Diabetic Attack

Hyperglycemia: When Your Blood Glucose Level Goes Too High

Hyperglycemia means high (hyper) glucose (gly) in the blood (emia). Your body needs glucose to properly function. Your cells rely on glucose for energy. Hyperglycemia is a defining characteristic of diabetes—when the blood glucose level is too high because the body isn't properly using or doesn't make the hormone insulin. You get glucose from the foods you eat. Carbohydrates, such as fruit, milk, potatoes, bread, and rice, are the biggest source of glucose in a typical diet. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, and then transports the glucose to the cells via the bloodstream. Body Needs Insulin However, in order to use the glucose, your body needs insulin. This is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps transport glucose into the cells, particularly the muscle cells. People with type 1 diabetes no longer make insulin to help their bodies use glucose, so they have to take insulin, which is injected under the skin. People with type 2 diabetes may have enough insulin, but their body doesn't use it well; they're insulin resistant. Some people with type 2 diabetes may not produce enough insulin. People with diabetes may become hyperglycemic if they don't keep their blood glucose level under control (by using insulin, medications, and appropriate meal planning). For example, if someone with type 1 diabetes doesn't take enough insulin before eating, the glucose their body makes from that food can build up in their blood and lead to hyperglycemia. Your endocrinologist will tell you what your target blood glucose levels are. Your levels may be different from what is usually considered as normal because of age, pregnancy, and/or other factors. Fasting hyperglycemia is defined as when you don't eat for at least eight hours. Recommended range without diabet Continue reading >>

What Is To Be Done If Someone Has A Diabetic Attack Due To High Blood Sugar?

If you think someone is having a diabetic emergency, you need to check against the symptoms listed below to decide if their blood sugar is too high or too low. High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) • Warm, dry skin • Rapid pulse and breathing • Fruity sweet breath • Really thirsty • Drowsiness, leading to unresponsiveness if not treated Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) • Weakness, faintness or hunger • Confusion and irrational behaviour • Sweating with cold, clammy skin • Rapid pulse • Trembling • Deteriorating level of response • Medical warning bracelet or necklace and glucose gel or sweets • Medication such as an insulin pen or tablets and a glucose testing kit What you need to do ‒ for high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) Call an ambulance straight away for medical help and say that you suspect hyperglycaemia. While you wait for help to arrive, keep checking their breathing, pulse and level of response. If they lose responsiveness at any point, open their airway, check their breathing and prepare to treat someone who’s become unresponsive. What you need to do ‒ for low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) Help them sit down. If they have their own glucose gel, help them take it. If not, you need to give them something sugary like fruit juice, a fizzy drink, three teaspoons of sugar, or sugary sweets. If they improve quickly, give them more sugary food or drink and let them rest. If they have their glucose testing kit with them, help them use it to check their glucose level. Stay with them until they feel completely better. If they do not improve quickly, look for any other causes and then call an ambulance for medical help. While waiting, keep checking their responsiveness, breathing and pulse. What you need to do ‒ if you’re unsure whether their Continue reading >>

Tell Me About The Symptoms Of A Hypoglycaemic Attack

What are the symptoms of a hypoglycaemic attack? How can attacks be prevented, and what can you do if you have a very low blood sugar? This is a sensible question to ask, and really it should be part of the introduction to diabetes that you're by medical staff. I hope you are attending for regular follow-ups at a diabetes clinic in your practice. To answer your question, the first thing to say is that you will not be at great risk from a hypoglycaemic attack (a 'hypo') because you are on tablets and not insulin. Hypos are much less common in people on tablet treatment because their blood glucose level does not usually change rapidly. However that does not mean you, or perhaps more importantly your carers, should not know what to expect, just in case. A hypo is caused when the blood sugar falls too low and the brain becomes starved of glucose, which it needs to function properly. If the blood glucose falls below a critical level, you can experience a variety of symptoms. These may vary a little from individual to individual, but generally you will feel weak, hungry, look pale and begin to sweat. Speech may become slurred and you may become confused. Eventually, if untreated and the blood sugar remains very low, you will become unconscious. This is very rare in people on tablet treatment. Confusion is the main problem, because it means you may not recognise you're having a hypo and need treatment, and so may refuse to co-operate with the person trying to treat you. In principle, the treatment is simple: because blood glucose (sugar) is low, you need to be given sugar. If you recognise the signs early enough, you can simply eat a piece of chocolate or a biscuit, or take a glucose tablet like sportsmen use. Glucose tablets can be bought in chemist's shops. In these circumst Continue reading >>

