The Link Between Night Sweats And Diabetes
There are a number of reasons why a person with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes might experience low blood sugar at night that leads to sweating while sleeping. When we sleep, our bodies require less fuel so the liver produces less sugar. In people without diabetes, the pancreas responds by producing less insulin and everything stays in balance. For individuals with diabetes, the pancreas either doesnt produce enough insulin or produces no insulin at all, requiring individuals to inject insulin to control blood sugar levels. However, injecting too much insulin or changing the quantities or timing of meals can throw off blood sugar levels.
Low Blood Sugar Symptoms
When blood sugar drops to the mid 60s, the nervous system reacts in a number of ways. One of those reactions is sweating, either as traditional night sweats or cold sweats at night. Sweating can also be accompanied by trembling, hunger, weakness or fatigue and a sense of nervousness or anxiety. These symptoms are important to note as it is your bodys way of signaling you that you need to restore your blood sugar to a normal level.
Since nighttime hypoglycemia is relatively common in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and one of the most common side effects of hypoglycemia is sweating, its no wonder that night sweats and diabetes are often linked. Luckily there are some effective nights sweats treatments to help you avoid diabetic night sweats.
How Do You Treat Hypoglycemia
Treatment for hypoglycemia involves both the immediate steps needed to raise your blood sugar level in addition with the later treatment or medication dose adjustment to prevent recurrence.
To immediately raise your blood sugar level, Dr. Shah advocates the rule of 15eating 15 grams of carbohydrates and then checking your blood sugar level 15 minutes later. Fast-acting carbohydrates include:
- 4 glucose tablets
- 4 ounces of fruit juices
Keep repeating these steps every 15 minutes until your blood sugar reaches above 70 mg/dL, he explains. Once your level has stabilized, its important to then eat a snack or even a full meal to maintain that balance, Dr. Shah adds.
If your symptoms are more severe and/or a person is unable to swallow, you may need an injection of glucagon, he says.
To prevent episodes of hypoglycemia in the future, Dr. Shah says that treatment may involve the changing of prescribed regimens and dosages or adjusting your meal plans.
What Should I Do If This Happens
People and their partners or roommates should learn to recognize the signs of nighttime hypoglycemia. Be prepared! Ask your doctor for an emergency glucagon kit. This kit contains a fast-acting medication that can be injected if the person cant be woken up. Store the kit in a bedside drawer for easy access.
DO NOT PUT ANYTHING INTO A PERSON’S MOUTH IF THEY ARE ASLEEP OR CANNOT SIT UP.
-
If the person cannot be woken: If there is no emergency glucagon kit, call 911. If the person has a glucagon kit, the partner or roommate should follow the instructions to fill the syringe and inject the medicine. Once fully awake, he/she should eat a meal and check their blood glucose every few hours using a home test kit. After giving the injection, the persons doctor should be notified.
-
If the person can be woken up and sit without support: They should be given a fast-acting glucose source. Good options include hard candy, fruit juice or glucose paste or tablets, which can be purchased at most pharmacies. Once the person is fully awake, they should eat a meal and check their blood glucose every few hours using a home test kit.
You May Like: How Do You Treat Diabetic Retinopathy
Can Diabetes Cause Night Sweats
- Did you know that if you enjoy a glass of wine or beer before bed, you may be stopping your liver functioning to produce glucose overnight? If youve ever woken up in a cold sweat after a night out this is the cause!
- Exercising lots during the day can mean you use up your bodys stores of glucose if you dont replenish these before bed you could suffer from nocturnal hypoglycemia..
Alcohol Abuse Or Withdrawal
After a night of drinking, you would usually experience sweating during sleep. People consider this to be a good thing youre sweating the alcohol away so that in the morning you could be good as new. However, regular alcohol consumption can cause night sweats that are a more serious symptom.
Night sweats after alcohol consumption mean youre having alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Especially if youre a heavy drinker, these symptoms and night sweats can last for weeks and can be even more severe than just excessive nocturnal sweating. In such cases, it is important to drink enough water and try to eat food that is high in fiber and fat.
It is also important to mention that nocturnal sweating after alcohol consumption can be a sign of alcohol intolerance. This condition is caused by a genetic mutation that can prevent your body from dealing with the toxins from the alcohol.
Alcohol intolerance is also accompanied by nausea, vomiting, chills, facial redness, asthma-like symptoms, and runny/stuffy nose. In order to deal with alcohol intolerance, you need to make sure your room temperature is comfortable, even a bit cooler and that you get a shower to cool down before bed.
