Signs That May Indicate You Are At Risk For Diabetes
**This article is a repost of an earlier written article. We are reposting because we believe the information is valuable and pertinent to many.**
According to the CDC, over 9% of Americans are living with diabetes. This illness is becoming increasingly common, with 1.5 million Americans being diagnosed with diabetes every year.
There are some serious complications that can come with having high blood sugar such as heart failure and stroke. However, diabetes can be managed with prescription medication, diet, and exercise to help you live a normal, healthy life.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or other signs of angina
- Loss of consciousness
- Sores or infections on your feet
- Frequent feelings of depression or anxiety
- Symptoms that your blood sugar is getting too low
- Symptoms that your blood sugar is too high
- Blood sugar readings that are below 70 mg/dL
You can treat early signs of hypoglycemia at home by drinking orange juice, eating sugar or candy, or by taking glucose tablets. If signs of hypoglycemia continue or your blood glucose level stays below 60 mg/dL , go to the emergency room.
How To Treat Low Blood Sugar
If you think you have low blood sugar, be sure to check it.
Keeping your blood sugar levels on target as much as possible can help prevent or delay long-term, serious health problems. While this is important, closely managing your blood sugar levels also increases your chance for low blood sugar . Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low. If you think you have low blood sugar, check it. If you arent able to check it, go ahead and treat it.
Untreated low blood sugar can be dangerous, so its important to know what to do about it and to treat it immediately.
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Treating Severely Low Blood Sugar
Blood sugar below 55 mg/dL is considered severely low. You wont be able to treat it using the 15-15 rule. You also may not be able to check your own blood sugar or treat it by yourself, depending on your symptoms. Make sure your family members, friends, and caregivers know your signs of low blood sugar so they can help treat it if needed.
Injectable glucagon is the best way to treat severely low blood sugar. A glucagon kit is available by prescription. Speak with your doctor to see if you should have a kit. Be sure to learn how and when to use it. Let family members and others close to you know where you keep the glucagon kit and make sure theyve been trained in how to use it too.
Its important to contact a doctor for emergency medical treatment immediately after receiving a glucagon injection. If a person faints due to severely low blood sugar, theyll usually wake up within 15 minutes after a glucagon injection. If they dont wake up within 15 minutes after the injection, they should receive one more dose. When the person is awake and able to swallow:
- Feed the person a fast-acting source of sugar .
- Then, have them eat a long-acting source of sugar .
Its also important that friends, family, co-workers, teachers, coaches, and other people you may be around often know how to test your blood sugar and treat severely low blood sugar before it happens.
If any of the following happens, your friend, relative, or helper should call 911:
What Is High Blood Sugar
Elevated blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia. Blood sugar levels are measured using a small sample of blood that is tested in a lab. Blood sugar can also be tested using at home devices such as a handheld glucometer. Levels that indicate hyperglycemia are indicative of prediabetes and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Normal ranges of blood sugar will vary depending on the test being done. In general, a normal fasting glucose level will be between 70-100 mg/dL. After a meal, these levels are expected to rise slightly around 1 to 2 hours after the beginning of a meal, but should be less than 180 ml/dL.
Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is important not only for metabolic health, but heart health too. Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are also more likely to have other conditions that raise the risk for heart disease:
- High blood pressure increases the force of blood through your arteries and can damage artery walls. Having both high blood pressure and diabetes can greatly increase your risk for heart disease.
- Too much LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream can form plaque on damaged artery walls.
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What High Blood Sugar Feels Like
The symptoms can include:
- Breath that smells like fruit
These are symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis . Your body burns glucose for energy. When your cells donât get enough of it, they burn fat. That produces chemicals called ketones. When these build up, your blood becomes more acid-like. This can be life-threatening if itâs not treated.
Signs Your Blood Sugar Is Too High
Did you know that too high blood sugar can lead to serious health problems? If you suffer from diabetes, then your blood sugar levels might be too high.
If youâre worried that yours is and donât know where to start, this blog post will delve into some of the early signs and symptoms of high blood sugar and offer tips on lowering your blood sugar if needed.
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A Blood Sugar In The 300s Is Dangerously High And All Diabetics Need To Recognize When Its Time To Rush To The Emergency Room When Their Glucose Levels Soar Into An Unacceptable Range
Normal non-fasting blood sugars are acceptable below 150, preferably 80-120, says Yvette McQueen, MD, emergency medicine physician and CEO of MedQueen LLC, through which she offers travel medicine, urgent care and nutritional consultations via telemedicine to individuals, executives and travel groups.
