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Conditions and Symptoms of Blood Sugar Levels

Blood sugar levels are not something that people generally even think about until a problem occurs or a condition develops, but every time we eat or skip a meal, they are affected. For someone with diabetes or hypoglycemia, blood sugar levels are a constant concern and can cause a frightening change in health conditions. Understanding the conditions is as important as understanding the symptoms of a problem when facing issues with blood sugar levels.

  1. Diabetes Mellitus

    • Diabetes mellitus, more commonly referred to as diabetes, has type I and type II forms. Type I typically begins in childhood, whereas type II usually begins in adulthood and is sometimes referred to as "self-induced diabetes" due to poor lifestyle choices, though that is not always the cause. Diabetes is a condition of having too much sugar in the blood, which is the result of either a lack of insulin production or the body's improper use of it. Insulin is responsible for converting and storing glucose for later use, but when it is lacking or the body develops a resistance to it, the high levels of glucose in the blood can be damaging.

    High Blood Sugar Symptoms

    • Having high blood sugar is particularly dangerous because it often has no clear symptoms, but can still cause damage to your body. When symptoms do occur, they are generally fairly easy to miss and include signs like dry mouth, frequent urination, urination during the night, increased appetite, weight loss, fatigue and even blurry vision.

    Hypoglycemia

    • Hypoglycemia is not only a condition in itself, but can also occur as part of diabetes. It is the name given to blood sugar levels that are too low to support the body. While high blood sugar and diabetes have long-term dangerous effects on the body, low blood sugar and hypoglycemia prove dangerous in a much shorter time frame, even leading to coma and death in as short as a few hours, depending on how low the levels have plummeted.

    Low Blood Sugar Symptoms

    • As with high blood sugar, the symptoms of low blood sugar can be easy to miss or misdiagnose if you are not aware of your condition. Common symptoms include feeling shaky, nervous, hungry, cold, impatient, irritable, tired or sweaty. Other symptoms may include a sensation of numbness, absent-mindedness, heart palpitations and dizziness. Episodes of low blood sugar can result in fainting spells, seizures and even coma or death if they are severe.

    What to Do

    • If you are experiencing these symptoms, it's important to see your doctor to determine whether you have diabetes or hypoglycemia. If you do have one of these conditions, your doctor will not only advise certain lifestyle changes, but show you how to test your blood sugar and explain how to ward off episodes of dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.

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