Living With Diabetes Fatigue
Weve writtenabout fatigue before and received tons of great comments on those posts. But this time lets go deeper and find the whole range of causes and solutions, even if it takes a few weeks. Hopefully, everyone will find something that might help them, because this is a serious problem.
For example, Melanie wrote, really takes a toll on my family and things we can do. I just want to have the energy to play with my son and to do things around the house or with friendsI cant drive more than 30 minutes because my husband is afraid I will fall asleepand wreck .
Because of my multiple sclerosis , I live with fatigue sometimes, and I know how limiting it is. I know how difficult it can be to manage. There are more than 15 known causes for fatigue. It helps to figure out what is causing yours, so you can address it. Here are some possibilities.
What Causes Diabetes Fatigue
Melanie’s story is not unique. She is tired all the time. Her eyes open in the morning and she is ready to fall asleep again. Sometimes Melanie even starts dozing off while standing around her kitchen and living room, or while sitting down with a book. Fatigue can take its toll on any diabetic. It impacts time spent with family and friends.
It can impact your work performance. Fatigue can even be dangerous, for example, while operating a car. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of people with diabetes. And it is a symptom that can impact your entire life.
When To Contact A Doctor About Dizziness
Anyone experiencing regular dizziness should contact a doctor. They may wish to consider keeping track of when they feel dizzy to help a doctor identify any patterns.
The doctor may carry out a physical examination and assess any other symptoms. They may check blood sugar levels and review the personâs medications to determine the cause of the dizziness.
Treating or managing the underlying causes of dizziness in type 2 diabetes may help resolve dizziness.
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Could My Fatigue Be Linked To My Depression About Diabetes
Diabetes is a very stressful disease. It takes a lot of time and energy to plan meals and insulin dosages. Having all of the stress can lead to depression. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as those without diabetes.
Depression is a major cause of fatigue, and can make it even harder to manage diabetes because of lack of motivation. It is important that individuals with depression seek help from their doctor/therapist to make sure that they are able to care for themselves. Learning coping mechanisms to deal with your depression which is linked to your diabetes will be effective in the long term.
Managing Tiredness And High Blood Sugar After Meals
If tiredness is accompanied by high blood glucose levels after meals, it can indicate one or more of the following:
- The carbohydrate you are eating is too quick acting for you medication to cope with
- You are eating too much carbohydrate for your medication/dosage
- Your medication/dosage is not strong enough
You should only change your medication dosage if your doctor has approved you to.
Putting on weight is a common indication that ones insulin levels are too high. People who are overweight and experiencing tiredness as a result of high blood glucose levels may be able to combat tiredness by reducing their carbohydrate intake.
A doctor or dietitian should be able to help you with how to reduce your blood glucose levels whilst achieving a healthy weight.
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The Effects Of Fatigue In People With Diabetes
Fatigue was among the top four symptoms found to interfere with self-reported quality of life in women with type 2 diabetes who rated their health poorer than women without symptoms . In children with type 1 diabetes, self-reported fatigue was comparable to fatigue in children with cancer and significantly higher than in healthy, age-matched controls .
Such findings suggest that fatigue has far-reaching and serious consequences for patients with diabetes because it is largely a self-managed disease, requiring both physical and mental energy to accomplish the daily self-management tasks necessary for maintaining optimal health.
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Low Blood Sugar: The 1: 15 Rule
Doctors may recommend that people with low blood sugar follow the 15:15 rule. The ADA explains that a person can take 15 grams of carbohydrates and then check their blood sugar levels 15 minutes afterward. If blood sugar is still low, they should take another 15 g.
People can repeat this until their levels are within a normal range. Examples of carbohydrates that can raise low blood sugar efficiently include:
- glucose tablets or glucose gel, which a person should take according to the instructions on the label
- a half cup of juice or non-diet soda
- 1 tablespoon of sugar, honey, or corn syrup
- hard candies, such as jelly beans or gumdrops
It is important to avoid using complex carbohydrates to treat low blood sugar in an emergency, as these can slow down the time it takes for the body to absorb glucose. The same applies to carbohydrates with fat, such as chocolate.
Once blood sugar levels have returned to a healthy level, a person can eat a healthy snack to prevent their levels from dropping again.
Carbohydrate levels may vary for each individual, and children will need less than 15 g to treat low blood sugar. People can discuss a specific treatment strategy for low blood sugar with a doctor.
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Can Diabetes Be Cured
Diabetes can be well-controlled by controlling the symptoms, but it cannot be completely cured as it is a chronic disease. Hence, prevention is key.
