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Type 2 Diabetes Low Sugar Symptoms

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Signs & Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes

Keeping blood glucose levels in a healthy range can be challenging.

When the amount of sugar in your blood has dropped below your target range , it is called low blood sugar .

If your blood sugar has dropped, you may feel:

  • shaky, light-headed, nauseated
  • numbness or tingling on your tongue or lips

Symptoms of very low blood sugar are more severe and can make you:

  • confused and disoriented
  • lose consciousness

Make sure you always wear your MedicAlert® identification and talk to your doctor or diabetes educator about prevention and emergency treatment for severe low blood sugar.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar During Pregnancy

As sugar is the source of energy for many of the bodys metabolic processes, low blood sugar will cause several symptoms to manifest. Some of them include:

  • Weakness, tiredness, and fatigue can make you exhausted and cranky.
  • It becomes harder to think with clarity.
  • The body begins to sweat and shake uncontrollably often.
  • You might experience irregularity or an increase in your heart rate.
  • Your vision might become blurry and unclear.
  • Tired even after a good nights sleep
  • Difficulty in waking up in the morning

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Hypoglycemia Tests And Diagnosis

To diagnose nondiabetic hypoglycemia, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about any medicines you take. Theyâll want to know all about your health and any history of diseases or stomach surgery.

Theyâll check your blood glucose level, especially when you are having symptoms. Theyâll also check to see if you feel better when your sugar goes back to a normal level.

If your doctor suspects hypoglycemia, you may have to fast until you start to have symptoms. Theyâll test your blood glucose level at different times throughout the fast.

To check for reactive hypoglycemia, you may have to take a test called a mixed-meal tolerance test . For this, you take a special drink that raises your blood glucose. The doctor will check your blood glucose levels over the next few hours.

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Best Ways To Lower Blood Sugar Quickly

When treated early, you can bring high blood sugar levels down and prevent complications, including DKA.

Some sources suggest that drinking water or eating a high protein snack can quickly lower your blood sugar levels, though there isnt enough research to support this.

If you have high blood sugar and need to lower it fast, try the following methods:

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What Are Treatments For Type 2 Diabetes

What are the Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?

Unless its absolutely necessary, insulin should not be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Dr. Bergquist explains, Injecting insulin improves blood sugar but worsens underlying insulin resistance. Insulin is a fat-storage hormone. Higher insulin leads to more fat storage in organs where its toxic, making them more insulin resistant.

Insulin should only be used when the pancreas fails and the B cells cannot be regenerated, says Dr. Apovian. When type 2 diabetes is caught early enough, you can reverse it with lifestyle, medication, and bariatric surgery. In certain cases, when a person is severely overweight, bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for type 2 diabetes, because it effectively decreases a persons body weight set point and can reverse hormonal imbalances that underlie obesity and fuel type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, new type 2 diabetes medications have been approved by the FDA, including a class of drugs known as glucagon-like-peptides , which aid the pancreas in producing more insulin by decreasing glucose production in the liver. Researchers are also working to understand the role that inflammation and hormonal imbalances have in the development of T2D.

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Tips To Avoid Infection

The best way to avoid getting sick is to get vaccinated, or stay home as much as you can. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, people with diabetes have the right to reasonable accommodations at work. That includes the right to work from home or take sick leave when you need it.

If you have to go out, keep at least 6 feet away from other people, and wear a face mask if you are unvaccinated. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often while youâre out and when you get home.

Also wash your hands before you give yourself a finger stick or insulin shot. Clean each site first with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.

To protect you, everyone in your house should wash their hands often, especially before they cook for the family. Dont share any utensils or other personal items. And if anyone in your house is sick, they should stay in their own room, as far as possible from you. They should wear a cloth face mask when you have to be in the same room.

What Is Low Blood Sugar Or Hypoglycemia During Pregnancy

Our body requires energy to function. The food we eat is converted to glucose, which is a type of sugar. This glucose that enters the bloodstream is converted into energy by a hormone called Insulin. The cells in our body use this energy to function.

Sometimes, it happens that there is not enough sugar available in the blood to be processed by the insulin hormone present in the body. When there is a scarcity of blood sugar, insulin cant convert it to energy. Now when our cells are not getting enough energy to function properly, it can lead to complications. This condition in which blood sugar level is lower than normal for the body to function properly is called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Normal blood sugar range while fasting is between 70-100mg/dl for pregnant women. So a blood sugar level below 70mg/dl is considered low blood sugar during pregnancy.

How common is Hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is more common in pregnant women and hence should not be ignored. At any time, a pregnant woman may experience low blood sugar, which has to be treated right away.

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How To Recognize Hypoglycemia

The first signs of hypoglycemia include feeling sweaty, shaky, and hungry. However, not everyone has these symptoms or notices them in time to prevent low blood sugar from getting worse. Its also important to know that your symptoms of hypoglycemia will change the longer you have T1D.

