People with type 2 diabetes need to avoid both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The words hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are just one word apart, but they are two completely different conditions.
- What is hyperglycemia? It means having a high blood sugar level.
Blood sugar can be high when you eat too much. And “when you take diabetes medications, you can have high blood sugar if your body has low levels of the medication,” says Betsy Shilliday, PharmD, a diabetes educator at North Carolina HealthCare University, “and illness and stress can also raise blood sugar “.
- What are the symptoms? Patients may have unusual thirst or hunger. Increased frequency of urination, easy sleepiness, or blurred vision. If you notice these symptoms, then check your blood sugar quickly.
- How do you treat it? Watch what you eat. “Don’t stuff your body with extra sugar or starches,” Shilliday says.
Exercise regularly. Walking can help burn sugar. Also, drink plenty of water.
“If a patient’s blood sugar is between 300 ~ 400 mg/dL, contact the doctor,” she said.
- What is hypoglycemia? It’s a low blood sugar level. Any blood sugar level below 70 mg/dL is considered hypoglycemia. Eating too little or exercising too much can cause your blood sugar to drop suddenly. In addition, some diabetes medicines can make blood sugar drop too low.
- What are the symptoms? Hypoglycemia can cause blurred vision and hunger, dizziness, nervousness, tremors, sweating, and irritability, and can even make your heart beat faster.
- How is it treated?
- How is it treated? “If the patient is taking diabetes medicine, keep glucose tablets handy,” Shilliday says. Taking three to four glucose tablets can get the blood sugar up.
If you don’t have glucose tablets, drink half a glass of apple or orange juice, or half a can of regular soda, or an 8-ounce (230 ml) glass of milk. Keep it to this amount; any more than that and your blood sugar will rise too high. Also be careful not to try to eat cookies or cake to cope with low blood sugar.
Check your blood sugar again 15 minutes later. If your blood sugar is still not above 70, then take another glucose tablet or drink some juice. “When blood sugar levels return to normal, if it’s not mealtime, then eat a peanut butter cookie or half a sandwich with protein to maintain blood sugar levels,” Shilliday said.
Consult your doctor
- What is my target blood sugar level?
- What is my glycated hemoglobin value (measuring the average blood glucose level over the past 3 months)? What should the target be?
- What are my cholesterol and blood pressure values? What should my goal be?
- Am I taking the “key” medications for diabetes (aspirin, cholesterol-lowering medications, and blood pressure-lowering medications)? If not, should I be taking them?