- Lead a healthy lifestyle by reducing weight.
- Ensure a balanced diet with proper nutrition.
- Avoid junk food or extremely fatty foods.
- Exercise daily for 30-40 minutes.
- Limit the intake of alcohol and refrain from smoking tobacco.
- Increasing the intake of some essential minerals such as magnesium has shown to decrease the risk of diabetes.
- Monitor the blood sugar level from time to time.
- Be conscientious about your annual eye check-ups.
Type 2 Diabetes In Children
Type 2 was once called adult-onset diabetes because it was rare in children and teens. But it has become more common since the mid-1990s, in large part because more young people are overweight or obese, a risk factor for the disease.
Children are also at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if they donât get enough exercise or if they have a close relative with the condition. African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Asian American, and Pacific Islander children are more likely to get it.
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When To See A Doctor
A person with diabetes should see their doctor regularly to monitor and manage their diabetes.
They may also wish to consult a doctor who specializes in treating new or worsening fatigue that interferes with daily life.
People should seek medical attention for fatigue that occurs alongside other symptoms, such as fever, chills, or malaise, as these could indicate an infection.
Do Blood Sugar Levels Make A Person With Diabetes Tired
Blood sugar levels can definitely make someone tired. If blood sugar levels are too high or too low, the body is not able to operate 100% like it should and it can wear the body down. Also, having to chase blood sugar with insulin and battle to keep it under control is very tiring. One study found that 29% of people with diabetes said fatigue was caused by adjusting insulin dosages and 23% percent said that it was caused by stress from managing their disease.
Hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, can cause fatigue because it deprives the brain and other organs of fuel and oxygen to work properly. If blood sugar gets too low, then it can cause major problems such as confusion or even seizures.
Hyperglycemia, which is blood sugar that is too high, can cause fatigue because the blood carrying the fuel to the organs is like maple syrup instead of water. When it takes longer for the cells to reach their destination, the body is tired and worn out.
Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She didnt like the porridge too cold or too hot, it had to be just right in the middle. Blood sugar is the same way. The body operates best when it stays in the target range.
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High Blood Sugar Causes Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of high blood sugar. In people with diabetes, it is referred to as diabetes fatigue. Many people with the condition feel tired all the time regardless of how well they sleep, how healthily they eat, or how much they exercise on a regular basis. Research has shown that up to 61% of people who are recently diagnosed with the condition experience fatigue. However, fatigue doesnt just occur in those with diabetes. It can also happen in people with normal or prediabetic blood sugar levels if they experience a sudden spike in their blood sugar.
When the body experiences a spike in blood sugar levels, it goes into overdrive trying to create enough insulin to balance it out. If there isnt enough insulin or the body isnt responding to the insulin as it should, your body will start to pull from fat to create the energy it needs. When this happens, energy is used from the splitting of a molecule known as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. When ATP expels one of its three phosphates for energy, it turns into another molecule known as adenosine diphosphate, or ADP. If there are no energy sources to pull from, the ATP cannot regain the phosphate it gave away, leading to fatigue.
When Should I Contact My Doctor
Your doctor should be contacted any time there is a change in the level of fatigue that you are experiencing. When you meet with your doctor, you should be honest about the blood sugar levels that you have been experiencing, as well as any other problems that you are having. Also, if you become very depressed or think about killing yourself, you should seek help from your doctor right away.
If you have experienced fatigue with diabetes, please share your story below. Others can benefit from hearing how you were able to reclaim your life.
References
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What Causes People With Diabetes To Be Tired
Two common reasons for tiredness or lethargy are having too high or too low blood sugar levels.
In both cases, the tiredness is the result of having an imbalance between ones level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin.
If you feel tired during the day, despite having slept well, it could be a result of either high or low sugar levels.
It is best to test your blood glucose levels to see whether the tiredness is indeed a result of having high or low sugar levels.
This is particularly important for people on insulin.
- Read about the recommended blood glucose levels ranges
Eat Fat Fiber And Protein At Each Meal
Boosting energy levels when you have diabetes is largely tied to making sure weâre doing everything we can to promote stable blood sugar levels. This goes for people with type 2 diabetes and any other type of diabetes. This is where balancing our meals and snacks with fat, fiber, and protein comes into to play.
Dont totally ditch carbs with meals and snacks. Carbohydrates are the bodys preferred source of fuel. It is ok to add fruit, beans or rice to a salad. A salad with chicken is great but your body may need a bit more than that to keep you going, says KeyVion Miller RDN, LD/N, Food and Nutrition Blogger of The Millers Kitchen.
