If you're a diabetic, you know how important it is to manage your blood glucose levels--both high and low. Most discussions about diabetes center around what to do if your blood sugar levels get too high. However, it's also important to recognize when your glucose levels are too low. Learning how to identify symptoms of both high and low blood sugar can help you manage your disease.
The Highs and Lows of Blood Glucose
Although blood glucose levels typically fluctuate throughout the day, the body prefers that they stay at a constant between 70 to 130 mg/dl. Occasionally, blood sugar levels can dip below 70 mg/dl or over 180 mg/dl. As long as it's a temporary fluctuation, it's nothing to worry about.
Even without a glucose meter, you can tell if your blood sugar levels are too low. Common symptoms include the following: lightheadedness, disorientation, elevated heart rate, trembling, headaches, cold sweat, fatigue, irritability, chronic fatigue and seizures. If the levels are too high, you'll often experience increased thirst, urination, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth and breath that smells "fruity."
How Diet Affects Glucose Levels
Diabetics are typically given very strict nutritional guidelines to lower and stabilize blood glucose levels. As they start experimenting with different menu plans and foods, it's not uncommon for blood sugar levels to climb to over 200 or dip below 70 mg/dl. If glucose levels dip low or climb to high levels, make a note of the time you began to feel poorly and what you last ate so that your doctor or dietitian can make adjustments to your diet.
Exercise and Blood Glucose
Exercise is a potent consumer of blood sugar. After a little as 10 to 15 minutes of activity, diabetics can experience the first symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia associated with physical activity is usually associated with unpredictable side effects of oral or injectable medications, causing an abnormally high uptake of blood glucose by the muscles. If you start feeling lightheaded, start trembling or sweating profusely, try drinking fruit juice or eating hard candy to bring blood glucose levels back to normal.
How Medications Help to Manage Blood Glucose
Next to exercise, medications can have the fastest effect on blood glucose levels and manifest themselves with the same symptoms. Just as exercise causes the muscles to rapidly consume glucose from the blood stream, medications can play an important role in lowering blood sugar. If you experience one or more drops in blood glucose over two days, report them to your doctor. Chances are, you'll need to have your prescriptions adjusted. Ideally, you should be able to go through the entire day without experiencing unwanted peaks or drops in glucose levels.
Working With All Three
Physically active diabetics discover over time that the key to good blood glucose management is learning how to properly integrate diet and exercise with their medications. Regardless of what is causing the drop in glucose, the symptoms and treatments are typically the same--something sweet to eat, drink liquids and rest until symptoms disappear.
