Low Blood Sugar? 8 Warning Signs If You Have Diabetes

Low Blood Sugar? 8 Warning Signs if You Have Diabetes

Do you know the No. 1 cause of blood sugar dips? Changes in food intake. You may go too long without eating carbohydrates, or step up your activity without adding extra food. Certain diabetes medications, such as insulin, can cause low blood sugar as well. Either way, these situations can cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
And it’s sometimes difficult to tell for sure when you’re experiencing problems.
Symptoms may vary from person to person; not everyone has the same warning signs. The problems are sometimes mild, but if they’re severe and left untreated, they could lead to seizures or unconsciousness.
Here’s what you need to know to recognize hypoglycemia when it happens — as well as steps you can take to help avoid the problem.
What are the most common signs of trouble?
Health professionals typically define hypoglycemia as blood sugar in a non-pregnant adult that is lower than 70mg/dl.
However, experts don’t define the severity by the number, but rather by the symptoms:
Mild. In this case, low blood sugar can be treated by the person with diabetes alone.
Moderate. The person experiencing low blood sugar is alert enough to ask for help, but he or she does require assistance.
Severe. This person is completely unable to self-treat and may be awake or unconscious. Talk to your doctor to see what target levels are safe for you.
If you suspect you’re dealing with hypoglycemia, here are the most common symptoms to watch for:
Sweating– One of the first signs of hypoglycemia is sweating or clammy skin. It often occurs regardless of the temperature outside.
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Your Diabetes Awareness Month 2017 Action Plan

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to shine the spotlight on diabetes and diabetes research. Ready to get involved? Here are some noteworthy events happening across the country, along with suggestions for creative ways you and your family can raise awareness about diabetes in your community.
Observe JDRF’s T1Day
What better way to kick off the month? The JDRF-sponsored T1Day, held each year on November 1, is an opportunity to get people everywhere more engaged in talking about type 1 diabetes. Suggested T1Day activities include visiting your child’s class for a kid-friendly diabetes Q&A, encouraging your child to write to the local paper about type 1 awareness, and sharing some of your story via social media. Even something as simple as a tweet describing how diabetes has affected your family’s life can be a rich conversation starter. Tag social media posts with #T1Day to connect with others in the diabetes community.
Cheer on NASCAR® Driver Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17, just as his racing career was taking off. At diagnosis, he was told he’d never race again. Now, at age 24, Ryan is driving for Roush Fenway Racing in the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity® Series. Stop by or tune in for races on November 4 (Texas Motor Speedway), November 11 (Phoenix International Speedway), and November 18 (Homestead-Miami Speedway).
Join the #T1DLooksLikeMe Campaign
JDRF wants to show the world what life with T1D really looks like with its #T1DLooksLikeMe campaign. Use the free photo editing tool at jdrf.org/T1 Continue reading

Rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the rise among children, teens

Fastest rise seen among racial/ethnic minority groups.
Rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing among youth in the United States, according to a report, Incidence Trends of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes among Youths, 2002-2012 (link is external), published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the United States, 29.1 million people are living with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, and about 208,000 people younger than 20 years are living with diagnosed diabetes.
This study is the first ever to estimate trends in new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in youth (those under the age of 20), from the five major racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.: non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. However, the Native American youth who participated in the SEARCH study are not representative of all Native American youth in the United States. Thus, these rates cannot be generalized to all Native American youth nationwide.
The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study (link is external), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that from 2002 to 2012, incidence, or the rate of new diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes in youth increased by about 1.8 percent each year. During the same period, the rate of new diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes increased even more quickly, at 4.8 percent. The study included 11,244 youth ages 0-19 with type 1 diabetes and 2,846 youth ages 10-19 with type 2.
“Because of the early a Continue reading

Diabetes is on the rise in America's kids and experts don't know why

A new study is the first to look at diabetes diagnosis trends in America's youth. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
The rate at which America's kids are diagnosed with diabetes is climbing and researchers don't know why.
A first-ever study of new diabetes diagnoses of U.S. youth under age 20 found both Types 1 and 2 diabetes surged from 2002-2012.
The diagnosis of new cases of Type 2 diabetes, associated with obesity, increased about 5% each year from 2002 to 2012, the study said, while new cases of Type 1, the most common form for young people, went up about 2% every year.
The National Institutes of Health, which funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the cause of the rise is "unclear."
"These findings lead to many more questions," explained Dr. Barbara Linder, senior advisor for childhood diabetes research at NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "The differences among racial and ethnic groups and between genders raise many questions. We need to understand why the increase in rates of diabetes development varies so greatly and is so concentrated in specific racial and ethnic groups."
The study, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed higher rates of diabetes diagnoses among minorities. Type 2 diabetes, which the CDC stated makes up about 90% to 95% of diagnosed diabetes cases, rose by 8.5% in Asian Americans ages 10-19. Blacks in the same age group saw a 6.3% increase, followed by a 3.1% bump in Hispanics and whites at fewer than a 1% increase.
Hispanics saw the biggest rate Continue reading

What You Can Drink, Besides Water, When You Have Diabetes

No doubt: Water is the perfect drink. It doesn't have calories, sugar, or carbs, and it's as close as a tap. If you're after something tastier, though, you've got options.
Some tempting or seemingly healthy drinks aren't great for you, but you can make swaps or easy homemade versions of many of them. These tasty treats can fit into your diabetes diet and still satisfy your cravings.
1. Chocolate Milk
This treat may remind you of the school lunchroom, but it’s a good calcium-rich choice for grown-ups as well. Low-fat chocolate milk can be a good post-workout recovery drink. The bad news: Ready-made brands come packed with sugar. Try this at home: Mix 1% milk, 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons of the zero-calorie sweetener of your choice. It saves you 70 calories, 16 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat compared to 1 cup of store-bought, reduced-fat chocolate milk.
2. Sweet Tea
A 16-ounce fast-food version might have up to 36 grams of carbs. That’s a lot of sugar, especially when there are carb-free choices, like sugar-free iced tea or iced tea crystals, that are just as satisfying. But you can also easily make your own: Steep tea with your favorite crushed fruit (raspberries are a good choice). Strain, chill, and then sweeten with your choice of no-calorie sugar substitute. That’s a tall glass of refreshment.
6. Hot Chocolate
It’s the ultimate in decadent drinks. Coffeehouse-style versions of this classic are packed with carbs. A typical medium hot chocolate made with low-fat milk has 60 grams. Good news: You can make your own satisfying mug for less than Continue reading