How Can I Reduce Blood Sugar

Other Steps For How To Reduce Blood Sugar Level Immediately

While insulin is what will mainly help, there are other methods that can be used in both severe and less so severe cases of hyperglycemia. Alternative methods are especially helpful for those with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

In severe cases , its advisable for healthcare professionals to take care of you.

First, they will likely inject insulin to your veins . In addition to this, they will rehydrate you with fluids, usually directly to your veins too. They will also give you nutrients at the same time, in the same manner.

This treatment gives some clues as to how to reduce blood sugar level immediately in less severe cases:

1) Stay hydrated drink water. Since being thirsty is a symptom of hyperglycemia/high blood glucose, youll probably want to be drinking plenty of water anyway. This helps with flushing out excess glucose.

2) Stay nourished. This is less straightforward, since eating food can often lead to even higher levels of blood glucose. But because youll be drinking a great deal of water , youll also be flushing out nutrients at the same time.

So, its worth considering eating something nourishing after youve lowered your blood sugar. Or, if you want to keep up your nutrients during hyperglycemia, consider drinking fluids without carbs and with electrolytes.

Find out more nutritional info on specific food items with our food database. Meanwhile, get advice from our Nutrition Consultant with Food and Diabetes!

Natural Ways To Lower Blood Sugar

Whether you have symptoms of high blood sugar or youve been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be wondering how to lower blood sugar naturally. While blood sugar may be improved with home remedies, people with diabetes should not stop taking their medication or change their dosage without talking to their healthcare provider. But in addition to medication, you can try these natural remedies for lowering your blood sugar. Also consider the opposite, if you do not follow these healthful ways to lower blood sugar, the medication that your physician prescribes may never effectively control your blood sugars.

What Is The Somogyi Effect

A second possible cause of high blood sugar levels in the morning is the Somogyi effect, sometimes also called rebound hyperglycemia. It was named after the doctor who first wrote about it.

If your blood sugar drops too low in the middle of the night while you are sleeping, your body will release hormones in an attempt to rescue you from the dangerously low blood sugar. The hormones do this by prompting your liver to release stored glucose in larger amounts than usual. But this system isnt perfect in a person with diabetes, so the liver releases more sugar than needed which leads to a high blood sugar level in the morning. This is the Somogyi effect.

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Ramp Up Your Movement Each Day

Exercise helps improve blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity and the bodys ability to use glucose as energy, according to the American Diabetes Association. In type 2, exercise helps improve insulin resistance, says James G. Beckerman, MD, a cardiologist in Portland, Oregon. The end result is lower blood sugars.

Crandall Snyder tells patients that exercise is like spring cleaning for the body. It takes the stored form of glucose and uses it for energy so the next time you eat carbohydrates there’s a place to put it, she says.

Because exercise can immediately reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, work with your healthcare team to determine the right amount of activity and timing for you. A study published in September 2017 in Frontiers in Endocrinology found exercising 30 minutes after the start of a meal is usually best for maintaining blood sugar controls.

Learn more about managing your blood sugar in Diabetes Daily’s article “HbA1C: Everything You Need to Know.”

What Foods Will Help Regulate My Blood Sugar

Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a long-term health condition that is characterized by high blood glucose levels. The disease affects the ability of the body to convert food into energy inside the body. The food you eat is converted to simpler forms, most commonly glucose, inside the body. When the glucose in the blood increases, the body releases a hormone called insulin in the blood. Insulin brings high blood glucose levels back to normal levels. In diabetes, either there is a deficiency of insulin or the body is unable to respond to insulin . In either of the cases, there is an increased concentration of glucose in the blood known as hyperglycemia.

If you have diabetes, you must check your blood sugar levels regularly to make sure the levels are not too low or too high . Depending on your age and any other health conditions, your doctor may advise you to keep your blood sugar level in a range that they consider will be safe and healthy for you. Whenever your blood sugar level is over 240 mg/dL, you must check the presence of ketones in the urine by using an over the counter ketone test kit. High levels of ketones can be a sign of a serious medical emergency called diabetic ketoacidosis. Seek urgent medical help if your urine shows the presence of ketones or you have any signs of ketoacidosis, such as fast breathing, nausea and vomiting, stomachache, headache, or fruity smell from the mouth.

