Can Cutting Sugar Out Of A Diet Cause Headaches
People often cut sugar out of their diet when trying to lose weight, control diabetes or simply improve the quality of their food and beverage choices. Regardless of the reason, giving up sugar can be challenging. Also, the omission of sugar or other related diet changes may even be linked to headaches. While it’s plausible that abstinence from sugar can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, there are other potential and perhaps more likely reasons that abruptly stopping sugar can cause this symptom.
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A Low Blood Sugar Level And Driving
You may still be allowed to drive if you have diabetes or you’re at risk of a low blood sugar level for another reason, but you’ll need to do things to reduce the chance of this happening while you’re driving.
You also need to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and your car insurance company about your condition.
For more information, see:
How To Identify Triggers
If you have migraine, almost anything can be a trigger. This means it can be very difficult to identify your potential triggers. It may also be a combination of a few things that seems to lead to a migraine attack. And a trigger may not lead to a migraine attack every time, which can confuse things even more.
Here is an example of how combinations of triggers can work: A young woman has identified that her migraine attacks appear to be triggered when she skips meals, is feeling stressed and when she is about to have her period. If she comes home late from a very stressful day at work, her period is just about to start, and she goes straight to bed without eating a proper meal, she will almost certainly have a migraine attack. However, if she skips dinner another time, when the other triggers did not happen, she will probably not have migraine attack.
Many people find that they sometimes go a long time without having a migraine attack. During this time, your body may seem to be less sensitive to triggers and you may find that even the combination of your usual triggers doesnt result in a migraine attack.
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Which Type Of Diabetes
Both hypo- and hyperglycemia can trigger headaches and migraines. They can be super painful, with a throbbing or pulsing sensation on in your head. You might also feel weak, nauseous, and sensitive to light or sound.
Diabetes-related headaches can cause other symptoms too, depending on whether your blood sugar is too low or too high.
- Low blood sugar headaches can leave you feeling faint, shaky, nauseous, or sweaty.
- High blood sugar headaches may be accompanied by feeling super thirsty or having to pee more than usual, fatigue, or blurred vision.
First up, when you notice that throbbing pain coming on, start by checking your levels. The American Diabetes Association recommends aiming for these targets:
- Between 80 and 130 mg/dL before meals
- Less than 180 mg/dL 2 hours after meals
If your blood sugar is below the target range, try having 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbs like glucose tablets or gel, juice, regular soda, or sugary candy.
If you dont start to feel any better within 15 minutes, have another 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbs. This can help bring your blood sugar back up and start to ease your headache. After, have a healthy meal or snack to keep your levels stable.
If your blood sugar is above the target range, you may need to adjust your insulin levels or take a supplement of short-acting insulin.
Say it with us: Extreme blood sugar swings can be life-threatening. No bueno.
Is Your Headache Due To Too Much Blood Sugaror Too Little
The of a blood sugar headache feels the same whether its triggered by too much blood glucose or too little. How can you tell the difference?
The best way to approach this is to review what youve eaten for the day. A headache caused by hypoglycemia often comes on suddenly, after not eating for an extended period of time.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
Conversely, a headache due to can occur after eating a large meal that included lots of carbohydrates or sugar. In this case, you might initially feel very drowsy after eating, followed by a serious headache. Later, your blood sugar level might crash as the body produces large quantities of insulin to cope with the excessive amount of glucose in your blood. This can be especially dangerous for people with .
People who take insulin for diabetes should be particularly mindful of headaches, as they can signal excessive insulin levels in the bloodstream. If you develop a headache, check your blood glucose levels as soon as possible and respond accordingly.
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Preventing A Low Blood Sugar Level
If you have diabetes, you can reduce your chance of getting a low blood sugar level if you:
- Check your blood sugar level regularly and be aware of the symptoms of a low blood sugar level so you can treat it quickly.
- Always carry a sugary snack or drink with you, such as glucose tablets, a carton of fruit juice or some sweets. If you have a glucagon injection kit, always keep it with you.
- Do not skip meals.
- Be careful when drinking alcohol. Do not drink large amounts, check your blood sugar level regularly, and eat a carbohydrate snack afterwards.
- Be careful when exercising eating a carbohydrate snack before exercise can help to reduce the risk of a hypo. If you take some types of diabetes medicine, your doctor may recommend you take a lower dose before or after doing intense exercise.
