Chris Evans Reveals His Wife Gave Him A Blood Pressure Monitor
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High blood pressure is nicknamed the silent killer as it is often symptomless. The only way to know your blood pressure is to get a blood pressure reading and find out your numbers. However in some cases, people might spot some of these six warning signs of hypertension what are they?
Youre Developing Blisters Dryness Or Other Skin Changes
Small pieces of extra skin, called skin tags, may form in the creases of skin, especially if you have diabetes and youre trying to find ways to manage your weight, notes the ADA. Dark, thick areas of soft skin may form on the back of the neck or hands, armpits, face, or other areas. These can be a sign of insulin resistance, Zanini says. Blisters, infections, dryness, itchiness, discolorations, and abnormalities of the skin can all be warning signs of high blood sugar. Check with your doctor if these skin changes develop.
Other Side Effects Of Caffeine
People who have cardiovascular conditions, irritable bowel syndrome or an ulcer or who are prone to osteoporosis should use caffeine with caution, if at all. One big side effect of caffeine is insomnia, so stay away from caffeinated substances later in the day.
Caffeine is rarely harmful, but you can overdose on it. Because tolerance to caffeine varies so much, an overdose is identified by the symptoms it produces, rather than by the specific amount consumed. Besides dizziness, the symptoms of an overdose could include difficulty breathing, convulsions, diarrhea, fever, an irregular heartbeat, twitchiness and vomiting. If you think youve overdosed on caffeine, dont attempt to treat it yourself. You should call 911 or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
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Prevention Of Low Blood Sugar
Do not skip or delay meals. If your diet plan includes snacks, make sure to take these.
Measure insulin dosage carefully and inject it properly. If you cannot see well, a family member or a visiting nurse can prepare your insulin injections for you.
Take only the prescribed amount of insulin or oral medication for diabetes that your doctor has ordered.
Keep exercise consistent from day to day. Eat a snack or reduce your insulin prior to unusual exercise.
If you are taking insulin, notify your doctor if you have low blood sugars four or more times per week or if you have a severe low blood sugar. Severe low blood sugars are those less than 40 mg., those requiring help from another person, or those which cause you to have a convulsion or become unconscious.
If you are taking oral medication for your diabetes notify your doctor or nurse if blood sugars are running less than 80 mg. or if you have a severe low blood sugar.
As your low blood sugar gets worse, you may experience more serious symptoms, including:
- Feeling weak.
- Having difficulty walking or seeing clearly.
- Acting strange or feeling confused.
- Having seizures.
Severe low blood sugar is below 54 mg/dL. Blood sugar this low may make you faint . Often, youll need someone to help you treat severe low blood sugar.
When To Call Your Doctor
Let them know if you have any of the common symptoms of type 2 diabetes or if you have questions about type 2 diabetes. It’s important to get tested and start treatment early to prevent serious complications.
Show Sources
American Diabetes Association: “Diabetes Symptoms,” âEye Complications,â âDiabetes and Hearing Loss,â âKidney Disease ,â âSkin Complications.â
American College of Endocrinology: “Position statement on inpatient diabetes and metabolic control.”
Physicians Desk Reference : ”Diabetes – Type 2 Symptoms.”
Mayo Clinic: âDiabetes symptoms: When diabetes symptoms are a concern,â âDiabetic hypoglycemia,â âDiabetic neuropathy,â âHyperglycemia in diabetes,â âType 2 diabetes.â
Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research: âXerostomia Due to Systemic Disease: A Review of 20 Conditions and Mechanisms.â
Evidence-Based Diabetes Management: âThe Persistent Complication of Hypoglycemia in Diabetics.â
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: âDiabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke,â âType 2 Diabetes.â
Johns Hopkins Medicine: âDiabetes and High Blood Pressure.â
CDC: âDiabetes.â
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Treating Low Blood Glucose If You Take Medicines That Slow Down Digestion
Some diabetes medicines slow down the digestion of carbohydrates to keep blood glucose levels from rising too high after you eat. If you develop low blood glucose while taking these medicines, you will need to take glucose tablets or glucose gel right away. Eating or drinking other sources of carbohydrates wont raise your blood glucose level quickly enough.
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What Are The Symptoms Experienced When A Person Feels Dizzy
- Lightheadedness is the feeling of weakness and faintness as if you are about to pass out. The symptoms tend to be short-lived, depending on the cause. There may be associated nausea, sweating, and blurred vision.
- If the cause is dehydration or bleeding, the symptoms may worsen by standing quickly and may resolve somewhat by lying down
- Heart rhythm disturbances may occur without warning and may be associated with palpitations. This may come and go or it may persist. The heartbeat may be felt as too fast , too slow, and/or irregular.
