8 Unusual Causes Of Blood Sugar Changes

8 unusual causes of blood sugar changes

Keeping your blood glucose in check can be a pain in the proverbial, especially when you remember some things can affect your blood glucose that are absolutely beyond your control.
We’ve narrowed down 8 of the most surprising causes blood sugar changes.
#8 Sleep (Dawn Phenomenon)
The dawn phenomenon isn’t quite as fun or interesting as it sounds (unless you’re a hepatologist or part of some other thrilling liver-based profession, that is). Basically though, your body releases glucagon in the mornings, often between 2am and 8am. To avoid this happening, try eating less carbs before bed.
#7 Artificial sweeteners
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news… well, it’s not all bad. A group of people drank a drink containing Splenda before ingesting a measured amount of glucose; their blood sugar peaked at higher levels than when they drank plain water. This research isn’t the be all and end all, though. Other research has found these same sweeteners to have no effect on blood glucose levels whatsoever. As always, carry on eating to your meter.
#6 Dehydration
Drinking plenty of water is great for you in pretty much every way, and there’s definitely no exceptions for those of us with diabetes. Higher blood sugar can cause a few problems, one being that it causes you to wee more – this is due to the excess glucose that your body is trying to get rid of. In turn, this makes you feel absolutely parched.
#5 Certain medications
Steroids, while they’re an absolute godsend for treating inflammatory conditions, autoimmune disorders (diabetes excluded, sorry!) and asthma, can be Continue reading

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Tips to Care for Your Diabetes While on Vacation

Are you counting the days until your vacation? Or are you just starting to plan one? As you get ready for your time away, make sure you plan ahead to take care of your diabetes.
Getting ready to travel
Before you leave, make sure you have everything that you need to take care of your diabetes. First, talk to your doctor about your vacation plans to learn what you need to do before, during, and after your trip. Things to think about and discuss:
Will you be more physically active or less active on your vacation? Ask your doctor about how your planned activities could affect your diabetes.
Will you be walking a lot or going to the beach? Find out how to take care of your feet.
When should you take your medicine if you change time zones?
Will your meals be at different times from your usual schedule at home? Ask how this will affect your diabetes.
How should you adjust your diabetes medicines based on your glucose (sugar) readings?
Are your immunizations up to date? Do you need any special ones for where you’re going?
Where can you get medical care if needed when away from home? What do you need to do to let your health insurance company know about your travel plans?
Take this article with you to the doctor to help you remember what to talk about.
Are you going on a road trip?
If you are traveling by car, you often have more control of the items you can take and have access to them at any time during your trip.
Pack a small cooler with foods such as:
Fresh fruit and sliced raw vegetables that may be difficult to find during your trip.
Dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Keep in mi Continue reading

How can diabetes affect my feet?

Chronically high blood sugar (glucose) levels can be associated with serious complications in people who have diabetes. The feet are especially at risk. Two conditions called diabetic neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease can damage the feet (and other areas of the body) in people who have diabetes.
What is diabetic neuropathy?
Chronically high sugar levels associated with uncontrolled diabetes can cause nerve damage that interferes with the ability to sense pain and temperature. This so-called "sensory diabetic neuropathy" increases the risk a person with diabetes will not notice problems with his or her feet. Nearly 10% of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers due to peripheral vascular disease and nerve damage. People with diabetes may not notice sores or cuts on the feet, which in turn can lead to an infection. Nerve damage can also affect the function of foot muscles, leading to improper alignment and injury.
What is peripheral vascular disease?
Diabetes is associated with poor circulation (blood flow). Inadequate blood flow increases the healing time for cuts and sores. Peripheral vascular disease refers to compromised blood flow in the arms and legs. Poor blood flow increases the risk that infections will not heal. This, in turn, increases the risk of ulcers and gangrene, which is tissue death that occurs in a localized area when there is an inadequate blood supply.
What are common foot problems of people with diabetes?
The following images show common foot problems that anyone can get; however, those with diabetes are at increased risk for serious complicati Continue reading

Daylight On Diabetes Drugs: Nevada Bill Would Track Insulin Makers’ Profits

Patients notched a rare win over the pharmaceutical industry Monday when the Nevada Legislature revived a bill requiring insulin makers to disclose the profits they make on the life-sustaining drug. In a handful of other states, bills addressing drug prices have stalled.
Many of the 1.25 million Americans who live with Type 1 diabetes cheered the legislative effort in Nevada as an important first step in their fight against skyrocketing costs of a drug on which their lives depend. The cost of insulin medications has steadily risen over the past decade by nearly 300 percent.
Prominent patient advocacy groups, like the American Diabetes Association, have maintained stony silence while diabetes patients championed the bill and lobbied the legislature during this debate — a silence that patients and experts say stems from financial ties.
“Normally all of the patient advocacy groups rally around causes and piggyback on each other in a productive way — that’s what advocacy groups are good at — but that hasn’t been the case here,” said Thom Scher, chief operating officer of Beyond Type 1, which does not accept donations from the pharmaceutical industry. Beyond Type 1 has not issued a formal opinion on the Nevada bill.
Many of the dozens of U.S. diabetes advocacy organizations, large and small, garner significant portions of their funding from insulin manufacturers. The Nevada bill also requires such organizations operating in-state to disclose all contributions they receive from the pharmaceutical industry to discourage that sort of conflict.
In 2016, two of the “b Continue reading

Diabetes patients sue insulin makers for ‘pricing fraud’

A group of diabetes patients filed a lawsuit Monday against three drug companies for systematically increasing the list prices of insulin for years in an alleged fraudulent-pricing scheme that saddled patients with “crushing out-of-pocket expenses,” according to the filing.
The insulin market is dominated by an oligopoly of companies that sell many billions of dollars worth of insulin each year — and have steadily raised the list prices of their drugs. A version of insulin called Humalog launched two decades ago with a sticker price of $21 a vial and has increased to $255 a vial.
Meanwhile, competition has appeared to work in a perverse way, with list prices of competing insulins often rising in concert. Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) asked for a federal investigation into “possible collusion” on insulin prices.
The lawsuit, filed by 11 patients in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, focuses on a common practice in the pharmaceutical industry: Drug companies compete for insurers' business by offering secret rebates on their drugs. Companies that negotiate drug prices for insurers, called pharmacy benefit managers, can place drugs on tiers that determine how much consumers pay for them — decisions that may be influenced by the size of the discount granted by the drug companies.
The lawsuit claims that drug companies have been increasing the list price of insulin in order to expand their discounts without lowering the overall price tag. The people stuck paying the balance: patients, particularly those without insurance Continue reading