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Low Testosterone In Prediabetes
In men, testosterone levels commonly decrease if overweight. Lower testosterone levels are known to cause tiredness and weight gain. Low testosterone levels also cause you to go to the toilet more often and can interrupt sleep. Hormonal levels in women during menopause also fluctuate and can be a common time for weight gain to occur.
How To Identify Blood Sugar Spikes
Fatigue is associated with a myriad of other conditions, as well as just day-to-day life and other stressors, so it alone cannot tell you whether you are experiencing a blood sugar spike. People with diabetes are encouraged to keep tabs on their blood sugar levels to detect any sudden changes. This is one of the ways they can identify when blood sugar spikes happen.
The most common cause of high blood sugar is improper insulin production. Insulin is the hormone that is tasked with regulating blood sugar levels, and if it is not being produced at high enough levels or at all, it can lead to high blood sugar levels.
There are few reasons why insulin levels in the body are inadequate, including:
- Eating too much
- Not receiving enough insulin from treatment
- Having a malfunctioning diabetes pump
- Having insulin that is ineffective at managing blood sugar levels
Other risk factors that should be taken into consideration include weight, age, history of smoking, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure levels. These can all contribute to diabetes.
For a person without diabetes, insulin levels are unlikely to be considered at all. This is why it can be helpful to keep a food log and note levels of fatigue or other symptoms following every meal. If fatigue generally sets in after eating, it could be a sign that its attributed to blood sugar levels. If this does happen, it may indicate that a person should follow up with their healthcare provider and have their blood sugar levels checked.
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The Lowdown On Low Energy
People living with type 2 diabetes can sometimes have low energy. This isnt necessarily about being sleepy. If you are feeling more tired than usual, check with your healthcare team. There are several issues that may contribute to feeling low energy. Not sure what they are? Let us fill you in.
Contribution Of Blood Glucose To Chronic And Acute Fatigue
For the substudy, the majority of patients was willing to participate. Twenty-one patients were excluded because of the presence of a comorbidity . A subset of 68 patients participated. From two patients, no data were obtained. Sixteen patients had incomplete 5-day data sets but were included in the analyses. Reasons for incomplete or absent data were premature sensor removal , technical problems with the CGM system or EFD . In this substudy, participants did not differ from patients not willing to participate regarding age, sex, fatigue severity, and HbA1c . The prevalence of chronic fatigue in the substudy was 37% compared with 40% in the total sample.
Chronically fatigued T1DM patients spent in proportion less time in hypoglycemia compared with nonchronically fatigued patients . There was no significant difference between the two groups in GLmean , Gvar and hyper .
None of the four blood glucose parameters were significantly associated with acute fatigue. Correlations between EFD scores and glucose parameters were GLmean , Gvar , hyper or hypo . GEEs showed no significant between- or within-subject effects of GLmean_hour and Gvar_hour on acute fatigue .
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How Does Diabetes Affect Sleep
Its estimated that one in two people with type 2 diabetes have sleep problems due to unstable blood sugar levels and accompanying diabetes-related symptoms, High blood sugar and low blood sugar during the night can lead to insomnia and next-day fatigue. As with many chronic conditions, feelings of depression or stress about the disease itself may also keep you awake at night.
When blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys overcompensate by causing you to urinate more often. During the night, these frequent trips to the bathroom lead to disrupted sleep. High blood sugar may also cause headaches, increased thirst, and tiredness that can interfere with falling asleep.
By contrast, going too many hours without eating or taking the wrong balance of diabetes medication can also lead to low blood sugar levels at night. You may have nightmares, break out into a sweat, or feel irritated or confused when you wake up.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing fatigue, trouble sleeping, or any other worrying symptoms. They can help analyze the reason and work with you to keep your blood sugar levels more stable.
Prediabetes Causes Risk Factors Symptoms & Treatments
Overview Other names for prediabetes may be referred to as impaired glucose tolerance which means higher than normal blood sugar after a meal, impaired fasting glucose 9 IFG) which means higher than normal blood sugar in the morning before eating. Prediabetes means you have a higher than normal blood …
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Treating Diabetes And Fatigue
Talk to your health care provider about ways you can manage both diabetes and fatigue. With a few changes, your fatigue may improve. Make sure to:
- Take proper care of your mental health
- Consider making healthier lifestyle changes
- Build your social support network.
Researchers discovered that help from family and other networks reduced diabetes-related fatigue. Read about it in this study.
Every day, people around the world connect in our active community to share advice and get support. They help each other live a healthier, fuller life, despite their chronic conditions. It is a movement changing lives across the globe. Join us by clicking here.
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