- Vertigo is the sensation of spinning and may present without warning and be associated with nausea and vomiting. People with inner ear problems may be debilitated and unable to move without generating symptoms.
- People with a cerebellar cause of vertigo such as a stroke or tumor may have associated coordination problems or difficulty walking, and other signs of stroke.
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Youre Experiencing Digestive Issues And Irregular Bowel Movements
Some research suggests that sugar might decrease the diversity of healthy bacteria in your gut within as little as a week, making your digestive system sluggish. Too much white sugar wont help you if youre trying to promote healthy bacteria in your system, adds Zeitlin. Foods naturally high in fiber have a positive impactâand people eating lots of sugar generally arent eating a lot of fiber, says Ansel.
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Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was found in 8% of individuals with moderate or severe dizziness or vertigo in a German study which showed a lifetime prevalence of BPPV of 2.4%, a one-year prevalence of 1.6% and a one-year incidence of 0.6%.
Some studies suggest that people with diabetes are more at risk of BPPV than those without diabetes. Among people with type 2, 84% had abnormal test performance on assessment of at least one vestibular end organ. Among patients aged > 18 years with a vestibular diagnosis for symptoms of dizziness, BPPV was found in 46% of people with diabetes vs 37% in those without diabetes. However, logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of hypertension mediated the higher frequency of BPPV in diabetes.
BPPV is treatable, so seek expert advice if you suspect this diagnosis.
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Youre Hungrier Than Usual But Losing Weight
Many people with uncontrolled high blood sugar find that theyre hungrier than usual, which signals a symptom called polyphagia, MedlinePlus notes. And although youre eating more, you may be losing weight for no apparent reason if your blood sugar levels are too high, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Since your body is not getting energy from the preferred source, glucose, it has to turn to muscle and fat, Zanini explains. When your body starts breaking down muscle and fat for energy, you experience unintentional and unhealthy weight loss. In addition to these changes in weight and appetite, you may notice weakness in your muscles and experience more frequent falls, Emanuele adds.
How Is Dizziness Diagnosed
The diagnosis of dizziness begins with the health care professional deciding whether the complaint of dizziness refers to lightheadedness or vertigo. Further diagnosis continues once this distinction is made.
The key to the diagnosis of dizziness is a thorough history and physical examination. Often the diagnosis is made by listening to the patient’s story. The health care professional may ask about triggers that cause and relieve the symptoms of dizziness.
- “Is it related to changing positions quickly?”
- “Does it resolve on its own or does the patient have to do something, like lie down to make it better?”
- “Does turning the head bring on the symptoms? Do the symptoms resolve when the patient is very still?”
- “Is there associated hearing loss or ringing in the ears?”
A review of systems is a series of questions that review the patient’s body functions. The doctor may ask questions about associated symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or abnormal bleeding.
The doctor may review the past medical history, and this includes reviewing medications the patient is currently taking.
The doctor may do a thorough physical examination that may include:
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You Feel Tiredness And Fatigue Constantly
Fatigue and extreme tiredness are symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar, the ADA says. Simply put, when your body is not processing insulin properly or it doesnt have sufficient amounts of insulin, the sugar is staying in our blood rather than getting into our cells to be used for energy, Zanini says. Also, frequent urination can lead to dehydration, which Bandukwala identifies as another contributing factor to fatigue.
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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Foods That Can Cause Vertigo
1. Salt
Salty foods including chips, pretzels, salted nuts, canned foods, soups, deli meats, pastas, sauces, baking soda, condiments, pizza, baking powder, seasonings, frozen meals, pickles, salad dressings, and cheese can all trigger vertigo. Sodium causes body fluid imbalance. It results in fluid retention in your body and leads to build up of pressure in your inner ear resulting in vertigo. Hence, a diet to prevent vertigo should have very low amount of salt. People suffering from Meniere s disease, which is major cause of vertigo, should consume only 120 mg of salt daily.
2. Sugar Substitutes and Sugar
Foods that have high sugar content such as honey, ice cream, chocolate, maple syrup, dates, jams, jellies, cream, cookies, juices, donuts, cakes, processed snacks, and candy may cause central vertigo. One of the major causes of central vertigo is deficiency of oxygen to the brain. Foods rich in sugar increase blood sugar and blood pressure, though temporarily however, in such condition, blood requires more time to reach brain. This creates a deficiency of oxygen in the brain and cause vertigo. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame may result in various diseases including vertigo.