- Have a carbohydrate snack, such as toast, if your blood sugar level drops too low while you’re asleep
If you keep getting a low blood sugar level, talk to your diabetes care team about things you can do to help prevent it.
Dehydration Is Common During The Keto Induction Phase
When you adopt a low-carb high-fat ketogenic lifestyle, your body begins to excrete excess water.
Dont get too excited when you notice a lot of weight loss after first beginning keto. The bodyweight reduction isnt all from fat loss its water being flushed out of your body.
Ketosis is known for its strong diuretic effect. This means your body is excreting both water and electrolytes which leads to reduced water retention.
Water is stored in your body from carbohydrates. When you restrict carbohydrates, your body begins to excrete water rapidly.
For each gram of glycogen used as energy, twice the mass is lost in water.
Once your body enters ketosis, your body starts sparing glucose but water loss continues. Having ketones present in your body will lead to more water excretion.
Its vital to drink plenty of water while adapting to carbohydrate restriction in order to mitigate dehydration symptoms and maintain your overall health and well-being.
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The Link Between Metabolic Health And Migraine
Over the last 20 years or so, researchers have found a strong association between insulin resistance and migraine. A recent review of 56 articles found associations between migraine and poor metabolic health, noting that insulin sensitivity is clearly impaired in migraine.
A study of middle-aged women in Italy83 with episodic migraine, 83 with chronic migraine, and 83 with no migrainefound that women with chronic migraine were three times more likely to have insulin resistance than those with episodic migraine. Additionally, study participants with migraines were more likely to have metabolic syndrome, and obesity was associated with an increased risk of chronic migraines.
Another study, conducted in Turkey, found increased insulin resistance in women with chronic migraine compared to women with episodic migraine and healthy controls. The researchers also found that migraineurs had higher levels of neuropeptide Y, a chain of amino acids in the nervous system that normally helps the body maintain homeostasistoo much of it, though, can have the opposite effect, throwing homeostasis out of balance.
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The Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia
As mentioned above, the brain is one of the first organs to be affected by hypoglycemia. Therefore, its no surprise that migraines can be caused by low blood glucose.
Many symptoms are related to the brain including confusion, sweating, nausea, faintness, headaches, and hypothermia .
If you begin to feel shaky, dizzy, irritable, weak, or hungry, its possible you are suffering from hypoglycemia. If blood glucose levels remain low, you can experience numbness, poor coordination, poor concentration, or coma. If prolonged, hypoglycemia can result in death, although this is a rare consequence.
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Low Blood Sugar Affects Mental Functions
You have probably experienced times when you were so hungry that you couldnt think straight. This is not a mere coincidence. Glucose also happens to be the primary source of energy for the brain. The more you are required to think, analyze or solve problems, the more glucose your brain will need to work optimally.
It is then not surprising that the level of glucose available to the brain affects our mental functions. If we do not have enough glucose to fuel the brain, work that require mental effort such as will be greatly affected.
Do you know that low blood sugar level does not just trigger bad headaches? It may also cause irritability, anxiety, shakiness, confusion and heart palpitations, symptoms that resemble that of anxiety attack. If you have had episodes of panic attacks, it may be worthwhile to make sure your sugar levels are not responsible for them.
Although glucose is an important source of fuel for the body and the brain, as we have seen, it is not a good idea to consume high sugar foods in one go. How then should we eat to ensure that our blood sugar level remains steady and balanced? That is what we will discuss next.
Is Diabetes To Blame For Your Headache
Take control of pain
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that results in blood sugar, or glucose, abnormalities. This causes a host of symptoms and related complications, some of which can be life-threatening. A common symptom of high or low blood glucose is a headache. Headaches alone arent harmful, but they can signal that your blood sugar is out of its target range. If you have frequent headaches, diabetes may be to blame. Find out if diabetes is the cause of your headache so you can take proper action.
common source of pain. Theyre also a leading cause for days missed from work and school. Headaches are a frequent problem among the American population, but there are numerous causes.
Headaches are classified as being primary or secondary. Primary headaches occur when brain cells or nerves, blood vessels, or muscles around the head send pain signals to the brain. Migraines and tension headaches are common examples.
