Sleep Apnea Symptoms: 10 Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea
The Center for Disease Control is calling insufficient sleep a public health epidemic. A huge portion of this mass sleeplessness can be blamed on society – too many television stations, too many smartphones, too many late nights in front of the blue glow of a computer screen. You could call it technology-induced insomnia. However, you can also blame this epidemic on evolution, because many sleepless nights are being caused by a disorder known as sleep apnea, which is far from rare and is oftentimes brushed off as insomnia. Over 20 million Americans suffer from the disorder and almost 90% of people who have sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Did you know that people with sleep apnea are twice as likely to crash and die in a car accident? People with sleep apnea also have a 30% higher risk of dying from a heart attack. Obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common form of sleep apnea, sets off a chain reaction of health conditions that include cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure – the list goes on and on. And while people who are obese might have a higher chance of being diagnosed with the disorder, sleep apnea spares no specific type of person, so it is important to pay attention to a series of different signs to know if you should seek help. Here are ten signs that you might have sleep apnea. 1. Excessive and persistent snoring. Does that person next to you sound like a lawnmower when they sleep? Does your snoring wake you up? Do your neighbors have to tap on your window, because your snoring is just too loud? Excessive snoring – at intolerable decibel levels – is usually the first sign of sleep apnea. Snoring is a result of an obstruction in the respiratory tract, which is basically what sleep apnea is, so the first quest Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Prevent Low Blood Sugar At Night
Nighttime dips in blood sugar levels are common among people with diabetes. Authors of a study published in June 2013 in Quality of Life Research noted that people with diabetes — type 1 or type 2 — experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during sleep more frequently than many doctors realize. Nighttime hypoglycemia can be caused by a number of different factors, from exercising too close to bedtime to drinking alcohol in the evening. If untreated, low overnight blood sugar levels can lead to headaches and loss of sleep — and in extreme cases, seizures or even death. The good news is that preventing low blood sugar while you sleep can be achieved with a few simple steps: 1. Check Your Blood Sugar Before Bed “For everybody with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s absolutely critical that they check their blood sugar before going to bed to make sure they’re not going to have an episode of low blood sugar during the night,” says Helena W. Rodbard, MD, medical director of Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants, a private practice in Rockville, Maryland, and past president of the American College of Endocrinology. If your blood sugar levels are low at bedtime, eat a healthy snack before going to sleep. The size of the snack should be in proportion to the dip in blood sugar. For instance, a small drop in blood sugar requires only a small snack. If you use an insulin pump, consider temporarily reducing the active dose of insulin. 2. Know the Signs of Low Overnight Blood Sugar Symptoms of hypoglycemia usually develop when blood sugar levels drop below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). They include shakiness, sweating, confusion, erratic behavior, headache, and lightheadedness. With nighttime hypoglycemia, you may wake up with these symptoms or with a higher blood su Continue reading >>
Is Your Diabetes A Pain In The… Head?
An Explanation of the Diabetes Headache What is causing your diabetes headache? Is it your blood sugars? Your new treatment? What exactly is going on? You’ve recently been placed on insulin for management of your diabetes. Your head is pounding. You have a history of migraines. Is the headache caused by your diabetes, or is it a migraine? Well, sometimes it can be hard to tell. However, diabetes can certainly contribute to diabetes headaches. It is important to note that having diabetes does not mean that you’ll get headaches. However, the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more likely you are to have headaches related to your diabetes. When your blood sugar has a rapid drop, your brain senses that it doesn’t have enough glucose to function properly and the blood vessels in your brain can then spasm, causing a headache. When your sugars quickly climb too high, you will feel that familiar lack of concentration and sluggishness (like a food coma). If this goes on too long, your body will try to eliminate excess sugars through increased urination, which can cause dehydration. And, as we know, dehydration can cause headaches. Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar level is at or below 70 mg/dl. However, if your blood sugar levels are consistently high, you may have symptoms of hypoglycemia at a higher level. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include headaches (of course!), shakiness, sweatiness, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, and hunger. Hyperglycemia is when your blood sugar level is at or above 180 mg/dl. A headache is a common symptom of hyperglycemia, although often you may have no symptoms associated with hyperglycemia. However, symptoms typically become more apparent the higher the blood sugar level. When your blood sugar levels vac Continue reading >>