Diabetic Attack Symptoms

A person with diabetes may experience blood sugar that is too low, known as hypoglycemia, or blood sugar that is too high, known as hyperglycemia. Diabetes is a disease in which the body is not able to properly use insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar. Blood sugar fuels the body, and an imbalance of blood sugar and insulin may lead to health complications. A person experiencing a diabetes attack may have a variety of symptoms. Video of the Day Mental changes are the first symptoms of blood sugar imbalance. Mental changes happen quickly and can progressively worsen with delayed treatment. Blood sugar that is too low or too high can trigger confusion and problems with memory. A person may seem unusually confused and have trouble recalling recent events or personal information. As blood sugar imbalance worsens, additional physical symptoms may appear while mental changes get worse. Dizziness may also occur, along with feeling weak. Without treatment, a diabetic may lapse into unconsciousness. He may be difficult or impossible to rouse or engage, and immediate medical attention is needed to prevent further complications. Thirst and Hunger High or low blood sugar changes how the body utilizes food for fuel. During high blood sugar states, the body pulls fluid from the cells, leaving tissues without proper hydration. A person with high blood sugar may experience increased thirst in response. Urination may also increase. Left untreated, high blood sugar can progress into ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Low blood sugar triggers the body to crave additional food for fuel, resulting in increased hunger. MedlinePlus suggests that eating foods with about 15 g of carbohydrates can help prevent even lower blood sugar until medical help can Continue reading >>

6 Emergency Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of many serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, vision loss, and amputation. But by keeping your diabetes in check — that means maintaining good blood sugar control — and knowing how to recognize a problem and what to do about it should one occur, you can prevent many of these serious complications of diabetes. Heart Attack Heart disease and stroke are the top causes of death and disability in people with diabetes. Heart attack symptoms may appear suddenly or be subtle, with only mild pain and discomfort. If you experience any of the following heart attack warning signs, call 911 immediately: Chest discomfort that feels like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of your chest, lasting for a short time or going away and returning Pain elsewhere, including the back, jaw, stomach, or neck; or pain in one or both arms Shortness of breath Nausea or lightheadedness Stroke If you suddenly experience any of the following stroke symptoms, call 911 immediately. As with a heart attack, immediate treatment can be the difference between life and death. Stroke warning signs may include: Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially if it occurs on one side of the body Feeling confused Difficulty walking and talking and lacking coordination Developing a severe headache for no apparent reason Nerve Damage People with diabetes are at increased risk of nerve damage, or diabetic neuropathy, due to uncontrolled high blood sugar. Nerve damage associated with type 2 diabetes can cause a loss of feeling in your feet, which makes you more vulnerable to injury and infection. You may get a blister or cut on your foot that you don't feel and, unless you check your feet regularly, an infection Continue reading >>

What You Should Know About Recovery From Diabetic Coma

A diabetic coma occurs when a person with diabetes loses consciousness. It can occur in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A diabetic coma occurs when blood sugar levels become either too low or too high. The cells in your body require glucose to function. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can make you feel lightheaded and lose consciousness. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can cause dehydration to the point where you may lose consciousness. Usually, you can prevent hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia from progressing to a diabetic coma. If a diabetic coma occurs, it’s likely that your doctor can balance your blood glucose levels and restore your consciousness and health quickly if they can respond to your condition in a timely manner. You can also slip into a diabetic coma if you develop diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a buildup of chemicals called ketones in your blood. Hypoglycemia The symptoms of hypoglycemia may include: headache fatigue dizziness confusion heart palpitations shakiness Hyperglycemia If you have hyperglycemia, you may experience noticeably increased thirst and you may urinate more frequently. A blood test would also reveal higher levels of glucose in your blood stream. A urine test can also show that your glucose levels are too high. DKA causes high levels of blood glucose. The symptoms also include increased thirst and a frequent need to urinate. Other symptoms of elevated ketone levels include: feeling tired having an upset stomach having flushed or dry skin If you have more severe diabetic coma symptoms, call 911. Severe symptoms may include: vomiting difficulty breathing confusion weakness dizziness A diabetic coma is a medical emergency. It can lead to brain damage or death if you don’t get treatment. Treating hyperg Continue reading >>

