to blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, confused thinking, slurred speech, numbness, and drowsiness. If blood sugar stays low for too long, starving the brain of glucose, it may lead to seizures, coma and very rarely death.
Heart Attack And Stroke
At its most serious, lightheadedness may be a sign of a heart attack or stroke. Other symptoms of a heart attack often accompanying lightheadedness are chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, arm pain, back pain, or jaw pain. Symptoms suggesting a stroke are the sudden onset of headache, numbness, weakness, visual changes, trouble walking, or slurred speech. But in older adults, lightheadedness may be the only symptom of a heart attack or a stroke, especially if it doesnt go away, says Dr. Grossman. In that case, every second counts, so get to an emergency room for treatment.
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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.
Low Blood Pressure As A Cause Of Dizziness
Dizziness, lightheadedness, and the feeling of passing out is a common complaint in people who have low blood pressure. When the blood pressure is too low, not enough oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the brain, and its function can be affected. If the brains blood supply is decreased too much, the person may pass out . Symptoms may worsen when changing position from lying down or sitting to standing up.
In addition to feeling dizzy, associated symptoms may include:
In individuals who are dehydrated or anemic, blood pressure readings may be normal when they are lying flat however, the lack of fluid is unmasked when they stand up quickly. The lack of blood to the brain may cause dizziness and lightheadedness. This feeling may pass in a few seconds as the body adapts. However, if dehydration or medications prevent the body from reacting by constricting blood vessels and increasing the heart rate, the dizziness may persist to the point at which the patient passes out .
Some diseases are associated with an inability to compensate for changes in body position . Normally when a person stands, blood vessels contract to increase blood pressure slightly, and the heart rate also increases slightly, to pump blood uphill to the brain against gravity. In autonomic dysfunction, a person may become dizzy when they move from a lying position to sitting or standing up. Examples of these diseases with this syndrome include diabetes, Addisons disease, or Parkinsons disease.
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What Are Severe Complications Of Type 1 Diabetes
Nerve damage. High blood-sugar levels over a long period of time can actually cause your blood to thicken. When this happens, the blood has a harder time moving through your blood vessels and restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients that can be supplied to your nerves. If left untreated, this can lead to a complication called neuropathy, or nerve damage. Nerve damage, in turn, can cause certain areas of your body to permanently lose sensation. It most commonly affects hands and feet.
Kidney damage. Thickened blood is harder to move through your body and can damage the delicate vessels inside of your kidneys. Over time, the blood vessels in your kidneys can narrow and clog, limiting their function. Because high blood sugar can damage nerves as well, people with type 1 diabetes may not be able to feel nerve signals when their bladder is full. An overfull bladder puts pressure on the kidneys and can damage them even further.
Remember, all of these symptoms and complications can be prevented if you work with your endocrinologist on a blood sugar management plan and system that works for you. Every symptom on this list can absolutely be stopped before it progresses. There is no reason a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes has to lead to anything other than an advanced awareness and understanding of how your body reacts to sugar and what to do to keep it in check when things start to get out of whack.
Sugar Can Cause Headaches And It’s More Likely If You Have Diabetes
- Eating too much or too little sugar can trigger a headache.
- This is because sugar consumption affects blood sugar levels, and can lead to hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, which both include symptoms like headaches.
- Sugar headaches are more common for people with diabetes, as they have more difficulty regulating blood sugar levels.
There are many different types of headaches, and your diet can play a role in how often you get them. In fact, your sugar consumption may be an important factor, especially if you have diabetes, as abnormal blood sugar levels are known to trigger headaches.
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How To Tell If You Or Your Child Has Type 1 Diabetes
With Ilana Halperin MD and Elena Christofides MD
Type 1 diabetes is a permanent condition. That means youll likely have to deal with symptoms at least a few times in your life, no matter how diligently you monitor your blood sugar. Were here to empower you with clear answers to all your pressing Qs.
What Causes Hyperglycemia In People With Diabetes
- The dose of insulin or oral diabetes medication that you are taking is not the most helpful dose for your needs.
- Your body isnt using your natural insulin effectively .
- The amount of carbohydrates you are eating or drinking is not balanced with the amount of insulin your body is able to make or the amount of insulin you inject.
- You are less active than usual.
- Physical stress is affecting you.
- Emotional stress is affecting you.
- You are taking steroids for another condition.
- The dawn phenomenon is affecting you.
Other possible causes
- Pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and cystic fibrosis.
- Certain medications .
- Gestational diabetes, which happens in 4% of pregnancies, and is due to decreased insulin sensitivity.
- Surgery or trauma.
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What Is High Blood Sugar
High blood sugar occurs when high levels of glucose are in the blood.
High blood sugar affects people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, conditions in which the body has too little insulin or when the body doesn’t use insulin properly.
Normal blood sugar levels differ depending on a persons age and other health conditions.
For adults who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and children who have type 1 diabetes, normal blood sugar ranges are:
- Fasting/upon waking and before meals: 80 to 130 mg/dL
- After meals/before bed: Less than 180 mg/dL
High blood sugar is defined as:
- Fasting/upon waking and before meals: above 130mg/dL
- After meals/before bed: above 180mg/dL