BLOOD SUGAR: HIGH & LOW
BLOOD SUGAR - LOW (Hypoglycemia, Low Blood Sugar)
Your body needs Glucose, a form of sugar, to have enough energy. After you eat, your blood absorbs glucose. If you eat more sugar than your body needs, your muscles and liver store the extra. When your blood sugar begins to fall, a hormone tells your liver to release glucose. In most people, this raises blood sugar. If it doesn't, you have hypoglycemia, and your blood sugar can be dangerously low. Signs include
- Hunger
- Shakiness
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Difficulty speaking
- Feeling anxious or weak
Hypoglycemia is usually a side effect of diabetes medicines. Eating or drinking something with carbohydrates can help. If it happens often, your doctor or health care provider may need to adjust your medicine or change your treatment plan.
(Source: National Library of Medicine, NIH 2007)
BLOOD SUGAR - HIGH (Hyperglycemia)
Hyperglycemia is abnormally high blood sugar (glucose). High blood levels of glucose can cause several problems, including frequent urination, excessive thirst, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurry vision. People with diabetes have high blood sugar.
If you are find out that you have a high blood sugar glucose, you should see your doctor or health care practitioner immediately. You should also ask your doctor to check your hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. The HbA1c is a measure of average blood glucose during the previous 2 to 3 months. It is a very helpful way to determine how well treatment is working.
BLOOD SUGAR – GLUCAGON
Glucagon is a hormone produced in the pancreas. Glucagon is used to raise very low blood sugar and is usually given by injection beneath the skin, in the muscle, or in the vein. If you have low blood sugar often, keep a glucagon kit with you at all times. Glucagon is also used in diagnostic testing of the stomach and other digestive organs. (Source: The MedMaster™ Patient Drug Information database, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland)
BLOOD SUGAR – INSULIN
The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called Insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When your body either doesn't make enough Insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood and produces a medical condition called diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Division of Diabetes, 2007)
