What Does Fatigue Feel Like
Milton
A combination of both physical and mental factors can make you feel fatigued. Most adults will experience fatigue at some point in their lives. 1.5 million people in Australia see their doctor for fatigue every year. It is not a condition for fatigue to be a symptom.
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Are There Any Differences In The Symptoms Of Depression In People Who Have Diabetes
Just trying to cope and properly manage a chronic disease like diabetes can feel overwhelming to some. If you are feeling down and your sadness does not improve within a few weeks, you may be suffering from depression. It’s critical to contact a healthcare expert if you’ve been experiencing any of the symptoms of depressed for more than two weeks. It will always be difficult, but asking for help and talking about your difficulties with someone may be beneficial.
Modifying The Approach In Your Diabetes Care And Treatment
Exploring new diabetes management strategies can be a great way to re-energize yourself and avoid burnout. Other ideas include changing your exercise routine by running different routes, signing up for online or in-person fitness classes, or rediscovering your favorite childhood sport. You can also try:
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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.
Your Blood Sugar Levels Are Not In The Healthy Range
When your blood sugar is too high, it affects how your body burns glucose for energy. Unless you are on some specialized diet, sugar is your bodys primary fuel source. If you are primed to use it. Once we get sugar from food, the pancreas releases insulin. Opening the cells to absorb the sugar for usable energy.
However, if your cells do not respond properly to the insulin, the sugar will not absorb into your cells. Instead, it stays in your bloodstream. When your cells cannot get the sugar, they are starved for energy. If you have no energy, you feel tired and fatigued. High blood sugar also leads to another reason for fatigue.
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What Foods Cause Reactive Hypoglycemia
White rice, white pasta, potatoes, white bread, bakery items such as cake, pastries, pancakes or waffles are some of the simple foods that can lead to this reaction. Simple sugars, such as candy, sweetened drinks, honey and table sugar, can contribute to your body breaking them down to sugar.
The Importance Of Symptoms
Modern diabetes care is characterized by a strong focus on evidence-based, number-driven targets and outcomes. While this approach does have its benefits, it has shortcomings and limitations as well, one of which is that little attention is paid to the symptomatic well-being of the persons with diabetes. At times, in fact, complaints may be neglected, and symptoms sacrificed, to justify the use of particular therapeutic strategies or tools. A casual reading of modern guidelines suggests that the end-target is more important than the means . Understandably, such clinical judgment is bound to be met with patient dissatisfaction. One symptom which may be ignored in the quest for optimal numerical end-targets, is fatigue.
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Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
These tend to show up after your glucose has been high for a long time.
- Yeast infections. Both men and women with diabetes can get these. Yeast feeds on glucose, so having plenty around makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including:
- Between fingers and toes
- Under breasts
- In or around sex organs
What Causes These Symptoms
Diabetes symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood, and isnt being used as fuel for energy. The body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by flushing the excess glucose out of the body in the urine, making you more thirsty. High levels of glucose being passed in the urine are a perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection which causes thrush. But not everyone gets symptoms. In fact, 6 out of 10 people have no symptoms when theyre diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
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Silent Symptoms Of Diabetes
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, including 7.2 million that are undiagnosed. Additionally, 1.5 million Americans are newly diagnosed each year. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases. Diabetes has plenty of early signs, but some symptoms are subtle. Here are 10 subtle signs of diabetes:
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.
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Can Diabetes Cause Extreme Fatigue
If you feel exhausted and tired all the time, despite the amount of sleep or food you have, the possible reason for that can be type 2 diabetes.
People with type 2 diabetes are about ten times more likely to experience weakness, exhaustion, and fatigue. According to a recent study that compared people living with diabetes and those without the chronic condition. Glucose is a major source of energy for all cells in our body cells, tissues, and organs. Especially the brain.
A person with type 2 diabetes does not respond normally to the insulin produced by the body. As a result, glucose has a harder time getting into cells and doing its job of supplying energy. This is resulting in cells having less energy to function properly. As a consequence, a person develops generalized fatigue.
Now, this is not the end of the story. Chronic fatigue in type 2 diabetes is typically multi-factorial. Stress, depression, increased body mass index , and a lack of exercise can all be contributors to fatigue in people with type 2 diabetes. It affects insulin’s ability to deliver glucose from the bloodstream into tissues, such as those in the heart, brain, and muscles.
Meanwhile, many people with type 2 diabetes also have coexisting problems and conditions. Heart disease, kidney damage, and depression all can further increase fatigue. Many hypertension medications are known to cause fatigue.
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Causes Related To Blood Sugar
High blood glucose makes your blood sludgy, slowing circulation so cells cant get the oxygen and nutrients they need. Margaret commented, I can tell if my sugars are high in the morning, because groggy doesnt begin to describe it. Drugged is how it feels.
Low sugars levels also cause diabetes fatigue, because when blood sugar is low, there is not enough fuel for the cells to work well.
In addition, high blood glucose can cause diabetes fatigue through inflammation. Blood vessels get inflamed by the sugar. When this happens, according to research, immune cells called monocytes come into the brain, causing fatigue.
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How To Feel Less Tired After Eating
Carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet. They are your bodys preferred source of energy, and many foods high in carbohydrates are great sources of important vitamins and minerals.
But as weve seen, not all carbohydrates affect you in the same way. Choosing the right sources of carbohydrate may help you to feel less tired after eating.
