Friday, April 19, 2024
HomeExclusiveCan High Blood Sugar Make You Dizzy

Can High Blood Sugar Make You Dizzy


What Can I Do To Fix This And Get Healthy Again

Why Can Eating Too Much Sugar Make You Dizzy?

With some minor life-style changes, you can see and feel big improvements quickly. Here are some things you should focus on:

  • Lose Unwanted FatThis may not be fun, but its very important and its the first step in keeping your glucose in check.
  • Eat Better Natural FoodsThis means lower glycemic foods, less carbohydrates, healthy proteins and fats. It also means to stay AWAY from processed, man-made foods. Also, make sure you eat often smaller meals throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar and have lots of fiber as well.
  • Exercise Daily Aerobic & AnaerobicExercise utilizes the carbohydrates you eat, so it keeps your blood sugar stable. Having more muscle also improves insulin sensitivity, which means less insulin is needed.
  • Proper SupplementationThere are specific natural herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help stabilize your blood sugar, while also improving insulin sensitivity.

Simply making some small adjustments in each of these categories will mean fast results for you. Which means more energy, less body fat, better cognition and youâll simply look and feel YOUNGER!

What Complications Can Be Caused By Hypoglycemia

Passing out from low blood sugar because you have not recognized the early signs and symptoms is called hypoglycemia unawareness, and can be quite dangerous depending on where you are, explains Dr. Klonoff. As doctors are required to report such incidents to the Department of Motor Vehicles, it can also mean a suspended drivers license.

If this is something youre worried about, Wearing a continuous glucose monitor with an alarm for hypoglycemia can alert a person who is prone to developing low blood sugar levels that their blood glucose concentration is becoming dangerously low, so appropriate preventive action can be taken before they lose consciousness, explains Dr. Klonoff.


How To Check Your Blood Sugar Levels

As Dr. Emanuele says, glucose monitoring can be an important tool to help you get your blood sugar under control. Typically, you would do it yourself using a glucose meter or glucometer, which analyzes a drop of blood that you draw by sticking your finger with a lancet and placing the blood on a disposable test strip that you insert into the meter. Your blood sugar goals are set by you and your doctor, but blood glucose for an adult without diabetes is below 100 mg/dl before meals and at fasting and less than 140 mg/dl two hours after a meal, notes the ADA.

Some people will check their blood sugar daily or multiple times a day, sometimes using a continuous monitor that is worn on the body particularly those who have type 1 diabetes or who have type 2 but take insulin. Yet how frequently a person should monitor their blood sugar is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to whether theyre on insulin, whether they’re taking oral medication, and how well their blood sugar is controlled and how old they are.

Meanwhile, keep an eye out for these nine key warning signs and symptoms that blood sugar is too high and talk to your doctor about whether you need to adjust your management plan.

Also Check: How Many Hours After A Meal Should A Diabetic Train

Diet Tips For People With Vertigo

After discussing foods that can cause vertigo lets discuss diet tips for people with vertigo. An individual suffering from vertigo requires a diet, which is rich in iron and low in cholesterol and sodium. Few tips to help individuals suffering from vertigo are as follows:


  • Eat more fish as part of your diet.
  • Consume magnesium rich foods such as nuts, beans, leafy green vegetables and seeds.
  • Eat whole grain products instead of white bread.
  • Drink vegetable juice rather than consuming carbonated or sugary drinks.
  • Consume foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as niacin, potassium and B complex.
  • Avoid foods containing high amounts of trans fats.
  • Vertigo can also result due to anemia. Hence, include fresh vegetables and meat that have high iron content in your diet.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Avoid caffeinated beverages as it causes dehydration and triggers migraine and vertigo.
  • Avoid consuming foods containing tyramine such as non-processed cheeses, cured meat and dry sausages.
  • In case you develop nausea, consume alkaline foods including nuts, vegetables and fruits. They will help in maintaining the acid-alkaline balance in your body.

A Low Blood Sugar Level Without Diabetes

High Blood Sugar and Dizziness in the Morning

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.

