Symptoms Develop Gradually With Type 2 Diabetes
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop graduallyso gradually, in fact, that its possible to miss them or to not connect them as related symptoms. Some people are actually surprised when they are because theyve gone to the doctor for something else .
The symptoms develop gradually because, if you have the insulin resistant form of type 2, it takes time for the effects of insulin resistance to show up. Your body doesnt become insulin resistant overnight, as you can learn about in the article on .
If youre not insulin resistantand instead your body doesnt produce enough insulin to process glucose wellthe symptoms also develop gradually. Your body will be able to make do with lower insulin levels for awhile, but eventually, you will start to notice the following symptoms.
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.
Sugar Makes Me Sleepy Why Does This Happen And What Can I Do About It
Weve all experienced it before you had a few more slices of cake than you should and now you feel like you are going to fall asleep at any moment. When this happens, most people write it off as regular exhaustion. However, there is more to this phenomenon than meets the eye. If youve been wondering, why do I get tired after I eat? or Is it normal that sugar makes me really sleepy? We have all the answers to your questions in this article.
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Low Brain Energy Causes
Your brain requires a combination of minerals and nutrients that help convert glucose and ketones into energy. If your physical energy feels fine but your brain energy and focus is suffering, your diet may be missing nutrients like vitamin B12, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and vitamin C. Having inadequacy of these vitamins in your diet can lead to brain fog and low cognitive function. In addition, having an abundance of sugar in your diet may also lead to brain fog as blood sugar levels skyrocket and then crash, leaving you feeling tired, moody and foggy.
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 youre 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.
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When Is It Good To See A Healthcare Provider
Its usual to feel exhausted now and again, but if fatigue persists longer than 2 weeks, it can be a good time to visit a healthcare provider. For people who also experience signs of blood glucose spikes like an enhanced thirst, urinating often, nausea, drowsiness, or fatigue could be an indication that they have developed or are at risk of developing diabetes. For people who already are diabetic, regular appointments for regulating their blood glucose and managing their diabetes are very vital since these signs can indicate that their current treatment plan is no longer effective.
Diabetes fatigue management is very important for those with both type 1 and types 2 diabetes. It might be troublesome to manage the condition, particularly at first, but not unfeasible. The best approach to manage signs or complications of the medical condition is to book an appointment with a diabetes specialist as they can aid in tacking fatigue and other signs by including certain lifestyle changes.
Summary
High glucose levels in the blood can have dangerous consequences if left untreated. Diabetics already are aware of the outcomes of high blood sugar all too well, but for those who are unaware, it may be difficult to pin down the risk of developing the condition or illnesses that follow it like fatigue.
Avoid Eating Sugary Foods
If eating sugary foods really makes you feel tired, then maybe giving up those treats is best for now! There are plenty of healthy snacks out there that will keep you satisfied without sabotaging your energy levels. If your sweet tooth makes treats too hard to resist, plan out your meals for the day and try to include no more than one serving of a sweet treat . Or have a piece of fruit, which will give you that sweet taste of sugar but along with fiber that slows down absorption of the sugar into your bloodstream.
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When Your Blood Sugar Gets Low
Check your blood sugar whenever you have symptoms of low blood sugar. If your blood sugar is below 70 mg/dL, treat yourself right away.
1. Eat something that has about 15 grams of carbohydrates. Examples are:
- 3 glucose tablets
- One half cup of fruit juice or regular, non-diet soda
- 5 or 6 hard candies
- 1 tablespoon or 15 mL of sugar, plain or dissolved in water
- 1 tbsp of honey or syrup
2. Wait about 15 minutes before eating any more. Be careful not to eat too much. This can cause high blood sugar and weight gain.
3. Check your blood sugar again.
4. If you do not feel better in 15 minutes and your blood sugar is still lower than 70 mg/dL , eat another snack with 15 g of carbohydrates.
You may need to eat a snack with carbohydrates and protein if your blood sugar is in a safer range over 70 mg/dL and your next meal is more than an hour away.
Ask your provider how to manage this situation. If these steps for raising your blood sugar do not work, call your doctor right away.
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
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Overdose Of Diabetes Medication
A common cause of hypoglycaemia is taking too much insulin for your current needs. Insulin is a medication that helps control your blood glucose levels. It’s commonly used to treat type 1 diabetes and is also recommended for some people with type 2 diabetes.
A fall in blood glucose levels can also occur after taking too much oral hypoglycaemia medication, such as sulphonylurea, which causes a release of insulin. This medication is often used to lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Sleep Disorders Causing Fatigue In Prediabetes
There is no doubt about it ongoing disruptive sleep is extremely bad for our health and causes chronic fatigue. Generally, we all need about 6-8 hours of sleep a night with less sleep needed as we get older. Quality of sleep is really important and if disrupted on a regular basis can cause all sorts of problems to our health. Examples of this are as a result of getting up to go to the toilet overnight for example with an enlarged prostate, depression or hypoglycaemia.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is thought to affect over 100 million people globally with 80% undiagnosed. It occurs when the airways are obstructed during sleep, preventing breathing for anything between 10-30 seconds at a time and can happen up to a whopping 400 times a night in severe cases.
The effects on health are numerous and not limited purely to fatigue with double the amount of hypertension and heart disease as well as depression and weight gain occurring as a result of chronic tiredness. It is more likely to occur in men as the neck width is thought to be an important factor if you are middle-aged or overweight. Bed partners of those with OSA also can suffer with fatigue losing up to an hour of sleep a night. If you think you may have sleep apnoea there are remedies available and it is important to talk to your doctor who can organize a screening test.
