What Are The Symptoms Of Hyperglycemia
Its especially important to know the early signs of hyperglycemia if you have type 1 diabetes. If hyperglycemia is left untreated in people with type 1 diabetes, it can develop into ketoacidosis, where ketones, which are toxic acids, build up in the blood. This condition is an emergency situation that can lead to coma or death.
Early symptoms of hyperglycemia include:
- High blood sugar.
- Unusual fruity smell on the breath.
- Deep labored breathing or hyperventilation.
- Rapid heartbeat.
Try These Medicinal Herbs
Herbal medicines have long been used in many cultures to treat a variety of ailments.
Some herbs have even been shown to possibly lower blood pressure. However, more research is needed to identify the doses and components in the herbs that are most useful.
Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking herbal supplements. They may interfere with your prescription medications.
Heres a partial list of plants and herbs that are used by cultures throughout the world to lower blood pressure:
- black bean
- tea , especially green tea and oolong tea
- umbrella tree bark
Consider Cutting Back On Caffeine
Caffeine raises your blood pressure, but the effect is temporary.
In a 2017 study, the systolic blood pressure of 18 participants was elevated for 2 hours after they drank 32 ounces of either a caffeinated drink or an energy drink. Blood pressure then dropped more quickly for the participants who drank a caffeinated drink .
Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others. If youre caffeine-sensitive, you may want to cut back on your coffee consumption, or try .
Research on caffeine, including its health benefits, is in the news a lot. The choice of whether to cut back depends on many individual factors.
One older study indicated that caffeines effect on raising blood pressure is greater if your blood pressure is already high. This same study, however, called for more research on the subject .
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How To Avoid Added Sugars And Improve Your Blood Pressure
Avoiding added sugars is the key to limiting sugar intake in your diet. Dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend that for men, 36 grams of added sugar is the daily maximum and for women, 25 grams is the daily maximum. Less is always better though, so aim to consume as little added sugar as possible. Knowing where added sugars are hiding is important for making the best food choices for a low-sugar diet. Follow these tips for cutting down on the amount of added sugar in your diet.
Even Moderate Doses Of Added Sugar For Short Durations May Cause Harm
Current US per capita intake of added sugars is approximately two to eight times higher than current recommendations by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization . Considering adolescents specifically, current consumption might be as much as six to 16 times higher.
An increase in sympathetic tone from the overconsumption of fructose is one likely mechanism for the sugars ability to increase heart rate, cardiac output, renal sodium retention and vascular resistance, all of which may interact to elevate blood pressure and increase myocardial oxygen demand.
However, ingestion of sugars including fructose in their naturally occurring biological contexts is not harmful and is likely beneficial.
Just as most dietary sodium does not come from the salt shaker, most dietary sugar does not come from the sugar bowl. Dr James DiNicolantonio, from the Department of Preventive Cardiology at Saint Lukes Mid America Heart Institute on Kansas City, MO, concludes:
Reducing consumption of added sugars by limiting processed foods containing them, made by corporations would be a good place to start.
The evidence shows that even moderate doses of added sugar for short durations may cause substantial harm.
Medical News Today recently reported that regularly drinking high levels of sugar-sweetened soda could lead to the premature aging of immune cells, leaving the body vulnerable to chronic diseases in a similar manner to the effects of smoking.
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Can Sugar Cause High Blood Pressure
To the common man sugar is blood sugar and blood pressure is high blood pressure. Sugar causing high blood pressure is a concept one cannot even dream of. For ages now salt has been blamed for raising blood pressure. Doctors have advised people suffering from high blood pressure to reduce salt consumption. Since the sodium present in the salt was held responsible in raising blood pressure low sodium varieties of salt were being sold in the market. Recent research has however pointed out that blaming salt for raising blood pressure is not evidence based. It is sugar which in fact is more responsible for raising blood pressure. So before understanding how the mechanism works let us understand the basics of high blood pressure.
What Is Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure your heart uses to push blood through your blood vessels and around your body.
