Can Low Blood Sugar Cause A Stroke

Recognizing The Signs Of A Stroke:

Prompt and appropriate care is crucial in treating and preventing long-term disabilities in someone undergoing a stroke. Studies show those treated as soon as possible with specialized treatments and medications at the hands of a team of doctors and other health experts, experienced the best results.

Hypercoaguability Conferred By Diabetes

Defects in endothelial function may be further confounded by the hypercoagulable state of diabetic patients. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and antithrombin III, which inhibit fibrinolysis, as well as tissue plasminogen activator antigen, a marker of impaired fibrinolysis, consistently have been found to be elevated in diabetic patients and in those with insulin resistance . Some studies have further suggested that coagulation factors, such as factor VII, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor, also rise with degree of insulin resistance . This upregulation is likely secondary to a chronic inflammatory state induced by diabetes, as several inflammatory markers have been correlated with increased thrombotic factors and stroke incidence . The promotion of thrombus formation likely occurs via platelet hyperreactivity. Studies of platelets from diabetic patients have found increased aggregation in response to ADP , a response that may be mediated by the upregulation of GPIIb-IIIa receptors that occurs in diabetic patients . Insulin normally acts to inhibit platelet aggregation in response to ADP however, this action is attenuated in diabetic patients . Thromboxane A2 is also elevated in diabetic patients, possibly contributing to hyperaggregation as well .

Take Care Of Your Heart

These lifestyle changes can help lower your risk for heart disease or keep it from getting worse, as well as help you manage diabetes:

• Follow a healthy diet. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Eat fewer processed foods and avoid transexternal icon fat. Drink more water, fewer sugary drinks, and less alcohol.
• Aim for a healthy weight. If youre overweight, losing even a modest amount of weight can lower your triglycerides and blood sugar. Modest weight loss means 5% to 7% of body weight, just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
• Get active. Being physically active makes your body more sensitive to insulin , which helps manage your diabetes. Physical activity also helps control blood sugar levels and lowers your risk of heart disease. Try to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking.
• Manage your ABCs:
• A: Get a regular A1C test to measure your average blood sugar over 2 to 3 months aim to stay in your target range as much as possible.
• B: Try to keep your blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg .
• C: Manage your cholesterol levels.
• s: Stop smoking or dont start.

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S For Treating A Person With Symptoms Keeping Them From Being Able To Treat Themselves

Dont hesitate to call 911. If someone is unconscious and glucagon is not available or someone does not know how to use it, call 911 immediately.

Do NOT:

• Inject insulin
• Provide food or fluids

How Can I Lower Blood Pressure Whilst Managing My Diabetes

There are various ways to lower blood pressure, including modifying lifestyle and medication. Losing weight makes a big difference to blood pressure.

Taking regular physical exercise also makes a big difference to blood pressure. Lowering salt intake also makes a major difference to blood pressure, as does eating a more healthy diet in general.

Furthermore, cutting down alcohol and stopping smoking can also lower blood pressure amongst diabetics. Drug treatment is used in some instances, with several different drugs used to lower blood pressure.

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Keep In Mind That Not All Sugar Raises Blood Pressure

Keep in mind that natural sugar that comes from fruit is healthy when consumed as part of the whole fruit. Sugar in fresh fruit is combined with loads of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support healthy blood pressure levels and metabolic functioning. The sugar in whole fruits is digested slowly due to the high fiber content, supplying your body with a steady stream of fuel without blood sugar spikes.

The problem with fruit sugar comes when it is isolated from the whole fruit and added to processed ingredients. So, when avoiding sugar to benefit blood pressure, make sure to watch out for added sugars! But feel free to consume fresh fruit in abundance.

Are Certain People More Likely To Have Low Blood Pressure

Some people, especially if you have diabetes, are at a higher risk of your blood pressure temporarily dropping after eating or when getting up from a chair or from lying down in bed, for example. The former is whats called postprandial hypotension and the latter is orthostatic hypotension. Normally, when youre digesting food, or when you change your body position from sitting to standing, your cardiovascular system adapts by beating harder as well as more rapidly, and constricting the diameter of certain blood vessels, such as those far from your intestine where digestion occurs. These physiological changes all collaborate to maintain your blood pressure. But, if these changes do not occur fast or adequately enough, your blood pressure can drop, sometimes to dangerous levels.

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Can Low Blood Sugars Be The Cause Of A Stroke

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What Causes A Stroke

Lets start with the major blood vessels in your body, these are your:

• arteries they carry blood away from your heart
• veins they carry blood back to your heart.

If these arteries and veins get damaged, it can be harder for blood to flow around the body and get to the areas its needed, like your brain.

High cholesterol

If your cholesterol is too high, then the extra fat in your blood sticks to the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, this fat hardens and is known as plaque. Hard plaque can block up the blood vessels, which makes the space narrower and leaves less room for blood to flow.

This is called arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis.

In the narrower space, blood flow slows down and causes some of the blood cells to group together and clot. If a blood clot breaks away, it will travel through your arteries and veins until it reaches a section too narrow to pass through, making it partially or completely blocked.

This will starve the brain of oxygen and nutrients and this is what causes a stroke.

High blood pressure

Over time, atherosclerosis makes the walls of your blood vessels more rigid and less elastic. This can lead to high blood pressure or make high blood pressure worse.

High blood pressure puts extra strain on your blood vessels too. Thats on top of the strain from high cholesterol and high blood sugar. The more stress your blood vessels are under, the harder it is to push blood around the important areas of your body. This means they’re seriously at risk.

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What Is The Recommended Blood Pressure Range For People With Diabetes

Its important to keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. This reduces your chances of your body developing further health complications.