Long-time diabetes or hard to control diabetes may have blood sugars in the 300s, continues Dr. McQueen. They will manage it at home with medications, and the blood sugar will reduce.
When a Blood Sugar in the 300s Means a Trip to the ER
Dr. McQueen explains that when blood sugars are in the 300s and they have symptoms , they should definitely come to the emergency department.
Two Types of Diabetes 300sType 1. The pancreas does not produce, or does not produce enough, of the hormone insulin.
Type 2. The pancreas secretes enough insulin, but the insulin receptor sites on cells are impaired.
Shutterstock/Maya Kruchankova
Type 1 diabetics can easily bring their blood sugars down with insulin, says Dr. McQueen.
So people who have hard to control sugars will wear an insulin pump that steadily gives the body insulin.
Type 2 diabetics glucose can be reduced by pills or insulin injections usually the glucose input into their body will cause it to spike. Exercise as well will bring down the glucose. 300s
The concern for high blood sugars is the bodys reactions, continues Dr. McQueen. The body is a fine-tuned machine and likes to have levels steady.
How Does High Blood Sugar Affect The Body
High sugar in the blood can lead to several other symptoms and complications. They include:
- Urination and thirst: High blood sugar goes into the kidneys and urine. This attracts more water, causing frequent urination. This can also lead to increased thirst, even if someone drinks liquids.
- Weight loss: High blood sugar can cause sudden or unexplained weight loss. This occurs because the bodys cells are not getting the glucose they need, so the body burns muscle and fat for energy instead.
- Numbness and tingling: High blood sugar numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands, legs, and feet. This is due to diabetic neuropathy, a complication of diabetes that often occurs after many years of high blood sugar levels.
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How Are High Blood Sugar Levels Treated
Treating high blood sugar levels involves fixing what caused them in the first place. Your diabetes health care team will give you specific advice on how to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. But here are some ways to manage the common causes of high blood sugar levels:
| Reason for High Blood Sugar Level | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Not getting enough insulin or other diabetes medicine |
|
| Not following the meal plan |
|
| Not getting enough exercise |
|
| Illness or stress |
|
| Use of other medicines that can increase blood sugar |
|
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Avoiding High Blood Sugar And Dka
No matter how well they take care of themselves, people with diabetes will sometimes have high blood sugar levels. But the best way to avoid problems is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to your desired range as possible, which means following your diabetes management plan. Checking your blood sugar levels several times a day will let you know when your blood sugar level is high. Then you can treat it and help prevent DKA from happening.
High blood sugar levels don’t always cause symptoms, and a person who isn’t testing regularly might be having blood sugar levels high enough to damage the body without even realizing it. Doctors may use the HbA1c test to find out if someone has been having high blood sugar levels over time, even if the person has not had obvious symptoms.
Here are some other tips for avoiding high blood sugar levels and preventing DKA:
- Try to eat all your meals and snacks on time and not skip any.
- Take the right amount of insulin.
- Check your blood sugar levels regularly and your ketone levels when your diabetes management plan recommends it.
- Stick to your diabetes management plan.
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What Are Clinical Trials For Diabetes Heart Disease And Stroke
Clinical trialsand other types of clinical studiesare part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.
Researchers are studying many aspects of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, such as
- risk factors for heart disease and stroke in specific populations, such as Black Americans with diabetes
- improved imaging techniques and tests to help diagnose and treat conditions that lead to heart attacks and stroke
- the role of genetics in diabetes, heart disease, and stroke
Risk Factors For High Blood Sugar
Doctors do not know what exactly causes diabetes. However, some factors may increase the risk, including the below.
Type 1 diabetes
Researchers believe certain genetic or environmental factors may make people more likely to get type 1 diabetes.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes certain genes play a role and that other factors such as viruses and infections may have an impact.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation states that there is nothing a person can do to prevent type 1 diabetes. Eating, exercising, or other lifestyle choices will not change the outcome.
Type 1 diabetes usually begins during childhood or early adulthood, but it can happen at any age.
Type 2 diabetes
People who have high blood sugar should discuss their target levels with a doctor.
They may need regular testing to keep these within a healthy range. Each person is different, and levels can vary between individuals.