Low Blood Sugar (hypoglycaemia)
A low blood sugar, also called hypoglycaemia or a "hypo", is where the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood drops too low. It mainly affects people with diabetes, especially if you take insulin. A low blood sugar can be dangerous if it's not treated promptly, but you can usually treat it easily yourself. Symptoms of low blood sugar A low blood sugar causes different symptoms for everybody. You'll learn how it makes you feel if you keep getting it, although your symptoms may change over time. Early signs of a low blood sugar include: feeling hungry sweating tingling lips feeling shaky or trembling feeling tired becoming easily irritated, tearful, stroppy or moody turning pale If not treated, you may then get other symptoms, such as: weakness blurred vision difficulty concentrating unusual behaviour, slurred speech or clumsiness (like being drunk) feeling sleepy seizures (fits) collapsing or passing out Hypos can also occur while sleeping, which may wake you up during the night or cause headaches, tiredness or damp sheets (from sweat) in the morning. If you have a device to check your blood sugar level, a reading of less than 4mmol/L is too low and should be treated. Treatment for low blood sugar Treating a low blood sugar yourself Follow these steps if your blood sugar is less than 4mmol/L or you have hypo symptoms: Have a sugary drink or snack – try something like a small glass of non-diet fizzy drink or fruit juice, a small handful of sweets, or four or five dextrose tablets. Test your blood sugar after 10-15 minutes – if it's 4mmol or above and you feel better, move on to step 3. If it's still below 4mmol, treat again with a sugary drink or snack and take another reading in 10-15 minutes. Eat your main meal (containing carbohydrate) if you're about to have it or Continue reading >>
Tiredness And Diabetes
Tweet Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night’s sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels. Tiredness as a symptom of diabetes Regular tiredness, particularly tiredness following meals, is a common symptom of diabetes. Read more on the symptoms of diabetes What causes people with diabetes to be tired? Two common reasons for tiredness or lethargy are having too high or too low blood sugar levels. In both cases, the tiredness is the result of having an imbalance between one’s level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin. If you feel tired during the day, despite having slept well, it could be a result of either high or low sugar levels. It is best to test your blood glucose levels to see whether the tiredness is indeed a result of having high or low sugar levels. This is particularly important for people on insulin. Read about the recommended blood glucose levels ranges Tiredness and high blood sugar levels Blood glucose levels go high when there is either insufficient insulin (typically in the case of type 1 diabetes) or the insulin is not working effectively enough (typically in type 2 diabetes). To provide us with energy, insulin is needed to transport glucose from blood into our cells to be used for energy. When there is not enough insulin, or the insulin isn’t working effectively, it means the sugar in our blood cannot get into our cells and therefore our cells do not receive the energy they need. As a result, we feel tired. Managing tiredness and high blood sugar after meals If tiredness is accompanied by high blood glucose levels after meals, it can indica Continue reading >>
- American Diabetes Association® Releases 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, with Notable New Recommendations for People with Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
- Diabetes and Sleep Apnea: How Sleep Affects Blood Glucose and Diabetes
- Diabetes and eye disease: How diabetes affects vision and eye health
What Is Hypoglycemia?
Lots of people wonder if they have hypoglycemia (pronounced: hy-po-gly-SEE-mee-uh), but the condition is not at all common in teens. Teens who do have hypoglycemia usually have it as part of another health condition, such as diabetes. Hypoglycemia happens when a person's blood sugar levels are abnormally low, and it's a potentially serious condition. If you know someone who has diabetes, you may have heard them talk about "insulin shock," which is the common name for a severe hypoglycemic reaction. The body's most important fuel is glucose, a type of sugar. When you digest most foods, sugar is released, and that sugar ends up in your bloodstream as glucose. Your body, particularly your brain and nervous system, needs a certain level of glucose to function — not too much, and not too little. If your blood glucose level isn't right, your body will react by showing certain symptoms. People with diabetes may experience hypoglycemia if they don't eat enough or if they take too much insulin — the medicine most commonly used to treat diabetes. What Are the Symptoms? Some symptoms of hypoglycemia are caused when the body releases extra adrenaline (epinephrine), a hormone that raises blood sugar levels, into the bloodstream to protect against hypoglycemia. High blood levels of adrenaline can make the skin become pale and sweaty, and a person can also have symptoms such as shakiness, anxiety, and heart palpitations (a fast, pounding heartbeat). Other symptoms of hypoglycemia are caused when not enough glucose gets to the brain; in fact, the brain is the organ that suffers most significantly and most rapidly when there's a drop in blood sugar. These symptoms include headache, extreme hunger, blurry or double vision, fatigue, and weakness. At its most severe, insufficient gluco Continue reading >>
Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can cause serious health complications. That's why it is very important to know how to spot type 2 diabetes symptoms. Even prediabetes can increase the chance of heart disease, just like type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor about preventive measures you can take now to reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes due to high blood sugar may include: Increased thirst Increased hunger (especially after eating) Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry) Fatigue (weak, tired feeling) Loss of consciousness (rare) Contact your health care provider if you have any type 2 diabetes symptoms or if you have further questions about type 2 diabetes. It's important to get diabetes testing and start a treatment plan early to prevent serious diabetes complications. Type 2 diabetes is usually not diagnosed until health complications have occurred. Most often, there are no diabetes symptoms or a very gradual development of the above symptoms of type 2 diabetes. In fact, about one out of every four people with type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. Other symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include: Slow-healing sores or cuts Itching of the skin (usually around the vaginal or groin area) Recent weight gain or unexplained weight loss Velvety dark skin changes of the neck, armpit, and groin, called acanthosis nigricans Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet Erectile dysfunction (impotency) Continue reading >>
Diabetes Symptoms You Can’t Afford To Ignore & What You Can Do About Them
In the U.S., diabetes — or diabetes mellitus (DM) — is full-blown epidemic, and that’s not hyperbole. An estimated 29 million Americans have some form of diabetes, nearly 10 percent of the population, and even more alarming, the average American has a one in three chance of developing diabetes symptoms at some point in his or her lifetime. (1) The statistics are alarming, and they get even worse. Another 86 million people have prediabetes, with up to 30 percent of them developing type 2 diabetes within five years. And perhaps the most concerning, about a third of people who have diabetes — approximately 8 million adults — are believed to be undiagnosed and unaware. That’s why it’s so vital to understand and recognize diabetes symptoms. And there’s actually good news. While there’s technically no known “cure” for diabetes — whether it’s type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes — there’s plenty that can be done to help reverse diabetes naturally, control diabetes symptoms and prevent diabetes complications. The Most Common Diabetes Symptoms Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that results from problems controlling the hormone insulin. Diabetes symptoms are a result of higher-than-normal levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. With type 1 diabetes, symptoms usually develop sooner and at a younger age than with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes also normally causes more severe symptoms. In fact, because type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms can be minimal in some cases, it sometimes can go diagnosed for a long period of time, causing the problem to worsen and long-term damage to develop. While it’s still not entirely known how this happens, prolonged exposure to high blood sugar can damage nerve fibers that affect the blood vessels, heart, e Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 In Adults
What is it? Diabetes (di-uh-BE-tez) is also called diabetes mellitus (MEL-i-tus). There are three main types of diabetes. You have type 2 diabetes. It may be called non-insulin dependent or adult onset diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, your body has trouble using insulin. Your body may also not make enough insulin. If there is not enough insulin or if it is not working right, sugar will build up in your blood. Type 2 diabetes is more common in overweight people who are older than 40 years and are not active. Type 2 diabetes is also being found more often in children who are overweight. There is no cure for diabetes but you can have a long and active life if your diabetes is controlled. How did I get type 2 diabetes? Insulin (IN-sul-in) is a hormone (a special body chemical) made by your pancreas (PAN-kree-us). The pancreas is an organ that lies behind the stomach. Much of the food you eat is turned into sugar in your stomach. This sugar goes into your blood and travels to the cells of your body to be used for energy. Insulin acts as a "key" to help sugar enter the cells. If there is not enough insulin or if it is not working right, sugar will build up in your blood. With type 2 diabetes, you may have better control of your diabetes with the right diet and exercise. You may also need to take oral medicine (pills) to help your body make more insulin or to use insulin better. You may also need insulin shots. No one knows for sure what causes type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes runs in families. You are more likely to get it if someone else in your family has type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you are overweight. Being overweight makes it harder for your body to use the insulin it makes. This is called insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, y Continue reading >>
High And Low Blood Sugar Issues