Blood pressure should be below 140/80mmHg for people with diabetes or below 130/80mmHg if you have kidney or eye disease or any condition that affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain. But it is important to speak to your healthcare team about your individual target.

Whilst you may not have any symptoms of high blood pressure, it can be harmful to your health if left untreated. This is due to the increased pressure placed on your heart, eyes, kidneys and other organs.

As weve said previously, heart attack or stroke are some of the conditions your body becomes more vulnerable to with high blood pressure. Other conditions you become more at risk of include:

• Cardiovascular dementia
• Heart failure

Sugar Contributes To Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, means that the blood in our blood vessels is exerting excessive force on arterial walls. Blood pressure is measured by two numbers, the first being systolic pressure, which describes the pressure as the heart contracts to circulate blood throughout the body. The second measurement, diastolic pressure, describes the pressure in blood vessels between heartbeats. In general, the systolic pressure measurement tends to be higher than the diastolic pressure measurement.

High blood pressure is associated with metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Added sugar is a well-known culprit in causing a host of metabolic conditions including obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease.

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Incidence Of Hypoglycemia In Diabetes Management

The American Diabetes Associated Workgroup on Hypoglycemia defines hypoglycemia as all episodes of abnormally low plasma glucose concentration that expose the individual to potential harm. Several categories of hypoglycemia exist, including severe hypoglycemia , symptomatic and asymptomatic hypoglycemia , probable hypoglycemia and relative hypoglycemia .

Impaired autonomic responses in old age may increase older diabetic patients susceptibility to experiencing recurrent hypoglycemia. An earlier study to evaluate incidences of hypoglycemia in sulfonylurea – or insulin-treated older diabetic patients observed that elderly persons using multiple medications and those who are frequently hospitalized, are at greater risk for hypoglycemia,. Although difficult to estimate, repeated exposure to hypoglycemia in older individuals may lead to deterioration of general heath, disability and poor outcomes,.

What Can Cause Inflammation Of The Coronary Arteries Of The Heart

The coronary artery disease of the heart can develop when all, or most of the major blood vessels that provide heart the oxygen, nutrients and blood get damaged, blocked or suffer from any disease.

The main reason because of which the coronary artery disease takes place is due to the inflammation and plaque, also identified as cholesterol-containing deposits.

When the building of plaque occurs, the coronary arteries can get narrower. As a result, the decreased blood flow can not only result in pain in the chest but also the shortness of breath , and other signs and symptoms related to other kinds of coronary artery disease.

A heart attack can also take place because of the complete coronary artery blockage.

Though the coronary heart disease gets developed over time, at least within ten years, any person would not notice the problem until he experiences a significant blockage, angina pain or a heart attack.

Though, a lot can be done for the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. The considerable impact of a healthy lifestyle can take place in this regard.

The leading causes of coronary artery disease are:

• High cholesterol levels
• Smoking
• Sedentary lifestyle

The lifestyle habits that can prove essential for treating coronary artery disease and even could help in the prevention are below.

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How To Prevent Stroke

If you have diabetes and your doctor suspects your arteries are hardened, they may suggest diet and lifestyle changes — along with medicines — to prevent the blockages that lead to stroke. Other ways to lower your odds of a stroke include:

• Don’t smoke.
• Control your blood sugar level.
• Stay at a healthy weight.

Low Or High Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar can look a lot like a stroke. You may feel like you’re just not all together mentally. You might feel clumsy or not be able to move one side of your body. And it can make you dizzy, give you tingling around your mouth, and cause a headache.

High blood sugar can cause blurred vision and make you feel weak and out of it.

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At What Point Does High Blood Pressure Cause A Problem For People With Diabetes

If your resting blood pressure level is above the targets, this puts you at an increased risk of heart and vascular problems as well as other diabetes complications, such as kidney disease and sight damage .

High blood pressure is also associated with poor circulation which increases the risk of foot ulcers and can lead to foot amputation if regular foot care is not taken.

How Diabetes Affects Your Heart

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.
• High triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is thought to contribute to hardening of the arteries.

None of these conditions has symptoms. Your doctor can check your blood pressure and do a simple blood test to see if your LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels are high.

These factors can also raise your risk for heart disease:

• Smoking
• Being overweight or having obesity
• Not getting enough physical activity
• Eating a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium
• Drinking too much alcohol

People with diabetes are also more likely to have heart failure. Heart failure is a serious condition, but it doesnt mean the heart has stopped beating it means your heart cant pump blood well. This can lead to swelling in your legs and fluid building up in your lungs, making it hard to breathe. Heart failure tends to get worse over time, but early diagnosis and treatment can help relieve symptoms and stop or delay the condition getting worse.

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Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease includes blood vessel disease, heart attack and stroke. It’s 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.

People With Diabetes And High Blood Pressure Are More At Risk Of Having A Heart Attack Or Stroke So Its Important To Know How To Look After Your Blood Pressure

If you have diabetes, you need your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional at least once a year. This check is part of your annual review.

If your blood pressure is high , youll need treatment to bring it down. This is because it puts a strain on your blood vessels and can damage them. This can make it harder for blood to flow around the body and reach all the vital areas it needs to, like your heart. And youre more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It also puts you more at risk of developing all types ofdiabetes complications, like serious problems with your feet, your eyes and your kidneys.

Theres lots to help manage your blood pressure because your lifestyle has a direct impact. But lots of people also need to take medication to treat high blood pressure and reduce the risk complications.

Its really important to know that you might have high blood pressure and feel fine, because there arent usually any symptoms. But even if you feel healthy, high blood pressure is damaging your blood vessels and you need to get treatment. Thats why you should never miss a blood pressure check its a free test and takes two minutes.

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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:

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