To find out their blood sugar levels, a person may need to fast for 8 hours, 2 hours after a meal, or at both times.
Some people may also take a glucose tolerance test, where they drink a sugary liquid and have a blood test after.
The American Diabetes Association recommends a premeal blood sugar level of 80130 mg/dl. Around 1 to 2 hours after beginning a meal, their blood sugar should be less than 180 mg/dl.
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Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease includes blood vessel disease, heart attack and stroke. Its the leading cause of death in Australia.
The risk of cardiovascular disease is greater for people with diabetes, who often have increased cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Smoking, having a family history of cardiovascular disease and being inactive also increase your risk.To reduce your risk and pick up any problems early:
- Have your blood pressure checked at least every six months, or more often if you have high blood pressure or are taking medication to lower your blood pressure.
- Have your HbA1c checked at least every year, or three- to six-monthly if recommended.
- Have your cholesterol checked at least every year. Further pathology tests such as an electrocardiogram or exercise stress test may also be recommended by your doctor.
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Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar
Learning to recognize the symptoms of hyperglycemia can help you successfully manage your diabetes.
Some people with diabetes immediately feel the symptoms of high blood sugar. Others dont because their symptoms are mild or vague.
Symptoms of hyperglycemia typically begin when your blood glucose goes above per deciliter . Symptoms can worsen the longer its untreated.
Symptoms of a blood sugar spike may include:
- frequent urination
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How Do You Lower The Acid In Your Blood
Use the following tips to decrease acidity in your body, reduce risk of diseases and optimize health.
Will citric acid raise your blood sugar?
Since the administration of citric acid did not affect blood glucose or HbA1c concentrations, but did decrease lens AGEs and plasma ketone bodies, we examined the effects of citrate on formation of CEL and CML in vitro.
Does citric acid affect blood sugar?
Which fruit has the most citric acid?
Citric Acid It is found in all citrus fruits and some other foods. Lemons and limes have the highest citric acid content of the citrus fruits.
What vegetables have citric acid?
What are some fruits and vegetables that contain citric acid? Citric acid occurs naturally in lemons, limes, pineapples, grapefruits, berries , tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, and some varieties of peppers.
Where Does Most Citric Acid Come From
Citric acid is mainly produced by fungal fermentation. Chemical synthesis of citric acid is possible, but it is expensive than fungal fermentation. However, a small amount of citric acid is still produced from citrus fruits in Mexico and South America where they are available economically.
Is citric acid good for your liver?
Citric acid is likely to prevent liver damage via an antioxidant action limiting excessive generation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen metabolites. Stimulation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and improvement in tissue acidosis could also have a role in the protective effect of citric acid against experimental liver injury.
What causes too much acid in the body?
Metabolic acidosis is a buildup of acid in the body that originates in the kidneys. It occurs when your body cant get rid of excess acid or loses too much base. Specific causes include : having too little sodium bicarbonate in your blood, a potential complication of severe vomiting or diarrhea.
Does citric acid affect insulin?
Relief of Insulin Hypoglycemia by Citric Acid-It is generally agreed that only those substances which, on enzymatic hydrolysis by the tissues or act,ion by the liver, yield glucose are capable of overcoming insulin hypoglycemia.
What organisms produce citric acid?
Although citric acid is produced by different types of microorganism, the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is a workhorse for the production of citric acid.
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Natural Treatment For High Blood Pressure
Preventing high blood pressure is key, however, there are natural treatment options available that could help to reduce your blood pressure.
Managing stress with meditation or deep-breathing exercises Quit smoking Eating more food rich in calcium and magnesium
Eating foods rich in potassium can help
In Addition to the options listed above, there are several natural supplements that may also help to lower blood pressure or prevent it from elevating, to begin with.
Berberine
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar Levels
Signs of high blood sugar levels include:
- Peeing a lot: The kidneys respond by flushing out the extra glucose in urine. People with high blood sugar need to pee more often and in larger amounts.
- Drinking a lot: Someone losing so much fluid from peeing that often can get very thirsty.
- Losing weight even though your appetite has stayed the same: If there isn’t enough insulin to help the body use glucose, the body breaks down muscle and stored fat instead in an attempt to provide fuel to hungry cells.
- Feeling tired: Because the body can’t use glucose for energy properly, a person may feel unusually tired.
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