As hypoglycemia gets worse, symptoms can include:

  • Having difficulty walking or seeing clearly
  • Acting strange or getting disoriented
  • Having seizures

Severe hypoglycemia may make you faint or pass out. This is dangerous if you are driving, climbing stairs, or doing other activities where you need to stay aware of things around you.

Hypoglycemia can happen at night. If it does, you are likely to wake up, but its important not to rely on your body to wake you up. A continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, can alert you and those around you with an alarm to let you know if your blood sugar starts getting low while you are sleeping.

Its a good idea to check your blood sugar often when lows are likely, such as in hot weather or when you travel. Your CGM can also let you know when your blood sugar is getting lower.

Watch out for hypoglycemia unawareness.

You might not have early warning signs of low blood sugar. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness, and it raises the risk of having severe lows. It is more likely if:

  • You have had diabetes longer than 5 or 10 years
  • You have frequent episodes of hypoglycemia
  • You take certain medicines, such as beta blockers for high blood pressure

Most Of The Time You Can Prevent Hypoglycemia By:

Type 2 Diabetes Signs & Symptoms (& Why They Occur) & Associated Conditions
  • Monitoring your blood sugar often
  • Staying alert for the first symptoms
  • Keeping some sugar or sweet handy

Despite all the safety planning, you still may get a low blood sugar when you are treated with insulin releasing pills or insulin. So always wear your medical alert identification. And if you are taking insulin, have family members or friends trained to use a Glucagon Emergency kit.

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If A Person Is Unconscious

If a person loses consciousness because of severe hypoglycaemia, they need to be put into the recovery position and given an injection of the hormone glucagon . The injection will raise their blood glucose level.

The injection should be carried out by a friend or family member who knows what theyre doing, or by a trained healthcare professional.

You should dial 999 to request an ambulance if:

  • a glucagon injection kit isnt available
  • theres nobody available whos trained to give the injection
  • the injection is ineffective after 10 minutes

Never try to put food or drink into the mouth of someone whos unconscious as they could choke.

If youre able to give a glucagon injection and the person regains consciousness, they should eat some longer-acting carbohydrate food, such as a few biscuits, a cereal bar or a sandwich.

You should continue to monitor the person for signs of recurring symptoms in case they need to be treated again.

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 whats causing it.

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Whats The Link Between Diabetes And Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is most common, by far, in people with diabetes. Treatment for the diseaseoften involves taking medication to increase insulin. Hypoglycemia can develop if things like food, exercise and diabetes medications are out of balance.

Common pitfalls for people with diabetes include:

  • Being more active than usual.
  • Drinking alcohol without eating.
  • Eating late or skipping meals.
  • Not balancing meals by including fat, protein and fiber.
  • Not eating enough carbohydrates.
  • Not timing insulin and carb intake correctly .

Also, if someone with diabetes uses the wrong insulin, takes too much or injects it incorrectly, that can cause hypoglycemia.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes

how to lower sugar levels at nighthow to lower sugar levels at nightDo ...

Decreasing insulin production leads to an accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream. This condition worsens gradually over time. In the end, it develops into type 2 diabetes. It is also a root cause of certain nervous and circulatory system diseases.

This condition can be caused by several factors, such as:

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Symptoms Of Low Hypoglycemia Levels

Having low hypoglycemia levels affects everyone differently. It is common to have symptoms of low blood sugar when your level falls below 70 mg/dL. Your body reacts by releasing the stress hormone adrenaline . The hormone promotes a “fight-or-flight” response that increases your blood circulation, heart rate, and breathing to prepare your body for danger.

Knowing how your body reacts to hypoglycemic effects can help you identify and treat the problem before it worsens.

Symptoms of low hypoglycemia levels happen quickly. Signs of low blood sugar in adults include the following reactions that can get worse as your levels continue to fall:

  • Shaky or jittery feeling

When blood sugar levels fall and stay low for several hours while you are asleep, symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:

  • Nightmares or crying out
  • Extreme sweating, causing damp pajamas or bedding
  • Awakening with feelings of tiredness, irritability, or confusion

It’s important to note that if you have hypoglycemia frequently enough, you may no longer have symptoms. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness and it is a very dangerous condition.

Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes

Itâs important to get your blood sugar under control to avoid these serious conditions:

  • Hypoglycemia. If your blood sugar falls below 70 milligrams per deciliter , it can lead to accidents, coma, and death.
  • Hyperglycemia. Blood sugar that goes above 180 to 200 mg/dL can give you heart, nerve, kidney, and vision problems. Over the long term, it also can cause coma and death.