Recommended Reading: Which Pancreatic Cells Release Insulin And Glucagon

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!

Reasons Why Dizziness Happens With Diabetes

There are several reasons why you might experience dizziness with diabetes.

  • Low blood sugar levels. Also called hypoglycemia, a drop in blood sugar below 70 mg/dL causes brain cells to malfunction, leading to possible dizzy spells.
  • High blood sugar levels. Also called hypoglycemia, elevated blood sugar levels over 180 mg/dL can also lead to dehydration and dizziness.
  • Low blood pressure. Low blood pressure can occur with diabetes. The force with which the heart pumps blood to the brain can become weak. This can be more risky when standing up quickly.
  • High blood pressure. High blood pressure can occasionally come with feelings of nausea, headache, and dizziness.
  • Postural hypotension. This happens when blood pressure drops after standing up suddenly after sitting or lying down for a long period of time. Postural hypotension is fairly common in older adults, however it is something to watch for as it can lead to fainting and injury.
  • Diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy is a common symptom of diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar levels cause damage to the nerves which leads to tingling and pain. Another factor of nerve damage is gastroparesis, in which it takes longer for the stomach to digest food. Complications of diabetic nerve damage include pain in hands and feet, erectile dysfunction, UTIs, bowel issues, and eye and heart problems.
  • Don’t Miss: Does Type 2 Diabetes Need Insulin

    How Do You Treat Hypoglycemia

    Low blood sugar levels happen when theres too little glucose left in the bloodstream to continue supplying fuel to your organs, muscles, and tissues. It most often occurs when you dont eat enough food, especially carb-containing foods, given your blood-sugar-lowering medications and physical activity levels, ONeill says. Levels can decrease gradually or suddenly.

    When the amount of glucose in the bloodstream drops to too-low levels, the body reacts by releasing epinephrine, also called adrenaline or the fight or flight hormone. Epinephrine revs your heart rate and can cause sweating, shaking, anxiety, and irritability. If not enough glucose is able to reach the brain, the result may be difficulty concentrating, confused thinking, and slurred speech. In extreme cases, a lack of glucose within the brain can lead to seizures, coma, and even death, she says.


    People with low glucose levels can use the ADAs 15-15 Rule, which advises people consume 15 g of carbs, wait 15 minutes, and check their levels again. If the number is still low, repeat until reaching at least 70 mg/dL.

    You can find 15 g of carbs in:

    • 1 slice of bread
    • 1 small piece of fresh fruit
    • cup of yogurt
    • Three to four hard candies
    • Glucose tablets as indicated on the label
    • Glucose gel as indicated on the label

    Once your glucose levels are back to normal, the ADA suggests going ahead and eating your next scheduled meal or snack, which will help prevent levels from dropping again.

    Treating Low Blood Sugar Levels

    Can High Blood Sugar Cause Dizziness?

    The diabetes health care team will give you clear guidelines about how to treat hypoglycemia, depending on the severity of the symptoms.

    If it’s convenient, test the blood sugar levels before treating your child to confirm that the symptoms are due to hypoglycemia. If blood sugar can’t be checked immediately, don’t delay treating your child’s symptoms you can always do a test after getting the blood sugar back into the normal range.


    When blood sugar levels are low, the goal is to get them back up quickly. To do that, give your child sugar or sugary foods that raise the blood glucose level quickly. In general, treatment for hypoglycemia involves:

    • having your child eat or drink a form of glucose that works fast, like regular soda, orange juice, or cake frostingor having your child take special tablets or gels that contain glucose. Generally, symptoms will stop about 10 minutes after your child takes sugar.
    • rechecking your child’s blood sugar to make sure that the level is no longer low and giving your child food to help prevent the blood sugar from dropping again
    • giving glucagon , if symptoms are severe or get worse after your child is given sugar by mouth

    For more severe cases of hypoglycemia in which seizures or loss of consciousness happen, giving sugar by mouth may be very difficult or even dangerous. In that case, a glucagon injection should be given.