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How Can I Treat High Blood Sugar

Talk to your doctor about how to keep your blood sugar levels within your target range. Your doctor may suggest the following:

• Be more active. Regular exercise can help keep your blood sugar levels on track. Important: dont exercise if ketones are present in your urine. This can make your blood sugar go even higher.
• Take medicine as instructed. If your blood sugar is often high, your doctor may change how much medicine you take or when you take it.
• Follow your diabetes meal plan. Ask your doctor or dietitian for help if youre having trouble sticking to it.
• Check your blood sugar as directed by your doctor. Check more often if youre sick or if youre concerned about high or low blood sugar.
• Talk to your doctor about adjusting how much insulin you take and what types of insulin to use.

What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, usually occurs when the body cannot use insulin properly or has extremely low levels of insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for moving glucose, or sugar, into the bloodstream where it can then be delivered to cells and used for energy. High blood sugar is usually associated with diabetes.

Symptoms of high blood sugar may include:

• Frequent urination
• Feeling thirsty all the time
• Increased hunger
• Tingling and numbness in hands and feet
• Skin changes, such as blisters and dryness
• Swollen and bleeding gums
• Confusion
• Abdominal pain

Patients can have symptoms of headache and dizziness with high blood pressure, but patients can also be completely asymptomatic, adds Dr. Raja.

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What Are Clinical Trials For Low Blood Glucose

Clinical trialsand other types of clinical studiesare part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of low blood glucose levels in diabetes, such as

• how to diagnose and treat low blood glucose among people with diabetes
• medicines that can treat symptoms of low blood glucose in people with hypoglycemia unawareness
• educational approaches to reduce fear of low blood glucose, which can make it harder for you to control your diabetes

Know Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar is the amount of sugar in your blood at a given time. It’s important to check your blood sugar level, because it will:

• determine if you have a high or low blood sugar level at a given time
• show you how your lifestyle and medication affect your blood sugar levels
• help you and your diabetes health-care team make lifestyle and medication changes to improve your blood sugar levels

Read Also: Causes Of High Glucose Levels

Choose Low Glycemic Index Foods

The glycemic index measures and ranks various foods by how much they cause blood sugar levels to rise. Research shows that following a low glycemic index diet decreases fasting blood sugar levels.

Low glycemic index foods are those that score below 55 on the glycemic index. Examples of low glycemic foods include:

• sweet potatoes

• fruit

Which Foods Keep Your Sugar Levels In Control

Carbohydrates need to be consistent. You dont want to eat all of your daily carb count in one meal. That will cause your blood sugar to spike, and then drop during the other meals. Giving your body a steady amount of carbohydrates will provide a stable amount of energy. It will also help your body make enough insulin to keep your blood sugar at a healthy number.

The easiest way to make sure that your carb intake is appropriate is to count carbohydrates. It is a simplified way to evaluate foods based on their nutritional value. The best place to start when counting is to aim for 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal and roughly 15 to 30 grams for each snack in between meals. You may have to adjust this based on your individual needs and your blood sugar readings. It is a lot easier to calculate the carbohydrates when you have a food with a label, but many foods do not. Check the serving size on the label to be sure that you are counting correctly. The US Department of Agriculture has a website that allows you to type in any food and it will give you the nutritional values. Check it out at . A few examples of 15 grams of carbs include:

• 1 slice of bread
• ½ cup of oatmeal
• 1 small piece of fresh fruit

It is important that you pay attention to nutrients other than the carbs too. Be sure to have adequate protein and fiber, while keeping lots of fat to a minimum.

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Cut Back On Carbohydrates

A diet high in processed carbs adds to the sugar load in your diet. This is because all carbs get broken down into sugars upon digestion. This leads to increased blood sugar and weight gain. Avoid all carbs with a high glycemic index. We recommend a Low Carb-High Fat or LCHF diet to reverse diabetes. Ideally, only 10% of your daily caloric intake should come from carbs. The right carbs for any diabetic are fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and millets are some whole grains that work.

Stick To An Eating Schedule

Dr. Kara warns against skipping meals frequently to avoid the rollercoaster of high to low blood sugar surges and dips. Spreading your meals out throughout the day, rather than eating a large breakfast or large dinner can help to regulate blood sugar. Eating regularly from morning through evening is the best strategy.

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Make An Effort To Get Better Sleep

Ever wondered why the blueberry crumb muffins in the coffee shop look even more irresistible when youâre shuffling on three hours of sleep? Poor sleep can affect glucose levels21, insulin sensitivity22, and the hormones that control appetite.