Diabetes Attacks

Known as a common “lifestyle disease”, Diabetes is associated with high blood pressure, an excess of sugar and the inability to heal properly. A person experiencing a Diabetes Attack might become incoherent, becoming anxious, fatigue and weak, and also lead to shock. Symptoms Confusion Change in senses, experiencing blurred vision, headaches, and double vision. Sweating, tingling, numbness, and foot pain may also be present. Sudden hunger, unusual thirst Convulsion that may lead to coma Blood sugar levels read higher as the body’s kidneys suffer damage Chest pain, irregular heart rate that could signal a potential heart attack (see Heart Attack) First Aid for a Diabetic attack 1. Monitor Lifeline – follow DRABC If a known diabetic loses consciousness, attempt to resuscitate and seek help. Tell the caller to inform the medical team that the patient is diabetic. 2. Determine high or low blood sugar levels Talk to the patient and try to establish if their blood sugar levels are low or high. Signs and Symptoms of LOW blood sugar include: The patient is hungry The patient is sweating The patient appears pale The patient seems confused, weak or disoriented The patient seems aggressive or irritable If the patient is suffering from low blood sugar levels, give them something sweet to drink or eat. Do not give diet, sugar free or diabetic safe food or drink. Seek medical help and continue to give them sweet food or drink every 15 minute until medical help arrives. Signs and Symptoms of HIGH Blood sugar levels include: The patient’s skin is hot and/or dry The patient feels thirsty The patient needs to urinate Help the patient administer insulin. Do not administer it for them, but assist them if necessary. Seek medical help and give them sugar-free fluids to drink. Water Continue reading >>

Heart Attack

Fast Action Needed When a heart attack strikes, time is of the essence. Intuitively, we all know it: The faster we get help, the better the outcome. Doctors say that “time is muscle,” because the longer a heart attack goes untreated, the more heart muscle dies and is irrevocably lost. But statistics show that most people don’t receive treatment within the critical 60–90 minutes after a heart attack starts. Emergency departments have worked hard to reduce the time it takes for a person to receive treatment, and local emergency medical services have improved significantly in the past few decades. As it turns out, however, the biggest delay in treatment occurs before the professionals even get involved. The most common reason for delay in treatment of a heart attack, according the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is the time it takes the person to seek help. The NHLBI says that median time from onset of symptoms to calling for help ranges from 2 to 6.4 hours. All people need to be more aware of the symptoms of a heart attack and know how to respond quickly, but it’s even more important for people with diabetes because they have a 2–4 times higher risk of heart attack and other heart disease. They’re more likely to die before reaching the hospital with a first heart attack and more likely to die in the hospital while undergoing a cardiac procedure, and they do less well following a heart attack or an intervention such as surgery. The rate of death for the five years following a heart attack is as high as 50%, or twice that of people without diabetes. In the general population, heart attack risk is higher in men than in women under 50 years of age. Diabetes erases that difference, causing an increased risk in women with diabetes. There also ar Continue reading >>

Diabetic Reaction

A A A There are two main forms of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes: Absent or low insulin levels prevent cells from taking up and using sugar for energy, thus requiring insulin injections Type 2 diabetes: Cellular resistance to insulin reduces glucose uptake, often requiring medication to improve the sensitivity of cells to insulin Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is the most common form of diabetic reaction. A low blood sugar reaction is caused by increased exertion or increased demand for glucose. The body may "run out" of stored glucose more quickly, thus bringing on a hypoglycemic attack. Persistent intake of excessive alcohol may cause this reaction, because alcohol decreases glucose stores in the liver. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is a common problem for people with diabetes. High blood sugar can be brought on by infections or other significant stresses that cause the body to decrease cell uptake of glucose. A decrease in cell uptake of glucose leads to high blood sugar levels as well as the alternative use of fats by starving cells for energy. Fat breakdown increases the acidity of the blood and worsens symptoms of high blood sugar. Symptoms of diabetic reaction depends on the type of reaction. rapid onset of cool, pale, moist, and clammy skin; dizziness; headache; rapid pulse; and shallow breathing. If untreated, symptoms may progress to confusion, nonsensical behavior, coma, and death. Symptoms occur gradually over several days. The person with high blood sugar develops increasing thirst and urination due to large amounts of unused glucose being lost in the urine. Skin feels warm and dry; respirations may be shallow; pulse is rapid and weak, and breath may have a sweet odor (due to ketoacidosis from fat breakdown). The person with high blood sugar may become confus Continue reading >>

