What Does A Diabetic Headache Feel Like

Whats The Difference Between Signs Vs Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes symptoms are experienced by a person with diabetes, but signs of type 1 diabetes can also be noted by friends and family even if the person who is having the symptoms may not notice them or may be unable to communicate because they are in the throes of diabetic ketoacidosis. Common signs of T1D to watch out for include:

• Weight loss, despite eating more
• Changes to menstruation
• Rapid heart rate
• Reduced blood pressure
• Low body temperature
• Acting or seeming drunk while sober, which is a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis
• Breath that is fruity or smells like nail polish remover which is another sign of ketosis
• Chronic skin infections

Reduce The Frequency Of Your Low Blood Sugars

For people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who take insulin and other medications that lower blood sugar levels, low blood sugars are something well always have to deal with.

First of all, make sure you are treating low blood sugars with fast-acting carbohydrate food items that dont contain a great deal of protein or fat. The protein and fat slow down the digestion and absorption of the glucose, which means your blood sugar will drop further and stay low longer.

Regardless, if lows are happening frequently, that means your medications are definitely in need of some fine-tuning.

For patients with type 2 diabetes, its not uncommon for doctors to prescribe a set insulin dose for all your meals without teaching you how to count carbohydrates and make sure your insulin matches what youre eating.

For anyone taking insulin, remember that our insulin needs change throughout our life. If you lose 10 pounds or suddenly stop eating dessert, your insulin needs may decrease. If you dont adjust your doses, youll start experiencing a lot of low blood sugars!

And exercise which can be incredibly challenging if you take insulin has plenty of logic to learn around it, too. Dont accept frequent hypoglycemia as an inevitable part of exercising with diabetes. You can prevent those lows by learning more about how different types of exercise impact your blood sugars.

Get Your Blood Pressure Down

Reducing your blood pressure isnt just going to help spare you from headaches, it could save your life. In addition to persistent high blood pressure, some people with blood pressure issues can experience a rapid increase that puts your entire life at risk.

Here are several things the American Diabetes Association recommends to lower your blood pressure:

• Talk to your healthcare team about all of your treatment options
• Research medications that lower blood pressure, including ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics
• Get more whole grains in your diet
• Reduce your salt intake with a low-sodium salt substitute, and herbs and spices
• Avoid packaged foods with more than 400 mg of sodium per serving
• Eat more whole foods that dont contain any sodium in the first place
• Make a weight-loss goal and start walking at a comfortable pace every day
• Reduce your alcohol consumption
• If you smoke, its time to quit!

In the end, reducing blood pressure comes down to living a healthier lifestyle. You dont have to be perfect, but if 80 percent of your day consists of healthy choices combined with more activity, youll see those numbers gradually come down.

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How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia

There are simple ways to reduce your risk of severe or prolonged hyperglycaemia:

• Be careful what you eat be particularly aware of how snacking and eating sugary foods or carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level.
• Stick to your treatment plan remember to take your insulin or other diabetes medications as recommended by your care team.
• Be as active as possible getting regular exercise can help stop your blood sugar level rising, but you should check with your doctor first if you’re taking diabetes medication, as some medicines can lead to hypoglycaemia if you exercise too much
• Take extra care when you’re ill your care team can provide you with some “sick day rules” that outline what you can do to keep your blood sugar level under control during an illness.
• Monitor your blood sugar level your care team may suggest using a device to check your level at home, so you can spot an increase early and take steps to stop it.

Is Sweating A Sign Of High Blood Sugar

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating can be a result of high or low blood sugar levels. Those who have diabetes may experience this more often and it could signal the need for tighter glucose management in their daily life because hyper- Sweating causes clothes to become damp with sweat when someone becomes excited even though theyre not physically exerting themselves at all!

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Swollen Or Bleeding Gums Which Increase Your Infection Risk

Gum disease is a complication of diabetes, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. It can also make diabetes harder to control, because the bodys response to infection is to release more glucose into the bloodstream, according to the ADA.