Secondary headaches, on the other hand, are not directly caused by the type of pain signals mentioned above. These types of headaches are attributed to underlying health conditions or medical problems. Diabetes is one cause of secondary headaches. Other causes can include:
- fever or infection
- high blood pressure, or hypertension
- stroke
- hormone fluctuations, such as those occurring during menstrual cycle
- eye disorders
- structural abnormalities within the brain
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How Can Parents Help
Nearly every child with diabetes will have an episode of hypoglycemia at times. You can help make this less likely, and be ready if it does happen. Here are some tips:
- Follow your childs diabetes care plan. This is the best way to keep their sugars in a healthy range. The plan will guide you on the timing of:
- meals
- exercise
- blood sugar checks
If you have questions about how to prevent or treat hypoglycemia, or about the diabetes care plan, call your child’s diabetes health care team.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia
Mild hypoglycemia can cause such symptoms as:
- shakiness
Severe hypoglycemia can also cause these symptoms:
- confusion
- seizures
- not responding or waking up
Teach your child about the symptoms of low blood sugar and what to do. Even young kids who can’t describe their symptoms can learn to tell an adult when they don’t feel well. Help your child understand that they need treatment when they dont feel well. And explain how to find an adult who can help them.
Some people with diabetes can’t sense the early warning signs of low blood sugar. They may not recognize they need quick treatment. This can lead to more serious symptoms as blood sugar levels continue to fall. If you think your child cant sense what low blood sugar feels like, tell the diabetes care team.
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How And Why Diabetes Might Be Causing Your Headaches
The cause of headaches in those of us with diabetes isnt really much of a mystery. Your blood sugar levels feed and fuel your brain. In fact, your brain relies on a second-by-second delivery of glucose in order to function.
When your blood sugars arent in the ideal range that a healthy human body would prefer, your brain are going to notice.
Heres a deeper understanding of blood sugar levels and headaches:
Whats The Link Between Diabetes And Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is most common, by far, in people with diabetes. Treatment for the diseaseoften involves taking medication to increase insulin. Hypoglycemia can develop if things like food, exercise and diabetes medications are out of balance.
Common pitfalls for people with diabetes include:
- Being more active than usual.
- Drinking alcohol without eating.
- Eating late or skipping meals.
- Not balancing meals by including fat, protein and fiber.
- Not eating enough carbohydrates.
- Not timing insulin and carb intake correctly .
Also, if someone with diabetes uses the wrong insulin, takes too much or injects it incorrectly, that can cause hypoglycemia.
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How To Treat A Low Blood Sugar Level Yourself
Follow these steps if your blood sugar level is less than 3.5mmol/L or you have hypo symptoms:
You do not usually need to get medical help once you’re feeling better if you only have a few hypos.
But tell your diabetes team if you keep having hypos or if you stop having symptoms when your blood sugar level is low.
Causes Of Ocular Migraine
An ocular or ophthalmic migraine is hold your breath a painless migraine! These are, however, associated with visual disturbances in both eyes. You may experience flickering or flashing lights, lines, stars, or blind spots that deter your vision. About 35 percent of migraine sufferers experience this kind of an aura, visual or otherwise. A painless migraine such as an ocular migraine is considered a migraine equivalent.1
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Why Does Sweetness Cause Such Pain
Shakespeare probably pondered this as he was writing Romeo and Juliet. And just as he was perplexed by the joyous agony of true love, we wanna know why sugar is such a wiley b*tch sometimes.
First of all, when we say sugar as in, Good god, this sugar headache makes me regret my choice to eat a sleeve of Oreos in one sitting were talking about added sugar. Added sugar is just what it sounds like, its sugar thats added to foods.
Why does this matter? Well, many foods have naturally occurring sugars, like fruits and dairy. When you eat a piece of fruit or some plain Greek yogurt, youre getting some sugar, but the fiber or protein in the food helps balance the effects of the glucose.
When you eat something with lots of added sugar , the lack of fiber, protein, or other good stuff with nutritional value means the sugar hits your bloodstream, causes a spike in glucose, also known as blood sugar, and off you go to headache town.
Radical dips and spikes in blood sugar are the main cause of sugar headaches. Your body actually runs, not on Dunkin, but on sugar .
We need a steady supply of glucose for energy and our brains in particular need glucose to make sure the body can function. When theres a sudden change in glucose levels, our brains are the first to feel the effects.
What Is A Sugar Headache
Reducing the amount of sugar you consume usually isnt a bad idea. Eating refined grains or foods with added sugars provides almost no nutritive value and can raise your risk of developing . But most people know that abruptly eliminating sugar from the diet can trigger headachessometimes called sugar withdrawal or a sugar headache. What causes a headache from sugar withdrawal? Get the facts about how too littleor too muchsugar in your bloodstream can cause your head to throb.
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