Diabetic Emergencies: Warning Signs And Steps To Save Someone’s Life

A diabetic can develop hyperglycemia (raised blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Giving sugar will be lifesaving if blood sugar is low, and is unlikely to do harm if sugar levels are raised. Diabetics usually know how to control their condition, but even people who’ve had diabetes for years or decades may be susceptible to an attack. Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia) Symptoms: This can occur if the blood sugar-insulin balance is incorrect. A person with diabetes often recognizes the warning signs: Feels shaky and weak Skin is pale and feels cold and clammy Confused, irritable, and behaving irrationally Rapid, but full and pounding pulse; patient may tell you that his heart is pounding Patient will quickly lose consciousness if he is not given some sugar If you know a patient has diabetes and he fails to respond to sugar or his condition begins to worsen, call for medical help immediately. A person recently diagnosed with diabetes is more susceptible to a “hypo” attack, especially while he is becoming used to balancing his sugar-insulin levels. What to Do for Hypoglycemia 1. Sit patient down. Reassure him and help him to sit down on a chair or on the floor if he is feeling faint. 2. Give sugar. If the patient is fully conscious and alert, give him a sugary drink, such as fruit juice, or some glucose tablets. People with diabetes often carry a dose of glucose concentrate or have some sugary food on hand as a precaution. 3. Check response. If the patient improves quickly after eating or drinking something, follow this with some slower-release carbohydrate food, such as a cereal bar, a sandwich, a piece of fruit, biscuits and milk, or the next meal if the timing is right. 4. Find medication. Help the patient find his glucose testing kit and medication and let Continue reading >>

Diabetic Emergencies: Warning Signs And What To Do

Diabetes symptoms can quickly turn into emergencies. The disease of diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2010, claiming nearly 70,000 lives. Responding promptly to symptoms of a diabetic emergency can be lifesaving. Causes and types Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes inhibit the body's ability to manage blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes does so by destroying the cells that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes reduces how responsive the body is to insulin, while not enough insulin is produced to counter the sugar in the body. Hence, most diabetic emergencies are related to disruptions in a person's blood sugar levels. Occasionally, even too much of a drug being used to treat diabetes can trigger a diabetic emergency. The most common diabetic emergencies include the following: Severe hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar levels are abnormally low. When blood sugar dips very low, it becomes a medical emergency. Hypoglycemia normally only occurs in people with diabetes who take medication that lowers blood sugar. Blood sugar levels may drop dangerously low when a person is: consuming too much alcohol exercising, especially without adjusting food intake or insulin dosage missing or delaying meals overdosing on diabetic medication Diabetic ketoacidosis Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body does not have enough insulin to break down glucose properly, and hormones that normally work opposite insulin are high. Over time, the body releases hormones that break down fat to provide fuel. This produces acids called ketones. As ketones build up in the body, ketoacidosis can occur. Common causes of ketoacidosis include: uncontrolled or untreated diabetes an illness or infection that changes hormone production an illness or infection that chang Continue reading >>

Diabetes, Heart Disease, And Stroke

Having diabetes means that you are more likely to develop heart disease and have a greater chance of a heart attack or a stroke. People with diabetes are also more likely to have certain conditions, or risk factors, that increase the chances of having heart disease or stroke, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you can protect your heart and health by managing your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol. If you smoke, get help to stop. What is the link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke? Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you will develop heart disease.1 People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes. In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes.2 The good news is that the steps you take to manage your diabetes also help to lower your chances of having heart disease or stroke. What else increases my chances of heart disease or stroke if I have diabetes? If you have diabetes, other factors add to your chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke. Smoking Smoking raises your risk of developing heart disease. If you have diabetes, it is important to stop smoking because both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels. Smoking also increases your chances of developing other long-term problems such as lung disease. Smoking also can damage the blood vessels in your legs and increase the risk of lower leg infections, ulcers, a Continue reading >>