Your saliva contains glucose and the more it contains, the more there is to feed the bacteria that combine with food in your mouth to form plaque and cause gum disease. Symptoms can include red or inflamed gums at first. If they are unaddressed, they can progress to periodontitis, which can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, the appearance of pus or ulcers, or even tooth loss, notes the Mayo Clinic. Get your blood sugar under control and see a dental professional to prevent damage to your gums and teeth.

Additional reporting by Diana Rodriguez and Andrea Peirce.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can start quickly, with people experiencing them in different ways. The signs of hypoglycemia are unpleasant. But they provide good warnings that you should take action before blood sugar drops more. The signs include:

• Shaking or trembling.

• Tingling or numbness in the face or mouth.

During a severe hypoglycemic event, a person may:

• Be unable to eat or drink.
• Have a seizure or convulsions .
• Lose consciousness.
• Slip into a coma or die .

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What To Do If A Diabetic Feels Dizzy

Lightheadedness

If you experience this common symptom of hypoglycemia, treat the hypoglycemia quickly with 15 to 20 g of fast-acting carbs, such as juice, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Try to lie down, too, and if the lightheadedness keeps up for more than 15 minutes, it’s time to seek medical help, suggests Harvard.

Impaired Awareness Of Hypoglycaemia

Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycaemia occurs when people do not feel the early warning symptoms of hypoglycaemia and only realise they are hypo when their BGLs drop very low or when they check their BGL. If you have had diabetes and hypos for many years the risk of not feeling the symptoms of hypos is more common. IAH can be dangerous because by the time you realise you are having a hypo you may find it hard to treat it and you could become unconscious.

If you have hypos without symptoms or your symptoms change, you may need to check your blood glucose more often. Always treat BGLs at 4mmol/L or below, even if you feel fine. If you have low BGLs without any symptoms you need to discuss this with your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator.

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What If The 15

If you dont feel better after three tries, or if your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider or 911. Healthcare providers can use a medication called glucagon. They inject it with a needle or squirt it up your nose. Glucagon is also available for home use. Your healthcare provider can prescribe it and teach a family member or friend how to use it in the event of severe hypoglycemia.

Does Not Having Symptoms Mean Diabetes Is Being Managed Well

Blood sugar control is crucial when youre living with type 2 diabetes. Dips and spikes can not only make you feel cranky and sluggish, but they can also wreak havoc on your personal health.

The most serious effects of blood sugar swings are a higher risk for diabetes-related health complications such as stroke, heart disease, and nerve damage .

For the record, the American Diabetes Association notes that you have diabetes if one of the following applies to you:

• Your blood glucose after fasting is 126 milligrams per deciliter or higher.
• Your blood glucose two hours after eating a meal is 200 mg/dl or higher.
• Your hemoglobin A1C is 6.5 or higher.

The tricky part is that with type 2 diabetes you may not feel it when blood sugar levels are too high, according to the ADA. It feels different for everyone. Not everyone will have the same symptoms, and some individuals will have no symptoms at all, says Lori Zanini, RD, CDE, a Los Angelesbased former spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Because blood sugar management is so important to your overall health with type 2 diabetes, you need to take action if you think your levels may be out of control, even if youre feeling totally fine.

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Prevention Of Low Blood Sugar

Do not skip or delay meals. If your diet plan includes snacks, make sure to take these.

Measure insulin dosage carefully and inject it properly. If you cannot see well, a family member or a visiting nurse can prepare your insulin injections for you.

Take only the prescribed amount of insulin or oral medication for diabetes that your doctor has ordered.

Keep exercise consistent from day to day. Eat a snack or reduce your insulin prior to unusual exercise.

If you are taking insulin, notify your doctor if you have low blood sugars four or more times per week or if you have a severe low blood sugar. Severe low blood sugars are those less than 40 mg., those requiring help from another person, or those which cause you to have a convulsion or become unconscious.

If you are taking oral medication for your diabetes notify your doctor or nurse if blood sugars are running less than 80 mg. or if you have a severe low blood sugar.

Type 2 Diabetes In Older Adults

Your risk of type 2 diabetes goes up as you age because your body can become resistant to insulin and your pancreas might not work as well as it used to.

Diabetes is more likely to cause complications in people 65 and older, especially heart attacks, eye problems, loss of a leg , and kidney disease.