There are two numbers used to describe blood pressure and its measured in millimetres of mercury . Its written like this: 130/80mmHg. And youll hear your doctor say ‘130 over 80’.
The first number is the systolic pressure. This is the most amount of pressure your heart uses when beating to push the blood around your body.
The second number is the diastolic pressure. This is the least amount of pressure your heart uses when it is relaxed between beats.
Using 130/80mmHg as an example, the systolic pressure here is 130mmHg and the diastolic pressure is 80mmHg.
Our video below explains all about blood pressure, and how it affects people with diabetes.
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Drink Plenty Of Water
Dehydration can sometimes lead to low blood pressure. Some people may have hypotension even with mild dehydration.
You can also get dehydrated by losing water too quickly. This can happen through vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever, strenuous exercise, and excess sweating. Medications such as diuretics may also cause dehydration.
Increase Activity And Exercise More
A meta-analysis of 65 studies suggests that aerobic and resistance exercise can significantly lower blood pressure, especially for men .
In a 2013 study, sedentary older adults who participated in aerobic exercise training lowered their blood pressure by an average of 3.9 percent systolic and 4.5 percent diastolic . These results are as good as some blood pressure medications.
As you regularly increase your heart and breathing rates, over time your heart gets stronger and pumps with less effort. This puts less pressure on your arteries and lowers your blood pressure.
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Avoid Packaged Foods And Soft Drinks
A good rule of thumb for avoiding added sugar is to avoid all packaged or processed foods. Packaged foods are manufactured and filled with added sugar to improve the taste. Packaged foods to avoid include cookies, crackers, cakes, cereals, and many granola bars and snack food items.
Plus, by avoiding packaged foods in general, youll also be avoiding other harmful ingredients like trans fats, saturated fats, excess salt, and preservatives that contribute to inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease.
Soft drinks and other sweetened drinks are a major contributing factor when it comes to sugar consumption. Its easy to down a can of soda in just a few minutes, which could contain 40 grams of sugar or more. Soft drinks arent the only problem, however. Fruit juice, sports drinks, sweet tea, and sweetened coffee drinks all contain massive amounts of sugar that contribute to metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure.
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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Lowers Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Level :
High sugar intake raises insulin levels, which in turn activates the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
High blood pressure makes your heart and arteries work harder, which gradually damages the whole circulatory system. Eventually, this increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and other serious coronary conditions.
After quitting sugar, you may notice a significant decrease in low-density lipoproteins as well as triglycerides. Moreover, your blood pressure level may get back on track.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time.
Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:
- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
- spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
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Causes And Risk Factors Of High Blood Pressure
For most people, theres no single cause of high blood pressure. But we know some things can make you more at risk. These are called risk factors, and one of these is having diabetes.
High levels of sugar in your blood can lead to something called atherosclerosis. This is when theres a build-up of fatty material inside your blood vessels, narrowing them. The narrower the blood vessels, the more the pressure builds up.
The more stress your blood vessels are under, the harder it is to push blood around the important areas of your body. This means your feet, eyes and heart are seriously at risk.
There are other risk factors you cant do much about:
- your age
- a family history of high blood pressure
- if your ethnic background is African-Caribbean or Black African
And there are risk factors you do have control over:
- too much salt in your diet
- being overweight
- how you cope with stress
- drinking too much caffeine, such as coffee
If you make changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. Were not saying its easy, but its vital you understand how you can do this. Theres lots of support to help you and achieve your goals.
Aside From Salt And Sugar What Raises Blood Pressure
In addition to high-salt and high-sugar products, foods that raise blood pressure include those that are high in saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fat can contribute to weight gain and metabolic syndrome while raising your risk of hypertension too.
Not eating enough potassium contributes to high blood pressure. Adequate potassium intake promotes electrolyte balance in the blood and helps counteract the effects of sodium.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can raise your risk of developing hypertension. Without sufficient activity and exercise, the heart does not grow stronger as a muscle. As a result, the heart must work much harder to pump blood throughout the body, which causes blood flow to exert more pressure on arterial walls.