Over time, people with type 2 diabetes may have other health problems:

  • Diabetic ketoacidosis. When you donât have enough insulin in your system, your blood sugar rises, and your body breaks down fat for energy. Toxic acids called ketones build up and spill into your urine. It can cause coma and death if you donât treat it.
  • Heartand blood vessel diseases. People with diabetes are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which play a role in heart disease. Also, high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart.
  • High blood pressure. Diabetes doubles your risk of high blood pressure, which makes you more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
  • Nerve damage . This can cause tingling and numbness, most often in your feet and legs. But it can also affect your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart.
  • Eyedamage. Diabetes can cause:
  • Glaucoma, a buildup of pressure in your eyes
  • Cataracts, a cloudiness of your lens
  • Retinopathy, which is damage to the blood vessels in your eyes

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Type 2 Diabetes In Children

Type 2 was once called adult-onset diabetes because it was rare in children and teens. But it has become more common since the mid-1990s, in large part because more young people are overweight or obese, a risk factor for the disease.

Children are also at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if they donât get enough exercise or if they have a close relative with the condition. African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Asian American, and Pacific Islander children are more likely to get it.

Time In Range Goals Stay Out Of The Highs And The Lows

Symptoms of low blood glucose and how to spot it

Effective diabetes management is an attempt to stay in the target glucose range. This means that you should aim to spend as much time as possible with your glucose level between 70 to 180 mg/dL The amount of time you spend in this target zone is called your Time in Range and is measured by a continuous glucose monitor , though you can also measure TIR using your blood glucose meter. When glucose level exceeds 180 mg/dL, this is referred to as Time Above Range . If your glucose level goes below 70 mg/dL, this is Time Below Range .

For most people with diabetes, these are the recommended TIR goals :

  • At least 70% of the day in range this is almost 17 hours a day

  • Less than 4% of the day below range this is 1 hour a day

  • Less than 1% of the Time Below Range less than 54 mg/dL or 3.0 mmol/L this is 15 minutes a day

  • Minimize the time each day above range to less than 25% – this is 6 hours a day

  • Less than 5% of the Time Above Range above 250 mg/dL or 13.9 mmol/L this is 1 hour 15 minutes

  • These are general recommendations, however, you should strive for even more TIR and less Time Above and Below Range if possible.

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    Preventing Low Blood Sugar Levels

    Here are some other tips to help you avoid low blood sugar levels:

    • Eat all your meals and snacks on time and try not to skip any.
    • Take the right amount of insulin.
    • If you exercise longer or harder than usual, have an extra snack.
    • Dont take a hot bath or shower right after an insulin shot.
    • Stick to your diabetes management plan.
    • Check your blood sugar levels regularly, so you can tell if your blood sugars are running too low and your treatment plan needs adjustment.
    • Carry something containing sugar with you at all times and take it right away if you have symptoms. Dont wait to see if the symptoms will go away they may get worse!

    Alcohol and drugs can cause major problems with your blood sugar levels, so avoiding them is another way to prevent diabetes problems. Drinking can be particularly dangerous even deadly for people with diabetes because it messes up the bodys ability to keep blood glucose in a normal range. This can cause a very rapid drop in blood glucose in people with diabetes. Drug or alcohol use is also dangerous because it may affect someones ability to sense low blood sugar levels.

    Learning how to recognize the signs of low blood sugar levels and get them back to normal is an important part of caring for diabetes. Keeping track of your blood sugar levels and recording lows when they occur will help you and your diabetes health care team keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

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    When To Call The Doctor

    If signs of low blood sugar do not improve after you have eaten a snack that contains sugar, have someone drive you to the emergency room or call 911 or the local emergency number. Do not drive when your blood sugar is low.

    Get medical help right away for a person with low blood sugar if the person is not alert or cannot be woken up as this is a medical emergency.

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    Preventing Hypoglycemia When Pregnant

    Preventing hypoglycemia is important for your health. But theres good news: Even if you do experience hypoglycemia during your pregnancy, your baby will be fine. No evidence suggests hypoglycemia affects the baby,Elizabeth Halprin, MD, clinical director of adult diabetes at Harvards Joslin Diabetes Center, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

    The best way to prevent low blood sugar is to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. According to the Joslin Diabetes Centers Guideline for Detection and Management of Diabetes In Pregnancy, pregnant women with diabetes should eat small, frequent meals throughout the day, typically three meals and two to four snacks. Eating small, well-balanced meals provides a steady release of glucose throughout the day.

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    Never skip a meal: Taking blood sugar-lowering medications without consuming enough food can result in low blood sugar.

    Make sure you monitor your blood sugar during and after exercise, too. Physical activity is especially important for pregnant women with diabetes: Exercise helps the body use insulin more efficiently, which lowers blood sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic. But too much exercise without proper food intake can also result in hypoglycemia.

    Talk to Your Doctor

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