If youre looking to avoid drastic blood sugar spikes and crashes, focus on eating high-quality complex carbohydrates.
Changes In Blood Sugar Levels
Diabetes affects the way the body regulates and uses blood sugar.
When a person eats, the body breaks down food into simple sugars, or glucose. Cells use insulin to absorb glucose from the blood and can then use this for energy.
In people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body does not use insulin effectively. This causes excess glucose in the blood.
Fatigue and weakness may result when the cells do not get enough glucose. Diabetes medications, such as insulin or metformin, help more of this sugar to move into the cells and prevent it from building to harmful levels in the blood.
A potential side effect of diabetes medications is low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.
Low blood sugar can also cause fatigue, especially in people who have frequent episodes and do not get enough warning that their blood sugar levels are dropping. A person can still feel fatigued even after treatment for low blood sugar.
While not all of those symptoms account for feelings of fatigue directly, many of them may contribute to an overall feeling of being unwell. These persistent and uncomfortable sensations can have severe mental and physical effects that may lead to the development of fatigue.
Some of the symptoms of diabetes may also disrupt a persons sleep pattern. For example, a person with the condition can wake up several times every night to use the bathroom or get a drink. People with type 2 diabetes have a of developing a sleep disorder.
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How Do I Treat Diabetes
Improve your lifestyle: Making changes in your day to day life can help reduce fatigue. Here are some lifestyle changes to consider:
- Lose some weight or maintain a healthy weight
- Engage in moderate to vigorous exercise multiple times a week
- Make healthy food choices
- Limit stress as much as possible and find ways to unwind
- Develop good sleep habits, such as regular bedtimes and no screen time at night
Manage your blood sugar levels: Monitoring your blood sugar levels regularly will ensure youre not experiencing the highs and lows that will negatively impact your sleep.
Seek professional advice: Be sure to check in with your diabetes healthcare provider to help you monitor your diabetes and determine if there are underlying conditions that could be contributing to fatigue.
Remember that feeling fatigue on occasions is normal when you have diabetes, but feeling exhausted all the time is not. Getting to the bottom of the issues contributing to your fatigue will mean you can get on top of staying healthy.
When To Call Your Doctor
If you’re older than 45 or have other risks for diabetes, it’s important to get tested. When you spot the condition early, you can avoid nerve damage, heart trouble, and other complications.
As a general rule, call your doctor if you:
- Feel sick to your stomach, weak, and very thirsty
- Are peeing a lot
- Have a bad belly ache
- Are breathing more deeply and faster than normal
- Have sweet breath that smells like nail polish remover
Show Sources
Cleveland Clinic: “Diabetes: Frequently Asked Questions” and “What Is Diabetes?”à ââ¬ÅDiabetes: Preventing Complications,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅHyperglycemia .ââ¬ï¿½
University of Michigan Health System: “Type 1 Diabetes.”
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: “Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes.”
Baylor Scott & White Healthcare: “Urinary Frequency” and “Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy Hard-to-Heal Wounds.”
Sutter Health: “Question & Answer: Is Sudden Weight Loss a Sign of Diabetes? If So, Why?”
Neithercott, T. Diabetes Forecast, August 2013.
University of Rochester Medical Center: “Diabetic Skin Troubles.”
Joslin Diabetes Center: “Diseases of the Eye” and “Diabetic Neuropathy: What You Need to Know.”
The Nemours Foundation: “When Blood Sugar Is Too High.”
Virginia Mason Medical Center: “Complications.”
Carolinas Health System: “Diabetes: Yeast Infections and Diabetes: What You Should Know.”
Geisinger Health: ââ¬Å3 reasons diabetic wounds are slow to heal.ââ¬ï¿½
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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.
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.
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What Causes Fatigue In Diabetes
Why does too much sugar make you tired? With diabetes, tiredness can result as a result of several factors such as:
- Can insulin resistance cause fatigue? High levels of glucose in the blood, either due to a lack of insulin or due to insulin resistance, can have an effect on the bodys capacity to get sugar from the blood into body cells to meet a persons energy requirements.
- Individuals who are on stronger anti-diabetics including insulin might also experience tiredness as a sign of low blood sugar levels.
- Blood sugar testing is a great way to determine whether high or low glucose levels can be the reason behind fatigue.
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.
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What Is Diabetes Fatigue
As it was mentioned above, diabetes fatigue is an extreme tiredness that individuals with diabetes can experience. It is a tiredness that disrupts a persons life and makes it difficult to function. It is very common, and studies have shown that 85% of those with diabetes experience fatigue.
Some signs of fatigue include:
- Dizziness
Reactive hypoglycemia, a term used to define the crash that a person gets after eating a lot of sugar and carbs, can be an early sign of diabetes. In order for the body to use the sugars and carbs that are consumed for fuel, each molecule must be paired with insulin to get into the cell. If there isnt enough insulin available, then the sugar molecules stay in the bloodstream and cause high blood sugar.
What happens is that over time, eating a lot of sugar and carbs causes your body to have to produce a lot of insulin. Eventually, you develop insulin resistance and the insulin stops working as well which causes your body to make even more to keep the blood sugar under control. So after eating a large meal of sugar and carbs, the body starts producing a lot of insulin to try to use the food for energy. The problem is that after the food is digested, there is still insulin floating around and it causes the sugar to drop.
Signs of reactive hypoglycemia are:
- Difficulty concentration
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