When you donât get enough shut-eye, your cravings and desire to eat now can go into overdrive. Thatâs because leptin reduces and ghrelin increases23, signaling to your brain that you have to eat that blueberry crumb muffin⦠maybe even two of them before you feel satisfied.

You might find it easier to choose the sous-vide egg bites over the tender, berry-studded cake-with-no-icing when youâre well-rested. Even partial sleep loss may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity24, one sugary muffin at a time.

How To Lower Morning Blood Sugar

It seems strange to be able to keep blood sugar levels in control throughout the day and have morning blood sugar high, right?

I mean, it doesnt seem logical. After all, you havent eaten anything so it should be lower shouldnt it?

Its a common assumption and it would seem logical, but it is common for people with type 2 diabetes to have high blood sugar in the morning.

Why?

Because your body continues to produce glucose even when you dont eat. Its called gluconeogenesis.

This is a natural process for all of us. But in diabetes many people have increased gluconeogensis.

Another reason is that cortisol is the hormone that slowly increases in levels from around 3 am onwards to reach its peak early in the morning. Cortisol has a direct influence on blood sugar levels too elevating them.

Still, there are practical things you can do to lower morning blood sugar levels, heres how

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Adopt A Healthy Morning Ritual

Developing a morning ritual is a great habit for a healthy mind and body and it will also help lower your morning blood sugar as well.

When you get up, have a small protein/ fat combined snack , then try doing some stretching or go for a shortwalk first thing in the morning just 5-10 minutes to get moving.

Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and moves glucose out of the muscles and into the cells.

Its often best to have that protein/ fat snack first though, before you do the exercise.

Eat Protein In The Morning

To help bring blood sugar levels down eat something when you get up but make sure its a protein or a protien/ veggie breakfast.

If you go and eat loads of carbs for breakfast toast and cereals being the worst offenders when your blood glucose is already high, it will only push it up further.

Try eating a delicious veggie egg scramble, egg muffin cups, or a quick berry protein smoothie.

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What To Do When Blood Sugar Is High

Treatment for high blood sugar levels entails addressing the underlying causes. Your diabetic health care team will provide you with detailed instructions on how to treat high blood sugar levels. However, there are a few approaches to take when addressing the most prevalent reason for high blood sugar:

Stress

When the body is under stress, the adrenal glands cause glucose deposited in numerous organs to be released, resulting in high blood sugar levels in the circulation. Stress is sometimes misunderstood as an emotional issue that manifests as anxiety, worry, or sadness. However, stress may take many forms, including physical, nutritional, and chemical. Here are some helpful hints for lowering stress:

Even if it’s only a brief stroll around the block during your lunch break, any form of physical exercise is beneficial.

• Talking to a helpful friend, coworker, or church member about meditation or yoga.
• Allowing yourself to be patient with yourselfgive yourself a break and try not to be so hard on yourself.
• Doing something enjoyable, such as taking up a hobby or reading.
• Consuming nutritious meals.
• Caffeine and alcohol usage should be reduced or eliminated.
• Check your blood sugar levels in continuity.
• Getting adequate rest.

Not sticking to a healthy diet

Sticking to a healthy food regime is hard. Not persisting with a proper diet can cause your blood sugar to rise or drop. Make sure that any necessary changes to your food plan are made with the help of a trained nutritionist.

How Are Ketones Tested

Testing your blood or urine to measure your ketone levels can all be done at home. At-home testing kits are available for both types of tests, although urine testing continues to be more common. Urine tests are available without a prescription at most drugstores, or you can buy them online.

You should test your urine or blood for ketones when any of the following occurs:

• Your blood sugar is higher than 240 mg/dL.
• You have symptoms of DKA.
• You feel sick or nauseated, regardless of your blood sugar reading.

To perform a urine test, you urinate into a clean container and dip the test strip into the urine. For a child who isnt potty-trained, a parent can usually press the stick to their childs wet diaper to test for ketones.

Urine testing strips contain special chemicals that change colors when they react with ketones. You can interpret the test results by comparing the test strip to the color chart on the package. When you have ketones present in your urine, its called ketonuria.

An at-home meter is available to test for blood ketones. This is performed in a similar way to a finger-stick glucose test. You prick your finger with a needle and place a small drop of blood onto the testing area.

Doctors often recommend that people whove just received a diabetes diagnosis test their ketones twice daily.

While individual testing may vary, in general, results for ketone testing are labeled in the following way:

• swelling in your brain
• diabetic coma
• death

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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.