If you’re a diabetic, it is a good idea to acquaint yourself with some of the signs and symptoms of blood sugar imbalances, so that you can take proper medical action immediately if you’re having issues.
Low Blood Sugar
When your blood sugar is too low, you enter a state called hypoglycemia. If your blood sugar dips below 70 mg/dL, you may begin to experience some of the following symptoms:
- A feeling of dizziness or nausea
- Excessive perspiration (more sweating than you normally experience) or breaking out in a cold sweat
- Accelerated heart rate
- Shakiness or weakness
- Nervousness
- A tingly or numb feeling in the extremities, such as in fingertips
- Hunger
- Headache
The best treatment for mildly low blood sugar is consuming small amounts of sugar from a high carb, low fat and protein source until you feel better. Sipping at a soda or juice, or consuming a few tablespoons of table sugar, can help restore your blood sugar to more normal levels. At that point, it is advisable to have a healthy snack with more complex carbohydrates to help maintain your blood sugar at a healthy level.
If your hypoglycemia continues to progress, with blood sugar dropping below 55 mg/dL, you may experience more intense symptoms such as:
- Mood swings inconsistent with your personality
- Difficulty thinking or reasoning
- Difficulty walking or talking
- Blurred vision
- Extreme fatigue or sleepiness
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should take immediate action. Follow the treatment guidelines described above, and consider calling your healthcare provider. Blood sugar levels dropping below 40 mg/dL can cause severe hypoglycemia, which can result in seizures, comas, brain damage, heart damage, or if left untreated, even death.
High Blood Sugar
High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can be just as serious a problem. Here are some symptoms of mild or early-stage hyperglycemia (blood sugar over 180 mg/dL).
- Constant nagging thirst along with dry mouth
- Frequent urination
- Headaches
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty focusing
- Fatigue
Note that some hyperglycemia symptoms are similar to hypoglycemia symptoms. It is important to measure your blood sugar, if you can, to make sure you do not mistake one set of symptoms for the other.
When untreated, long-term hyperglycemia can lead to skin and genital infections, severe vision impairment, nerve damage, and reduced ability to heal cuts and sores.
Hyperglycemia can be treated, in the long term, by improving diet, increasing exercise, or taking certain diabetes medications. Before embarking on any of these courses of treatment, you should consult your doctor, who will know the right combination of treatments for your unique case.
Regularly checking your blood glucose levels is the best way to monitor your diabetes and prevent extreme cases of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Know your own body and its patterns, eat a healthy diet, and stay aware of any changes in your body to catch these blood sugar imbalances as early as possible.
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