It can be confusing and hard to find a balance. You’ve been told that your Type 2 diabetes means you have to watch out for high blood sugar levels that can permanently damage your health. At the same time, you’re warned that low blood sugar levels can be dangerous too! Why do people with Type 2 diabetes get low blood sugar problems? What are the causes of high blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes? What warning signs should you be aware of? Read on to gain a better understanding of your condition and how to manage it.

What Causes High Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes?

Insulin is a hormone that helps our bodies to regulate our blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels rise, insulin tells cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy. If there’s still an unhealthy level of sugar in the blood, insulin ensures that the excess is removed from the bloodstream and stored. This protects us from the damage excessively high blood sugar levels can cause.

When you have Type 2 diabetes, your body has either reduced sensitivity to insulin and fails to react to its “messages,” or is unable to produce enough insulin to get the job done. Blood sugar levels can rise to dangerous heights and if they do, you’ll need medication or even emergency care.

Symptoms of High Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms of high blood sugar are often the triggers that lead people to consult their doctors and obtain a diagnosis.  There are a number of things that people might notice before or just after getting a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes:

  • Your kidneys will try to get rid of excess glucose from the blood, so you may notice that you urinate more frequently, and you may feel thirsty.
  • If your body is finding it harder to get enough energy to perform its functions, you may lack energy or feel tired.
  • High blood sugar can affect the lens in the eye, and this leads to blurred vision.
  • High blood sugar levels can affect nerves and blood vessels which can lead to numbness, tingling or pain in the hands or feet.

Causes of Low Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

So far, we’ve looked at high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), but it’s not the only challenge that people with Type 2 diabetes must be aware of. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can be dangerous too. It occurs when the balance between insulin and blood glucose tips in the opposite direction, and blood sugar falls to dangerously low levels.

Low blood sugar can be a danger when you use too much insulin or time your medication incorrectly; you don’t eat enough carbs compared to the insulin being used; use alcohol; or engage in strenuous or unaccustomed physical activity.

Besides this, the balance of nutrients in your meals, and even changes to your daily schedule, can have an effect. Hormonal changes such as those experienced during puberty or menstruation can also skew the balance, and even environmental changes like spending more time at a high altitude or very hot, humid weather can lower blood sugar levels.

Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

Knowing Type 2 diabetes low blood sugar symptoms will be important to your health. You can take action, averting a dangerous situation in which you can lose consciousness, experience seizures, and even go into a coma.

Episodes of hypoglycemia indicate a need to work with your healthcare team to achieve better balance with the aim of preventing future issues with low blood sugar. Look out for the following symptoms. If you’ve ever been super-hungry before, you’ll recognise some of these.

  • Low blood sugar causes blood vessels to constrict. You appear pale.
  • Because your body lacks its primary source of energy, you feel overtired and you feel hungry.
  • You feel weak, and you may even tremble, sweat, or feel dizzy and faint.
  • As your body struggles to correct the problem, your heart may race.
  • With your energy and resilience at a low ebb, you may experience mood changes including anxiety and irritability and you struggle to concentrate.
  • Headaches, difficulty sleeping, and tingling feelings in the skin can also be warnings of low blood sugar.

What You Can Do to Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Very high or low blood sugar symptoms are signs that you can improve your Type 2 diabetes management. Once you’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it will be important to work with your doctors. Stick with treatment and monitoring recommendations, eat a healthy diet, engage in moderate exercise, and discuss any anomalies or concerns with your doctor.

Although all the information about high and low blood sugar levels may feel a bit overwhelming at first, it really is possible to maintain a healthy balance. You need to be well-informed and mindful of your condition so that you can fight back and achieve optimal health.

At the same time, your health concerns may have heightened your awareness that the unexpected can happen, and you may be wondering how your family will manage if you’re no longer there for them. Although you’re going to work hard to make sure that you are, you’d like to be sure of their financial welfare if they were to find themselves continuing life’s journey without you.

Life insurance provides that peace of mind, but not all insurers will take your commitment to a healthy lifestyle into account. Blueberry Life does! Find out more about life insurance for people living with chronic conditions and take a few minutes to fill in our online application form. Getting life cover with a pre-existing condition can be time-consuming and costly, but it doesn’t have to be that way!

‍

Reviewed by Dr. Kingshuk Pal