The dangers associated with high blood sugars in those with diabetes or pre-diabetes are highly publicized: heart disease, neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy among them. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar and its effects are far less publicized and understood but to the diabetic using insulin this condition poses a grave threat. Hypoglycemia is responsible for about 5 percent of deaths in insulin dependant diabetics. More than 90 percent of insulin users report having had hypoglycemic episodes with 25 percent requiring assistance or hospitalization each year. The most immediate danger of this condition is the lack of glucose supplied to the brain. The brain needs a large amount of glucose to function properly.
The first signs of hypoglycemia can be irritability, the shakes and confusion. However the condition can often resemble someone who is highly intoxicated, which makes it even more dangerous when in an environment where your condition is not known or understood. When low blood sugars are left untreated brain damage can begin. Hypoglycemia can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, coma and death.
Diabetics tend to focus on keeping glucose levels low however in reality it is safer for the blood glucose levels to be a tiny bit high as opposed to a bit low where you can slip into a hypoglycemic episode.
Here are some precautionary steps to take to help avoid hypoglycemia.
1. Eat! Often times the onset of hypoglycemia comes from a lack of attention or mindfulness following a bolus insulin injection of insulin to cover a meal. It's like stepping off of a curb to cross a busy street when you have a red light. You just don't do it. If you're really busy and have to set a little timer to remind you, do it, but don't dose and skip a meal.
2. Monitor your intake of alcoholic beverages in relation to your insulin dosage. Alcohol will suppress the liver from producing and releasing glucose so in most cases if you've had a drink or two you will need to decrease your insulin.
3. Monitor your blood sugars closely before, during and after exercise. Strenuous exercise can cause blood sugars to rise but then drop steeply shortly afterwards. As you establish an exercise program error on the side of caution and avoid low blood sugars.
4. Beware of overcompensation for "dawn phenomenon". This is another common time for hypoglycemia to occur. This phantom rise of blood sugar that occurs in many diabetics several hours after going to sleep is at best unpredictable. It often shifts for unknown reasons so again error on the side of slightly high blood sugars. This can be a very dangerous time for a hypoglycemic episode to occur if there is no one to "wake' you should you slip into unconsciousness.
Besides taking these precautions make sure those around you know you are diabetic and those closest to you know what to do in an emergency. Carry some glucose tablets and make sure you wear a diabetes ID to inform anyone trying to help you of your condition should you loose consciousness or have a seizure.
Keep your blood sugar in a good range but be safe and avoid any hypoglycemic episodes.
Choose health!
Bradley Kapture, author, "The Sounds of Silence" http://www.yoga4diabetes.com/pages/publications.html and lecturer, is the founder of yoga4diabetes. Kapture is an expert in asana, mantra and meditation practices. In 2004 a turn in life circumstances forced him to close his yoga studios, leave his yoga practice and go to work in the world of corporate sales. After just 3 years he found himself overweight, filled with anxiety and with type 2 diabetes. He refused standard drug treatment and instead returned to yoga and developed a yoga method to address the causes of type 2 diabetes and to heal his body.
Within just three months his blood sugars had returned to normal levels. His doctor responded, "I agree with you on your diabetes control; the HGA1C is well below target at 6.5 so keep doing what you're doing. It's really a tremendous achievement to go from 7.7 to 6.5 in such a short time period without medication." These results inspired him to share his yoga method and help others with diabetes reduce or eliminate dependence on medication and help those with pre-diabetes from developing the disease. In the tradition of yoga Kapture offers consultations on a donation basis! For more information go to http://yoga4diabetes.com/.
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