3. Fatty Foods
4. Foods Rich in Tyramine
5. Alcoholic Beverages
When Should I Call The Doctor For Dizziness
Dizziness is a common complaint and often has resolved by the time the patient arrives to see a health care professional.
Usually, there is no rush to seek care however, while the complaint of dizziness is not often an emergency, seek care immediately if it is accompanied by any of the following:
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations. These symptoms should not be ignored, as they suggest the heart may be the source of the dizziness.
- Dehydration. Often there may be an associated illness including fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- People with diabetes may have dizziness due to low blood sugar or high blood sugar and may need emergent care to stabilize their insulin and medication requirements.
- Bleeding from any source.
- Altered mental status or thinking. This may include symptoms such as confusion, change in vision, change in speech, facial droop, weakness of one side of the body, or headache. These may be signs of stroke, bleeding in the brain, or tumors.
- FAST warning signs of a stroke:
- Face — facial droop
- Arm — arm or leg weakness
- Speech — difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- Time — time is of the essence. Call 911.
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Youre Moody And Irritable
Some studies have linked sugars to mood disorders like depression. In addition to blood sugar swings, sugar can mess with the neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your moods. Sugar, in particular, causes a spike in the feel-good hormone serotonin. Because we know carbs affect neurotransmitters, it only follows that when you upset your carb balance by having so many entering your body at an unnatural rate it might make you feel better at first. But what goes up comes down, and they may make you feel worse in the long run, says Ansel. Result: You feel cranky and tired.
Zeitlin says the best way to stabilize your blood sugar and mood is to eat more foods that take longer to digest, like whole grains, fiber, and protein.
Swollen Or Bleeding Gums Which Increase Your Infection Risk
Gum disease is a complication of diabetes, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. It can also make diabetes harder to control, because the bodys response to infection is to release more glucose into the bloodstream, according to the ADA.
Your saliva contains glucose and the more it contains, the more there is to feed the bacteria that combine with food in your mouth to form plaque and cause gum disease. Symptoms can include red or inflamed gums at first. If they are unaddressed, they can progress to periodontitis, which can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, the appearance of pus or ulcers, or even tooth loss, notes the Mayo Clinic. Get your blood sugar under control and see a dental professional to prevent damage to your gums and teeth.
Additional reporting by Diana Rodriguez and Andrea Peirce.
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Causes Of Low Blood Sugar
There are many reasons why you may have low blood sugar, including:
- Taking too much insulin.
- Not eating enough carbs for how much insulin you take.
- Timing of when you take your insulin.
- The amount and timing of physical activity.
- Drinking alcohol.
- How much fat, protein, and fiber are in your meal.
- Hot and humid weather.
- Unexpected changes in your schedule.
- Spending time at a high altitude.
- Going through puberty.
- Menstruation.
How Can I Stop My Blood Sugar From Crashing
Here are a few ways to avoid hypoglycemic episodes:
- Get in the habit of self-monitoring your blood glucose. Keeping track of when your blood sugar drops can help you recognize aspects of your routine that may be contributing to your hypoglycemia. Dr. Klonoff recommends a continuous glucose monitor. Its the best tool for automatically checking your blood glucose levels around the clock, he says.
- Change your meal plan. When, what, how much, and how often you eat all play a big part in your blood glucose levels. A dietitian can teach you about healthy, well-balanced food choices that will make it easier for you to maintain an acceptable blood sugar range.
- Keep a stash of glucose tablets on hand. With your doctors recommendation, make sure you always have glucose tablets with you. You can stick them in your briefcase, purse, car, desk, school locker, etc. You may also want to keep snacks nearbyfor example, cheese or peanut butter crackers, although doctors suggest over-the-counter glucose tablets for more accurate dosage. Do not eat a healthy sugar-free candy bar during hypoglycemia, warns Dr. Klonoff. Its lack of sugar means that it will not raise your blood glucose level sufficiently when you want it to.
- Certain drinks can help get your blood sugar up as well. Try 8 oz. of fruit juice, a soft drink , or a cup of milk.
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You Feel Confused And Out Of Sorts
With hypoglycemia, all of your cells hunger for fuel, including your brain, says Kathleen Wyne, M.D., Ph.D, director of the Ohio State University Adult Type 1 Diabetes Program in Columbus. As a result, you may feel spacey and confused, and you may have trouble communicating. With diabetes, ask friends and family to generally stay alert and ask, Hey, are you struggling to talk right now? advises Janet G. Zappe, R.N., a clinical program manager for the Diabetes Research Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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 itâs intense or unplanned
- drinking alcohol
Sometimes thereâs no obvious reason why a low blood sugar level happens.
Very occasionally, it can happen in people who do not have diabetes.
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