Blood sugar concentrations or blood glucose levels are the amount of sugar or glucose present in your blood stream. Your body naturally regulates blood sugar (glucose) levels as a part your body”s metabolic processes. Glucose or sugar is the primary energy mechanism for cells and blood lipids. Glucose or blood sugar is transported from your intestines or liver to the cells in your body via the bloodstream. The absorption of glucose is promoted by insulin or the hormone produced in the pancreas. If your sugar levels are not balanced you may have high or low blood sugar issues. Low sugar issues are hypoglycemia and high blood sugar indicates that you have hyperglycemia or hyperglycemia symptoms. High or low blood sugar levels cause different problems. Low blood sugar levels can cause dementia, comas or death. High blood sugar is a major cause of damage to your body”s internal organs. Low Blood Sugar Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia indicates the level of glucose in your blood has dramatically dropped below what your body need to function. When your blood sugar drops below 70 milligrams per deciliter symptom will develop. You may feel tired and anxious or weak and shaky. Your heart rate may be rapid and you feel as if you are having a heart attack. Eating something sugary will bring your sugar levels back to normal almost immediately and symptoms will subside. Sugar levels that are below 40 mg/dL cause you to have behavior changes. You may feel very irritable and become weak and confused. You may not realize you need to eat to raise your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels below 20 mg/dL will most certainly cause a loss of consciousness or perhaps you will experience seizures. You will need medical care immediately. Hypoglycemia symptoms happen very quickly. If you a Continue reading >>
Pre Diabetes Symptoms
Here's a fact: Most people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes had pre diabetes symptoms that if known, could have alerted them to make diet and lifestyle changes before their diagnosis. Most physicians only pay attention to fasting blood sugar when watching for diabetes. For instance, if a patient's blood sugar is between 110-125, mg/dL, it indicates prediabetes. But blood sugar results can test in normal ranges even as diabetes is developing. If people with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis knew ALL of the pre diabetic symptoms for which to watch, it could help them avoid being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is defined medically as the state in which fasting blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Blood sugars in the prediabetic range (between 100 - 126 mg/dl) indicate insulin resistance is developing, and a metabolic syndrome diagnosis is more likely in the future. Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition in which chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin levels have resulted in an inability of body cells to respond to them normally. IR is the driving factor as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes and diabetes are all linked together on a continuum. Pre Diabetes Symptoms: It's Not Just About Blood Sugar Medical information about pre diabetes comes from medical associations such as the American Diabetes Association. The ADA guidelines say that prediabetes is a function of a fasting blood sugar is between 100-125 mg/dl. However, I am convinced that signs of prediabetes can be spotted even when blood tests indicated blood sugars below 100 mg/dl. I saw this in my own life. Eight years ago, I had many of the pre diabetic symptoms listed below, but my fasting blood sugar was still classified as "n Continue reading >>
Can Diabetes Cause Fatigue, Body Ache?
Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Wednesdays, it's Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society. Asked by Mike from Tennessee Can diabetes be a (possible) cause of fatigue, leg and lower back aches? I have had bursts of energy for 10 to 15 minutes, but then need to sit for about 10 minutes, and I'm ready to go full steam again. PLEASE, Thank You, Mike Expert answer Dear Mike: Thanks for an important question, as a lot of people with diabetes complain of these symptoms. The answer is that diabetes itself probably is not the cause of your fatigue, lower back and leg aches. The things that cause type 2 diabetes (also called adult onset diabetes), such as a weight problem and lack of exercise, are commonly the cause these symptoms. Fatigue incorporates three components: 1. The inability to initiate activity. 2. Reduced ability to maintain activity. 3. Difficulty with concentration and memory. Fatigue should be distinguished from sleepiness, shortness of breath on exertion and muscle weakness, although these can also be associated with fatigue. Fatigue lasting six months or more is referred to as chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue is not necessarily the entity known as chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a diagnosis after exclusion of all other causes. Fatigue in anyone should be evaluated by a health care provider to exclude all possible causes and to get counseling on how to treat it. Other medical causes of fatigue are the side effect of drugs, thyroid dysfunction, high calcium levels, rheumatologic illnesses, adrenal, kidney or liver problems. Some infections such as tuberculosis or hepatitis can cause fatigue, and indeed, fatigue can be their only symptom. Depression is also a major cause of fatigue. While unus Continue reading >>
Why Does High (or Low) Blood Sugar Give Me Headaches?
Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE, has been a registered pharmacist for more than 20 years and a Certified Diabetes Educator for more than 15 years. Her two sons were diagnosed with diabetes, and since then, she has been dedicated to promoting wellness and optimal outcomes as a patient advocate, information expert, educator, and corporate partner. Headaches can be debilitating, and patients with diabetes can get headaches from blood sugars dropping too low or climbing too high. As if we didn’t have enough to think about, right? There are many factors that can trigger headaches or even migraines, and blood sugar fluctuations are just one of those factors. The key to avoiding blood sugar-related headaches is keeping blood sugars from spiking or dropping too rapidly. For example, when you are treating a low blood sugar, don’t go on a high carbohydrate-eating binge, even though you may be ravenous. Eat a sensible meal with some protein as directed by your healthcare provider. When blood sugar is too low One of the suspected causes of low blood sugar-caused headaches has to do with the blood vessels in your brain. Your brain needs a readily available supply of glucose in order to function properly. If the brain senses it does not have enough sugar, blood vessels in the brain can spasm, triggering a headache. In the fasting state, stress hormones are also released which can cause vasoconstriction leading to headache. There is also a type of headache that can be seen in patients with diabetes that experience frequent low blood sugars, which are followed by rebound high blood sugars. This rebound phenomenon is often due to hormones that the body releases in response to a low blood sugar in an attempt to regulate itself. When blood sugar is too high High blood sugars can cause l Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Headaches: Soothing That Aching Head
We’ve all had headaches. Some more than others, I suspect. I woke up the other morning with a pounding headache, as a matter of fact. Having a headache is definitely not the way to start your day. Perhaps not surprisingly, people who have diabetes can certainly get headaches, and apart from the “usual” culprits, these headaches can stem from fluctuations in blood sugar. There are ways to treat and manage them, however. Read on to learn more. What is a headache anyway? Simply put, a headache is a pain that occurs in any part of the head — on the side, in the front, or in the back. The type of headache pain can vary widely, from sharp, to dull, to throbbing. And the frequency of pain may be different — the pain may come on all of a sudden, or more gradually, and it can last an hour or last days. Types of headaches A headache is a headache, right? Not exactly. There are two main forms of headaches: primary and secondary. A primary headache is due to a problem with or overactivity of pain structures in the head, such as blood vessels, nerves, or muscles. Examples of primary headaches include: • Migraines • Cluster headaches • Tension headaches Secondary headaches occur as a symptom of a disease or condition, such as: • Blood clot • Brain aneurysm • Brain freeze (also known as “ice cream headache”) • Brain tumor • Carbon monoxide poisoning • Flu • Ear infection • Sinus infection • Stroke • Concussion • Monosodium glutamate (MSG) • Panic attacks • Changes in hormones Why might diabetes cause headaches? Having diabetes doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll automatically have headaches. However, diabetes headaches tend to occur due to changes in blood sugar levels. The more “up and down” your blood sugars are, the more likely Continue reading >>
Diabetes Safety First! Recognizing And Preventing Low Blood Sugar
Blood glucose (sugar) goes up and down in a small range throughout the day. In people with diabetes, the range can be much wider. It is important to understand the fine balance between treating the high sugars and avoiding the low sugars. If you have diabetes and take certain diabetes drugs or insulin, you may experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia [hy-po-gly-SEE-me-uh]) from time to time. Hypoglycemia is a blood sugar of less than 70 mg/dL. However, some people have symptoms of low blood sugar even at higher blood sugar levels. This can happen when blood sugar is dropping too quickly or if the person has had very high blood sugars for a long time. Severe hypoglycemia means the person needs someone to treat them, which is a very serious condition! Even mild hypoglycemia symptoms are hard on your body and on your emotions. By learning more about the signs and causes of low blood sugar, you can take steps to keep it from happening again. Frequent low blood sugars are serious because the body becomes less able to show the warning signals of a low blood sugar. The blood sugar can then fall to dangerously low levels. What causes low blood sugar and what are the symptoms? Low blood sugar is usually caused by eating less or later than usual, changing your physical activity or taking a diabetes medicine that is not right for your needs. Even mistakes in dosing can lead to hypoglycemia. For example, you could mistake one insulin for another or forget that you had already taken your diabetes pills! A recent large study showed that the most common causes of hypoglycemia were smaller than usual food intake, delay in eating, or skipping a meal. Common symptoms of low blood sugar are: Feeling dizzy, shaky, or lightheaded Feeling nervous or anxious Having a fast heart beat Sweating Continue reading >>