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Dont Sleep On Energy Supplements From Healthycell
We recommend you change your diet to remove an overabundance of any energy-depleting nutrients, however you can also supplement your diet with one of Healthycells adult multivitamins mentioned above. Depending on how much of these foods you consume it may affect your overall mood and energy levels. Consult your physician or nutritionist if your diet consists of foods that make you tired and deplete your energy to become one step closer to healthy, prosperous living.This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Dr. Giampapa is a world-renowned medical doctor, inventor, and surgeon specializing in anti-aging medicine. He recently received a nomination for the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking stem cell research, as well as the Edison Award for the Healthycell nutritional supplement for cell health. He was also awarded the A4M Science & Technology award for his development of the BioMarker Matrix Profile the first computer program to measure aging. Learn more about Dr. Vincent Giampapa.
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How Does Diabetes Affect Sleep
Its estimated that one in two people with type 2 diabetes have sleep problems due to unstable blood sugar levels and accompanying diabetes-related symptoms, High blood sugar and low blood sugar during the night can lead to insomnia and next-day fatigue. As with many chronic conditions, feelings of depression or stress about the disease itself may also keep you awake at night.
When blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys overcompensate by causing you to urinate more often. During the night, these frequent trips to the bathroom lead to disrupted sleep. High blood sugar may also cause headaches, increased thirst, and tiredness that can interfere with falling asleep.
By contrast, going too many hours without eating or taking the wrong balance of diabetes medication can also lead to low blood sugar levels at night. You may have nightmares, break out into a sweat, or feel irritated or confused when you wake up.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing fatigue, trouble sleeping, or any other worrying symptoms. They can help analyze the reason and work with you to keep your blood sugar levels more stable.
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What Causes High Blood Sugar Levels
Managing diabetes is like a three-way balancing act because you have to watch:
All three need to be balanced. If any one of these is off, blood sugar levels can be too. In general, higher than normal blood glucose levels can be caused by:
- not taking your diabetes medicine when you’re supposed to or not taking the right amounts
- not following the meal plan
- not getting enough exercise
- having an illness, like the flu
- taking other kinds of medicines that affect how your diabetes medicines work
A single high blood sugar reading usually isn’t cause for alarm it happens to everyone with diabetes from time to time. But if you have high blood sugar levels a lot, let your parents and your diabetes health care team know. Insulin or meal plans may need adjusting, or you may have an equipment issue, like an insulin pump that isn’t working right. Whatever the case, make sure you get help so you can get your blood sugar levels back under control.
When Should You Consult A Doctor For Dizziness
Generally, an occasional dizzy spell that goes away quickly on its own is not a source of concern.
But if bouts of dizziness become a regular experience or dont go away easily, you may need to consult with your doctor or healthcare team.
Persistent dizziness can indicate a serious health concern, including cardiovascular disease and circulatory conditions.
Dizziness can also cause you to fall, leading to injury or accidents. Injuries caused by dizziness can lead to additional negative health effects, according to
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What You Should Do Next
Managing your blood sugar is probably one of the most important aspects to health, longevity and disease prevention.
Unfortunately, it can sometimes get confusing or you might feel overwhelmed with too much information what to DO or NOT do.
Because this is such an important topic, Ive created a special page to help give you proven solutions and options, and eliminate the confusion so you can have healthy blood sugar levels at any age.
Eat Before The Parties
When you go to a party hungry, every healthy decision you have will go out the window. You are so hungry that everything looks appetizing and you eat way too much of it.
Instead, have a small nourishing meal before you leave for the party, this will help you to keep your head out of the cookie try and focus more on the social aspect of the party.
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What Causes Fatigue In Diabetes
Why does too much sugar make you tired? With diabetes, tiredness can result as a result of several factors such as:
- Can insulin resistance cause fatigue? High levels of glucose in the blood, either due to a lack of insulin or due to insulin resistance, can have an effect on the bodys capacity to get sugar from the blood into body cells to meet a persons energy requirements.
- Individuals who are on stronger anti-diabetics including insulin might also experience tiredness as a sign of low blood sugar levels.
- Blood sugar testing is a great way to determine whether high or low glucose levels can be the reason behind fatigue.
Causes Related To Blood Sugar
High blood glucose makes your blood sludgy, slowing circulation so cells cant get the oxygen and nutrients they need. Margaret commented, I can tell if my sugars are high in the morning, because groggy doesnt begin to describe it. Drugged is how it feels.
Low sugars levels also cause diabetes fatigue, because when blood sugar is low, there is not enough fuel for the cells to work well.
In addition, high blood glucose can cause diabetes fatigue through inflammation. Blood vessels get inflamed by the sugar. When this happens, according to research, immune cells called monocytes come into the brain, causing fatigue.
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Food And Sugar Sensitivities
If your body is sensitive to sugar, you may experience fatigue due to the fact that it reacts by producing low amounts of beta-endorphins and serotonin. Low levels of these chemicals lead to an experience of fatigue and lethargy.
If you are consuming other foods that your body cannot digest, it will increase inflammation-causing cytokines that can also cause your body to inhibit the production of Orexin.
The more you are consuming these foods, the more tired you will feel. The problem goes deeper than just the experience of feeling tired, as this is just a symptom of a more serious underlying issue. Poor digestion is something not to be taken lightly.
If ignored over a long period of time, this post-meal inflammation can lead to other problems within the body such as auto-immune diseases, digestive disorders, and other conditions.
How Do I Prevent Hyperglycemia
- Exercise to help lower blood sugar. Work with your healthcare provider to make a daily activity plan.
- Follow your meal plan if you have one. Learn how carbohydrates impact your blood sugar, and work with your diabetes care team to find the best meal plan for you.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Limit drinking alcohol. Alcohol can raise blood sugar levels, but can also cause dangerously low blood sugar levels. Work with your provider to determine how much is safe to drink.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 02/11/2020.
References
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