    When possible, adult family members and your child’s caregivers and school staff should know:

    page 3

    Don’t Miss: What Diabetic Supplies Are Covered By Medicaid

    What If Im Experiencing Hypoglycemic Episodes Even Though My Doctor Has Confirmed That Im Not Diabetic Or Prediabetic

    If you have low blood sugar and dont have diabetes or prediabetes, it can be a sign of another serious health issue such as a tumor, hormone deficiency, kidney disorder, anorexia, or other eating disorder, all of which can cause dangerously low blood sugar.


    Anorexia has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder, and the cause of death can be hypoglycemia, so take your illness seriously and seek help if you suspect your eating disorder may be progressing to the point where it is causing you to faint or experience other signs and symptoms of dangerously low blood sugar. The National Eating Disorders Association has resources on how to identify the signs that you may have an eating disorder, a hotline for help, as well as easily accessible information on everything from how to know when you need help to how to find quality treatment options in your zip code.

    People who are not diabetic don’t spontaneously have hypoglycemia for no reason, explains Dr. Christofides. Its often an indication of another underlying issue, such as a hormone deficiency or eating disorder, so its important to schedule an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause in order to prevent complications.

    Common causes of hypoglycemia in people without diabetes include:

    • Pancreatic tumor
    • Medication that inhibits the proper production of insulin
    • Hepatitis or kidney disorders
    • Hormone deficiencies
    • Anorexia and other eating disorders

    Diabetes Related Vertigo: Causes And Treatment

    Vertigo is an abnormal sensation of motion that can happen when a person is sitting still or when their movement through space is inaccurately sensed. Knowing where we are in space and how we are moving requires reliable information from five senses:

  • Our vision orients movement by taking cues from vertical objects and the horizon.
  • Our inner ear orients us to angular movements as we turn our head and to our acceleration as we move forward.
  • Touch orients us as our weight presses us against things .
  • Proprioception detects the position of our neck and limbs as we move.
  • Our hearing orients us to objects reflecting sound and to sound-emitting objects.
  • Any impairment of these senses can lead to an experience of vertigo, disequilibrium or dizziness. Medical issues, including diabetes and heart disease, can potentially disrupt the functioning of these senses through nerve damage or circulation impairment.


    Vertigo and Disequilibrium

    Spinning vertigo is when either the environment appears to be spinning or a person feels that they are spinning within the environment. Positional vertigo is a spinning sensation occurring after a person repositions their head. A spinning sensation is often caused by inner ear problems.

    Diabetes and Dizziness

    Dizziness describes feelings of being lightheaded or sensing that one will faint. Individuals with diabetes may experience dizziness for several reasons:

    Multi-sensory Vertigo or Dizziness

    Also Check: What Happens In Type 1 Diabetes

    A Few Final Notes On Keeping Blood Sugar Stable

    Taking an active, intentional approach to your blood sugar levels is crucial to your quality of life and overall health, ONeill says. Avoiding too-high or too-low blood sugar levels will help you avoid adverse symptoms and health complications, and staying within your target range can enable you to feel your best and do whatever you want to do in life, she says.

    Test your blood sugar regularly, listen to your body, and dont ever hesitate to reach out to your doctor.


    Additional reporting by Karen Appold.

    Checking For Low Blood Sugar Levels

    Can High Blood Sugar Cause Dizziness?

    When blood sugar levels fall too low, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which helps get stored glucose into the bloodstream quickly. Paleness, sweating, shakiness, and increased heart rate are early warning signs of this adrenaline release.

    More severe symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness, seizures, and loss of consciousness may happen if the hypoglycemia isn’t treated and the brain doesn’t get enough glucose to work properly.

    The only way to know for sure if your child has low blood sugar levels is to test them. Blood sugar levels can be tested with a glucose meter, a computerized device that measures and displays the amount of glucose in a blood sample. However, if the situation makes it impossible or inconvenient to quickly check the blood sugar, it’s important to treat your child for hypoglycemia immediately to prevent symptoms from getting worse.

