Would High Blood Sugar Cause Dizziness

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.
• Dont smoke.
• 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

Slurred Speech And Clumsiness

Your sugar-starved brain may change the way you sound. Slurred speech is a common symptom associated with blood sugar levels that drop below 40 mg/dL, according to University of Michigan Health Systems. Combined with clumsiness another sign of low blood sugar you may seem as though you’ve had a few too many cocktails, even if you haven’t touched a drop, according to the National Health Service.

For more on managing low blood sugar, check out Diabetes Daily’s article “How to Treat Lows Without Sabotaging Your Diet!“

What Is High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Each time the heart beats, it is pumping blood into these arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure when the heart contracts and is pumping the blood. High blood pressure, or hypertension, directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke . With high blood pressure, the arteries may have an increased resistance against the flow of blood, causing the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood.

Two numbers are used to measure blood pressure. The number on the top, the systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and is pumping the blood through the body. The number on the bottom, the diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood. Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as mm Hg .According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health , high blood pressure for adults is defined as:

• 140 mm Hg or greater systolic pressure and

• 90 mm Hg or greater diastolic pressure

NHLBI guidelines for prehypertension are:

• 120 mm Hg 139 mm Hg systolic pressure and

• 80 mm Hg 89 mm Hg diastolic pressure

NHLBI guidelines define normal blood pressure as follows:

• Less than 120 mm Hg systolic pressure and

• Less than 80 mm Hg diastolic pressure

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The Power Of Consistency

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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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You’re Clammy And Sweatyfor No Obvious Reason

With hypoglycemia you may break out in a cold sweat even though youre not overheated, and you may get pale and feel clammy. This happens because low blood-sugar levels trigger the bodys fight or flight response and the release of adrenaline, a hormone. This adrenaline burst causes sweating along with other symptoms. People with type 1 diabetes commonly feel damp and sticky from hypoglycemia at intervals throughout a given week.

Low Blood Sugar: Glucagon

In severe cases of low blood sugar, when the 15:15 approach is insufficient, people may need glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that the pancreas produces to release stored glucose. A person can speak with their doctor to check whether they require prescription glucagon.

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How To Manage Blood Sugar

“Diet is the key to managing blood sugar levels,” Dr. Mitchell emphasizes. “Foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates cause spikes in blood sugar, while complex carbs and proteins help keep levels stable. Therefore, it is essential to include a variety of healthy foods in your diet. Whole grains, vegetables, and lean protein should make up most of your meals, while sugary snacks should be limited. In addition, regular exercise can also help to regulate blood sugar levels. Aerobic exercise helps to increase insulin sensitivity, while resistance training helps promote muscle growth. Therefore, combining both types of exercise is ideal for managing blood sugar. Finally, it is also essential to monitor blood sugar levels regularly. Checking levels before and after meals can help you identify patterns and make necessary adjustments to your diet and lifestyle. You can effectively manage your blood sugar levels by following these simple tips.”

Low Blood Pressure After Standing Up

Postural or orthostatic hypotension is a condition in which your blood pressure briefly drops when you get up quickly from sitting or lying down, causing nausea, dizziness, unsteadiness or blackouts. This is common and can be caused by dehydration, standing still for too long, becoming too hot and not eating enough or regularly enough .

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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 brain’s 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, Addison’s disease, or Parkinson’s disease.

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 youre 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.

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Dropping Blood Pressure And Heart Failure

About 600 people had the telltale blood pressure shift at the start of the study.

Researchers found that those with orthostatic hypotension were about 50% more likely than those who didnât experience the changes to go on to develop heart failure.

Some of that extra risk appeared to be explained by high blood pressure.

People with orthostatic hypotension were also more likely to have high blood pressure, which is known to contribute to heart failure.

But when researchers excluded people with high blood pressure from their analysis, those whose blood pressure dropped when they stood were still 34% more likely to develop heart failure.

In heart failure, the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. Medications and lifestyle changes can help control the condition if itâs spotted early.

The risk appeared to be highest for younger adults. Those who were younger than 55 when they were diagnosed with the positional change in blood pressure were nearly twice as likely as those with steady blood pressure to go on to develop heart failure.

Researchers caution that their study can only show associations. It doesnât prove that falling blood pressures cause heart failure or even explain how the two problems may be linked.

Whatâs most likely, they think, is that a common disease process, like atherosclerosis, which causes arteries to become hard and stiff, may be behind both.

âMaybe this is an of early atherosclerotic disease,â Jones says.

Risk Factors For Prediabetes And Diabetes

You have prediabetes if your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to trigger a diagnosis of diabetes. The risk factors for prediabetes and diabetes are the same.

Risk factors include:

Lifestyle factors. Being overweight is a major risk factor for diabetes, especially if your waist size is large. If you smoke, eat an unhealthy diet, or have an inactive lifestyle, your risk goes up.

Demographic factors. If you are over 45, your diabetes risk goes up. Your risk is also greater if you have a close family member with diabetes. Although its unknown exactly why, certain people â including those who are Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, or American Indian â are also at a higher risk for developing diabetes.