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What Are Diabetic Headaches

If you experience frequent headaches and other symptoms of diabetes, then you may be experiencing diabetic headaches. However, if you havent been diagnosed with diabetes, then there are numerous other reasons why a person experiences headaches. In case of such uncertainty, talk to your registered medical practitioner. Do the tests your physician suggests and then get started on treatment plans. Without proper medical diagnoses, it can be dangerous to try and treat a symptom on your own.

Is diabetes to blame for your headache? If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, then yes, it is likely that your headaches are caused by high levels of sugar in the blood or by very low levels of sugar in your blood.

So what does a diabetic headache feel like? It can feel like a dull, pulsing pain, a shooting pain, or a severe nerve racking pain. It can occur at the temples, across the forehead or behind the head. However, the headache is not directly linked to the level of sugar in the blood. These headaches have the tendency to build up slowly over time and can last well after the blood sugar levels have been brought within an acceptable range. This is probably why diagnosing a diabetic headache is often difficult, simply based on the symptoms.

But can diabetes cause headaches and dizziness? If it really is a diabetic headache, then its quite possible that other diabetic symptoms accompany the headache.

• Blurry vision

What Causes Diabetic Ketoacidosis

The main cause of DKA is not enough insulin. A lack of insulin means sugar cant get into your cells. Your cells need sugar for energy. This lack of insulin causes your bodys glucose levels to rise. To get energy, your body starts to burn fat. This process causes ketones to build up. Ketones can poison the body.

High blood glucose levels can also cause you to urinate often. This leads to a lack of fluids in the body .

DKA can be caused by missing an insulin dose, eating poorly, or feeling stressed. An infection or other illness can also lead to DKA. If you have signs of infection , contact your doctor. You will want to make sure you are getting the right treatment. For some people, DKA may be the first sign they have diabetes.

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You Feel Tiredness And Fatigue Constantly

Fatigue and extreme tiredness are symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar, the ADA says. Simply put, when your body is not processing insulin properly or it doesnt have sufficient amounts of insulin, the sugar is staying in our blood rather than getting into our cells to be used for energy, Zanini says. Also, frequent urination can lead to dehydration, which Bandukwala identifies as another contributing factor to fatigue.

Peace Of Mind: Achieved

Getting to the bottom of diabetic headaches should give some peace of mind: youll know that they usually can be treated along with your general diabetes treatment. Plus, it could give you literal peace of mind when you avoid headaches in the future.

Keep your blood sugar in place, try Hedia , keep hydrated, and dont let Algos rear its ugly head again!

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Can Diabetes Give You Headaches

4.7/5Diabetescause headachesheadachesdiabetesread full answer

This causes a host of symptoms and related complications, some of which can be life-threatening. A common symptom of high or low blood glucose is a headache. Headaches alone aren’t harmful, but they can signal that your blood sugar is out of its target range. If you have frequent headaches, diabetes may be to blame.

Secondly, what are the 3 most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes? The most common symptoms of diabetes are:

• Losing weight without trying to.
• Blurred vision.
• Tingling in your hands or feet.
• Red, swollen, or tender gums.
• Chronically dry, itchy skin.
• Patches of darkened skin in the folds and creases of your body.

In respect to this, does high sugar cause headaches?

Both too much and too little sugar can cause a headache. Consuming too much sugar can cause high blood sugar levels . Low blood sugar can cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and muscle pain. People who take insulin have a higher risk of having low blood sugar levels.

How long does a sugar headache last?

Withdrawal symptoms can last from a few days to two weeks. The longer your body goes without sugar, the less intense your symptoms and cravings for sugar will be. You may find that your symptoms are worse at certain times of the day, such as between meals.

Why Do I Get A Headache When I Eat Carbs

Your body maintains a proper blood sugar level by breaking down glucose with insulin. Fluctuations in your glucose level affect your brain more than any other organ. These rises and drops can result in a headache. The headaches caused by glucose and your brain are also related to hormones activated by sugar levels.

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What Does Diabetes Look Like On Feet

Its uncommon, but people with diabetes can develop blisters on their skin. A big blister, a group of blisters, or both can be visible. The blisters occur on the hands, feet, thighs, or forearms and resemble those that appear after a severe burn.

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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