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How Much Activity Should You Strive For
A 2019 report by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association advises moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity for 40-minute sessions, three to four times per week .
If finding 40 minutes at a time is a challenge, there may still be benefits when the time is divided into three or four 10- to 15-minute segments throughout the day .
The American College of Sports Medicine makes similar recommendations .
But you dont have to run marathons. Increasing your activity level can be as simple as:
- using the stairs
- going for a bike ride
- playing a team sport
Just do it regularly and work up to at least half an hour per day of moderate activity.
One example of moderate activity that can have big results is tai chi. A 2017 review on the effects of tai chi and high blood pressure shows an overall average of a 15.6 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure and a 10.7 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure compared with no exercise at all .
A 2014 review on exercise and lowering blood pressure found that there are many combinations of exercise that can lower blood pressure .
These exercises include:
- short bouts of exercise throughout the day
- walking 10,000 steps a day
Ongoing studies continue to suggest that there are still benefits to even light physical activity, especially for older adults .
Hypoglycemia And Cardiovascular Risks
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Can Low Blood Sugar Cause High Blood Pressure
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, is defined as blood sugar levels of 70 milligrams per deciliter or lower. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include tiredness, sweating, and tingling lips. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can also be a sign of low blood sugar.
Low blood sugar is especially common in people with type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas creates little or no insulin. However, it can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin or certain medications.
Effective Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is called the silent killer for good reason. It often has no symptoms but is a major risk of heart disease and stroke. And these diseases are among the leading causes of death in the United States .
Almost half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure .
Your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mm Hg. There are two numbers involved in the measurement:
· Systolic blood pressure. The top number represents the force of the pressure when your heart pushes blood into the arteries throughout the rest of your body.
· Diastolic blood pressure. The bottom number represents the pressure in your blood vessels between beats, when your heart is filling and relaxing.
Your blood pressure depends on how much blood your heart is pumping, and how much resistance there is to blood flow in your arteries. The narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
Blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal. Blood pressure thats 130/80 mm Hg or more is considered high.
If your numbers are above normal but under 130/80 mm Hg, you fall into the category of elevated blood pressure. This means youre at risk of developing high blood pressure .
The good news about elevated blood pressure is that you can make changes to significantly reduce your numbers and lower your risk without requiring medications.
Here are 17 effective ways to lower your blood pressure levels.
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Reduce The Sensitivity Of Receptors That Regulate Blood Pressure
When excess sugar raises insulin levels, it also reduces the sensitivity of the baroreceptors that regulate blood pressure. Baroreceptors are found in the walls of your arteries. They constantly monitor blood pressure and send signals to the brain when they sense a change in your blood pressure. The brain responds by initiating mechanisms that adjust your blood pressure.
Raising Blood Sugar And Insulin Levels
Consuming excess sugar has been shown to increase blood sugar and insulin levels. When your insulin levels increase, your sympathetic nervous system is activated . When this happens, your heart rate increases and your blood vessels constrict. This raises your blood pressure .
Increased blood sugar levels can make your body more insulin resistant. In addition to diabetes, insulin resistance is linked to high blood pressure .
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How Does Sugar Contribute To Metabolic Syndrome
Sugary beverages and processed foods that contain lots of added sugar that are immediately broken down by the digestive system, entering the bloodstream in high amounts. This causes a spike in blood sugar levels. Lots of glucose is coursing through the blood vessels and in response, the pancreas releases insulin that signals to body tissues to use available glucose to power cellular processes. Though some glucose is vital for survival and normal energy levels, excess glucose causes inflammation and is stored as fat throughout the body and in the liver.
Over time, chronic consumption of excess glucose can cause inflammation that damages the pancreas and makes insulin unresponsive to glucose in the bloodstream. This results in hallmarks of metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
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