Related conditions. You have a greater chance of getting diabetes if you have sleep apnea, a condition in which you repeatedly stop breathing while sleeping. Women who had diabetes while pregnant are at an increased risk. So are women with a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome.

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When To Contact A Doctor

A person should contact a doctor if they:

• have an ear infection or ear pain that gets worse or does not improve within a few days
• have a headache that lasts longer than a day or have frequent headaches
• have severe allergies
• think that they may have migraine headaches
• have headaches that affect their mental health or daily functioning

A person should go to the emergency room if they experience any of the following:

• a sudden, unexplained, very severe headache that makes it impossible to do anything else, along with other symptoms, such as nausea or tingling
• stroke symptoms, such as numbness on one side of the body or a drooping face
• loss of consciousness, a feeling of being very well, or a worry that their headache is an emergency

Some other symptoms a person might notice with a headache and dizziness include:

• nausea

When a headache or dizziness lasts for a long time, it is more likely that a person has a chronic or serious condition, such as migraine, head pressure from a tumor or infection, or a brain injury.

A person should avoid self-diagnosing and contact a doctor if they are concerned.

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What Are The Treatments For Hypoglycemia

Make an appointment with an endocrinologist if you feel like youre having episodes of hypoglycemia, even if youre not diabetic. Theyll talk you through treatment strategies, including:

• Adjusting your medications. You may need to change how often you take insulin or other medications, which medications youre on, how much you take, and when you take them.
• Working with a registered dietitian on a personalized meal plan that stabilizes blood sugar levels. Theres no one-size-fits-all hypoglycemia diet, but a nutritionist can help you figure out a consistent meal plan tailored to you, and teach you how to count carbohydrate grams to go along with your health and routine.
• Increasing and improving self-monitoring of your blood glucose levels. Knowing your blood glucose level throughout the daywhen you get up, before meals, and after meals etc.can help you keep it from getting too low.
• Limiting consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol interferes with the way your body metabolizes glucose. If youre prone to hypoglycemia, consider decreasing how much alcohol you consume.
• Glucose tablets . Make sure you always have glucose tablets on hand, whether at home, school, the office, or the gym. After taking the tablet, check your blood sugar. If its still low, take another tablet. If that doesnt help, check with your doctor.

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What Are Risk Factors For Hyperglycemia

Major risk factors for hyperglycemia are:

• You have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
• You are African American, Native American, Hispanic or Asian American.
• You are overweight.
• You have high blood pressure or cholesterol.
• You have polycystic ovarian syndrome .
• You have a history of gestational diabetes.

What Is Hyperglycemia And What Causes Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia is defined as high blood glucose levels. This develops when the body has far too much sugar in the blood and hence does not produce enough insulin to disperse the necessary quantity of glucose in the blood.

Many diabetics suffer from hyperglycemia. It happens when a person with diabetes of type 1 is unable to create enough insulin via the pancreas. Because the body may be resistant to insulin, a person with type 2 diabetes isnt producing enough natural insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. This is one of the contributing factors for diabetes dizziness.

If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to a variety of complications. Among the potential complications are:

• Blood vessel damage
• Kidney disease

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Can High Sugar Cause Dizziness

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Is It Low Blood Sugar

People with diabetes need to check the amount of sugar in their blood often. You can get dizzy if it drops too low. That also can cause hunger, shakiness, sweating, and confusion. Some people without diabetes also have trouble with low blood sugar, but that’s rare.

A quick fix is to eat or drink something with sugar, like juice or a hard candy.

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In Most Cases High Blood Pressure Does Not Cause Headaches Or Nosebleeds

• The best evidence indicates that high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds, except in the case of hypertensive crisis, a medical emergency when blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or higher. If your blood pressure is unusually high AND you have headache or nosebleed and are feeling unwell, wait five minutes and retest. If your reading remains at 180/120 mm Hg or higher, call 911.
• If you are experiencing severe headaches or nosebleeds and are otherwise unwell, contact your doctor as they could be symptoms of other health conditions.

How Can Dizziness After Eating Be Treated

The treatments for dizziness after eating usually depend on the underlying cause. For example, if postprandial hypotension is causing the problem, some treatments can include these options:

• Choose foods that take longer to digest, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. High-sugar foods and refined carbohydrates digest rapidly and increase the risks for postprandial hypotension.
• Drink plenty of water, especially before a meal. Drinking a glass or two of water can increase the amount of blood volume in a persons body so that their blood pressure is less likely to drop.
• Eat several small meals in a day instead of a few large meals. Because the body uses more energy and blood flow to digest a large meal, eating small meals can reduce dizziness after eating.
• Get up slowly during the first hour after eating as this is the time when dizziness after eating is most likely to occur.
• Avoid foods known to trigger dizziness such as caffeine, alcohol, and high-sodium foods.

If your dizziness is the result of eating a certain food or having a food allergy, you should avoid that food. If youre uncertain exactly which food is causing the problem, talk to your doctor about an elimination diet to pinpoint the exact underlying cause.

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