You May Like: Are Brussel Sprouts Good For Diabetics
What Night Sweats Are
Most people sweat during the night. If you regularly wake up with soaking wet sheets you should get it checked by a GP. It’s normal to sweat during the night if the room or your bedding is making you too hot. Night sweats are when you sweat so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you’re sleeping is cool. Adults and children can get night sweats. See a GP if you: have night sweats regularly that wake you up or you’re worried also have a very high temperature , a cough or diarrhoea have night sweats and you’re losing weight for no reason Treatment from your GP Often you won’t need treatment, but your GP will want to check if you have any other symptoms. If your GP thinks your medicine might be causing night sweats you could be prescribed a different one. Causes of night sweats The most common reasons for night sweats are: menopause symptoms anxiety medicines some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers low blood sugar alcohol or drug use a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time Sometimes the cause of night sweats is unknown. Next review due: 12/12/2020 Call 111 If you cant speak to your GP or dont know what to do next.Continue reading > >
Abnormal Sweating: A Sign Of Diabetes
Many diabetics quite often experience times when they sweat too much or too little. People in general sweat for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons are normal and some are not. While sweating is normal, excessive amounts of the same can be a sign of low blood sugar or a damaged nervous system in people with diabetes.
Sweat is a natural response to physical or emotional stress. But excessive sweating can often signal something is not right. Extremely low blood sugar triggers a fight-or-flight response, which leads to the release of hormones that increase sweating.
Prolonged high blood sugar levels can lead to loss of nerve function, also known as diabetic neuropathy. If nerves that control sweat glands are damaged, they may send the wrong message to sweat glands, or sometimes none. Such situations can cause either excessive sweating or no sweating at all.
Recommended Reading: Can Diabetics Get Teeth Implants
Does High Blood Sugar Cause Night Sweats
How High Blood Sugar Affects The Heart High blood sugar is also known as hyperglycemia. Left untreated, high blood sugar can be life threatening, leading to a diabetic coma. Watch for symptoms of high blood sugar so you can respond appropriately if you notice these signs of a pr. High Blood Sugar is a Four-Alarm Fire For Your Brain The link between diabetes and all formsWhat Number Is High Blood Sugar Blood sugar is an essential part so as to be healthy but remembering what a ordinary stage may be tough. Then, we are able to get into what blood sugar degrees to purpose for, the way to display your stages at home, and what to do in case your numbers are better than they have to be. Sometimes, high blood
Menopause: Two signs during the evening that you are going through the transition MENOPAUSE will come for all women in the later years of their lives. Could you already be experiencing the natural transition.
You may additionally have woken up inside the midnight with your sheets saturated in sweat and wonder, frequently with some anxiety, precisely what reasons it. Sweating at night is not unusual, but it can motive some.
Medical terminology can be a chunk complicated, even if the item in question is some thing very fundamental, like blood sugar. Youve likely heard someone to your existence talk approximately their blood sugar also referred to as blood glucose earlier than. In fact,
The Role Of Hypoglycemia In Sweating
Hypoglycemia is a condition of abnormally low blood sugar levels. A level lower than 70 mg/dL is considered hypoglycemic. Many medications especially insulin, can cause a dip in sugar levels. This happens more often when the dosage of medication is higher. When sugar levels dip too low, the body starts taking steps to raise levels. This leads to the release of a hormone called epinephrine. Adrenaline stimulates the release of glucagon from the liver. This hormone also makes tissues less sensitive to insulin to help keep glucose in circulation. Adrenaline can lead to varying side effects, including excessive or inappropriate sweating.
Some signs of hypoglycemia include:
- Anxiety
You May Like: Does Diabetes Cause Red Eyes
Keep Your Room Cool At Night
When night sweats become a problem, it can help to keep the room cooler and to run a fan. If you feel hot at night, sleeping with lighter or fewer blankets can also help. Cotton sheets tend to be more breathable. Managing your sleeping environment is an important part of countering bothersome nighttime sweating.
Use The Right Antiperspirant
Antiperspirants can often reduce the amount of sweating you experience to the point where it is no longer bothersome. However, itâs important to understand that they only mask the problem. If you believe your sweating is related to diabetes, itâs a good idea to speak to a healthcare provider. Antiperspirant is an effective solution for hyperhidrosis and night sweating, but is unlikely to help with gustatory or facial sweating.
You can start with one of the âclinical strengthâ products offered over the counter at the drugstore. If this doesnât help, speak to your doctor, who may be able to offer an alternative.
Recommended Reading: Cauliflower Pizza Crust For Diabetics
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 you’re 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.