Diabetic Shock And Insulin Reactions

Severe hypoglycemia, or diabetic shock, is a serious health risk for anyone with diabetes. Also called insulin reaction, as a consequence of too much insulin, it can occur anytime there is an imbalance between the insulin in your system, the amount of food you eat, or your level of physical activity. It can even happen while you are doing all you think you can do to manage your diabetes. The symptoms of diabetic shock may seem mild at first. But they should not be ignored. If it isn't treated quickly, hypoglycemia can become a very serious condition that causes you to faint, requiring immediate medical attention. Diabetic shock can also lead to a coma and death. It's important that not only you, but your family and others around you, learn to recognize the signs of hypoglycemia and know what to do about them. It could save your life. Hypoglycemia is a low level of blood sugar. The cells in your body use sugar from carbohydrates for energy. Insulin, which normally is made in the pancreas, is necessary for sugar to enter the cells. It helps keep the levels of sugar in the blood from getting too high. It's important to maintain the proper level of sugar in your blood. Levels that are too high can cause severe dehydration, which can be life threatening. Over time, excess sugar in the body does serious damage to organs such as your heart, eyes, and nervous system. Ordinarily, the production of insulin is regulated inside your body so that you naturally have the amount of insulin you need to help control the level of sugar. But if your body doesn't make its own insulin or if it can't effectively use the insulin it does produce, you need to inject insulin as a medicine or take another medication that will increase the amount of insulin your body does make. So if you need to me Continue reading >>

Struggles With Panic Attacks

First, I want to address a question that Envoy posted on my blog entry from two weeks ago. Envoy asked if I thought that depression was more common in people who have diabetes. The first answer is that I have always believed it is more common, and research has also indicated that it’s twice as likely to occur in people who have diabetes. That is part of the reason I suggest a yearly mental health checkup in conjunction with your annual physical. The percentage of people with diabetes who experience depression is quite significant, in the range of 20%. Hopefully, your health-care professional asks you questions about your moods, energy level, activities, sleep, and connections with other people at appointments. An open discussion of this type can give him or her enough information to begin an assessment for depression. It makes sense that controlling diabetes would be made more difficult if depression is left untreated. However, fewer than 25% of cases of depression in people with diabetes are recognized and treated appropriately. We clearly have a lot of work to do in improving mental health care for people with diabetes. Another mental health issue that has been shown to interfere with people’s diabetes control is panic disorder. Panic disorder is characterized by unpredictable, excessive fear or terror accompanied by a number of physical symptoms. Symptoms may include pounding heart, palpitations, sweating, difficulty breathing, numbness or tingling sensations, chest pain, dizziness, nausea, trembling or shaking, and chills or hot flashes. Many of these are similar to symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, and they could also resemble a heart attack. Therefore, a person may overreact (by visiting the emergency room, for example) or, thinking that his symp Continue reading >>

What Happens During A Diabetic Attack?

Diabetes affects over 23 million people in the U.S. alone. It is a disease in which the pancreas doesn't produce the correct amount of insulin. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, everyone afflicted with type 1 diabetes lived only a few short years after their diagnosis. Today, with careful and healthy eating, exercise, blood testing, and, for some, insulin, all types of diabetes are manageable. But still, diabetic attacks can occur, and diabetics need to know how to manage this disease and what to do during a diabetic attack. Confusion A person experiencing a diabetic attack may become incoherent and confused. They may become anxious, fatigued, weak, have rapid breathing, or go into shock. Change in Senses A diabetic attack can cause blurred vision, headaches, and double vision. Sweating, tingling, numbness, and foot pain may also be present. Hunger Extreme and sudden hunger, unusual thirst, and nausea can occur during a diabetic attack. Convulsion During a severe diabetic attack convulsion may occur. In the most relentless cases a person may fall into a coma. Blood Sugar Levels Blood sugar level readings of and greater than 400 mg/dl must be treated immediately. The body's kidneys may suffer damage and lead to urinary problems, a build-up of waste in the body, and the excretion of needed proteins and amino acids. Chest pain Chest pain and irregular heartbeats in diabetics could signal a heart attack. The chest pain in diabetics is most commonly felt in the middle or left side. Continue reading >>