    Sometimes a child with diabetes may have symptoms of low blood sugar, but the levels are not actually low. This is a called a false reaction. Adrenaline also can be released when blood sugar levels fall rapidly from a high level to a normal level. Testing blood sugar levels before giving treatment for hypoglycemia can help you identify false reactions.


    Also, some kids may learn to fake symptoms of low blood sugar to get a sugary treat or avoid something unpleasant. Again, checking the blood sugar level can confirm the presence of hypoglycemia.

    page 2

    Read Also: What Medications Cause High Blood Sugar

    What Causes Hypoglycemia

    If you have diabetes, there are common triggers to avoid. If youre diabetic and experience any of the above low blood sugar symptoms after any the following behaviors, its important to alert your physician to see whether you have dangerously low blood sugar.

    • Too few carbohydrates. As carbohydrates are your bodys main source of glucose, not having enough of them can cause a drop in blood sugar.
    • Skipping meals. Just like consuming too few carbohydrates, skipping meals can prevent your body from receiving the energy it needs from glucose.
    • Strenuous physical activity. Exercising more than usual, especially if you haven’t eaten enough carbohydrates at a meal, can cause a hypoglycemic episode.
    • Excessive drinking. Alcohol can interfere with your bodys ability to metabolize glucose.
    • Not eating soon enough after insulin treatment. If you take insulin as prescribed during mealtimes, but delay eating, this can cause hypoglycemia.
    • Too much insulin. If you take too much insulin, this can cause your blood sugar to crash.

    Is It Your Circulation

    Dizziness can be a sign of a problem with your blood flow. Your brain needs a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood. Otherwise, you can become lightheaded and even faint.

    Some causes of low blood flow to the brain include blood clots, clogged arteries, heart failure, and an irregular heartbeat. For many older people, standing suddenly can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure.


    It’s important to get medical help immediately if you’re dizzy and faint or lose consciousness.

    Read Also: What Kind Of Candy Can A Diabetic Eat

    Nighttime Low Blood Sugar

    While low blood sugar can happen at any time during the day, some people may experience low blood sugar while they sleep. Reasons this may happen include:

    • Having an active day.
    • Being physically active close to bedtime.
    • Taking too much insulin.
    • Drinking alcohol at night.

    Eating regular meals and not skipping them can help you avoid nighttime low blood sugar. Eating when you drink alcohol can also help. If you think youre at risk for low blood sugar overnight, have a snack before bed.

    You may wake up when you have low blood sugar, but you shouldnt rely on that. A continuous glucose monitor can alert you with an alarm if your blood sugar gets low while youre sleeping.


    Donât Miss: How Many Grams Of Sugar Can A Diabetic Have

    Foods That Can Cause Vertigo

    What To Do When You Feel Dizzy

    1. Salt

    Salty foods including chips, pretzels, salted nuts, canned foods, soups, deli meats, pastas, sauces, baking soda, condiments, pizza, baking powder, seasonings, frozen meals, pickles, salad dressings, and cheese can all trigger vertigo. Sodium causes body fluid imbalance. It results in fluid retention in your body and leads to build up of pressure in your inner ear resulting in vertigo. Hence, a diet to prevent vertigo should have very low amount of salt. People suffering from Meniere s disease, which is major cause of vertigo, should consume only 120 mg of salt daily.

    2. Sugar Substitutes and Sugar

    Foods that have high sugar content such as honey, ice cream, chocolate, maple syrup, dates, jams, jellies, cream, cookies, juices, donuts, cakes, processed snacks, and candy may cause central vertigo. One of the major causes of central vertigo is deficiency of oxygen to the brain. Foods rich in sugar increase blood sugar and blood pressure, though temporarily however, in such condition, blood requires more time to reach brain. This creates a deficiency of oxygen in the brain and cause vertigo. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame may result in various diseases including vertigo.

    3. Fatty Foods

    4. Foods Rich in Tyramine

    5. Alcoholic Beverages

    6. Alkaline Foods

    7. Caffeine

    8. Nicotine

    Also Check: Life Expectancy For Type 2 Diabetes


    RELATED ARTICLES

    Popular Articles