Can Having Sweets At Night Increase The Blood Sugar Levels In The Morning
Also known as glucose, the blood sugar level is the most important source of energy in the body. It not being at its normal level can make you feel pretty terrible. Diabetes is a condition which is characterized by having high sugar levels in the blood. If not controlled, it can lead to some major health issues such as heart disease, kidney problem, a problem with eyes and blood vessels.
Recommended Reading: Desserts For Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes And Unusual Sweating Experience
Different things can cause unusual sweating in people with diabetes. Nerve damage caused by diabetic neuropathy can be one reason. Nerve damage occurs when high blood sugar levels are kept in that state for too long.
Additionally, this type of nerve damage can even happen to sweat glands. If this occurs, your nerves will send the wrong messages to your sweat glands. Consequently, you may sweat excessively or not at all.
Hypoglycemia, however, provides a different sweating experience. You still may sweat excessively. Or, you may sweat inappropriately.
With hypoglycemia, your blood sugar is too low. If that happens, your body responds in a variety of ways. Your body will respond by attempting to raise the levels back up.
One of the ways it does this is by releasing adrenaline into your system. This happens because adrenaline stimulates the liver to release glucagon. Glucagon is a form of glucose. Adrenaline may even decrease your tissues sensitivity to keep that glucose flowing.
Consequently, releasing that adrenaline into your body will have differing side effects. One of them is inappropriate or excessive sweating.
But what makes you sweat at night? That is actually a sign of hypoglycemia. According to the Mayo Clinic, hypoglycemia can also occur at night. Night sweats is one symptom of this. Others include nightmares and tiredness or irritability when you wake up.
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!“
Read Also: Foods Good For Kidney Disease And Diabetes
Warning Signs Of Low Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia can cause both short- and long-term complications. Know the signs so that you can treat the condition as soon as you’re aware of it.
As a person living with diabetes, you know how important it is to reduce blood sugar when it is too high, a phenomenon called hyperglycemia. But blood sugar that is too low, or hypoglycemia, is equally critical to avoid.
“Hypoglycemia happens when the amount of blood glucose drops to a level that’s too low to sustain normal functioning,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, who is based in Sparta, New Jersey. “In most people, this is defined as a blood sugar level at or below 70 milligrams per deciliter .”
Hypoglycemia is common among people with type 2 diabetes, according to a review published in June 2015 in the journal PLoS One. Individuals with the condition had an average of 19 mild or moderate episodes of hypoglycemia per year and nearly one severe episode per year on average, according to the researchers. Low blood sugar was particularly common among those taking insulin.
RELATED: What to Know Before You Use OTC Insulin
This decrease in blood sugar levels can cause both short-term complications, like confusion and dizziness, as well as more serious issues, including seizures, coma, and, rarely, death, according to the American Diabetes Association .
Hypoglycemia is usually the result of a too-high dose of insulin or a change in diet or exercise habits, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
/5how To Tell The Difference
The major difference between the two is that the Somogyi effect leads to hypoglycemia followed by hyperglycemia. One of the easiest ways to find out if the spike in the blood sugar level is due to the Somogyi effect is to check blood sugar levels at bedtime and after waking up. If the blood sugar level is low at night then it is due to the Somogyi effect. In case it is normal or high it can be due to the dawn phenomenon. Another point to keep in mind is that the Somogyi effect can occur any time of the day when your body has a high blood sugar level.
Read Also: How To Test For Diabetes Without Taking Blood
A Low Blood Sugar Level Without Diabetes
A low blood sugar level is uncommon in people who do not have diabetes.
Possible causes include:
- a gastric bypass
- other medical conditions, such as problems with your hormone levels, pancreas, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands or heart
- some medicines, including quinine
See a GP if you think you keep getting symptoms of a low blood sugar level. They can arrange some simple tests to check if your blood sugar level is low and try to find out what’s causing it.
How Can Diabetes Cause Sweating
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, meaning it affects the way the body manages its energy. Diabetes impacts a number of hormones which can affect many systems in the body. The changes caused by diabetes can impact thermoregulation, which is the process by which the body maintains the correct temperature in hot or cold environments.
Sweating is one of the ways the body maintains the correct temperature in hot environments. As the sweat evaporates, it takes some of the bodyâs excess heat with it, cooling the skin.
There are two main mechanisms for how diabetes can cause problems with sweating. They both ultimately have to do with the blood sugar, also known as blood glucose. Blood glucose must be carefully regulated to the right level. Too much, and you have high blood sugar. Too little, and you have low blood sugar. In people who donât have diabetes, this balancing act takes place naturally. But for folks with diabetes, this process can tend to go awry, causing high or low blood sugar.â
Read Also: Whisky Or Brandy Which Is Good For Diabetes