When does it happen that you need to check your blood sugar immediately?

During the process of blood sugar control, diabetic patients will inevitably experience times when their blood sugar is out of control, such as hypoglycemia or severe hyperglycemia. No matter what the situation is, diabetics need to discover their abnormalities in time to avoid danger.

Heavy sleep - asymptomatic hypoglycemia

Asymptomatic hypoglycemia is a very scary complication among diabetic patients. Some diabetic patients do not have typical symptoms of hypoglycemia when they experience hypoglycemia. The "China Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (Popular Science Edition)" explains its mechanism as follows : One is that the patient's repeated episodes of hypoglycemia damage the high-level autonomic nervous center, which reduces the body's ability to recognize and respond to hypoglycemia. In this regard, professional doctors should be asked to reasonably adjust the type or dose of hypoglycemic drugs to reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia. The frequency and degree of hypoglycemia can be expected to restore the perception and response to hypoglycemia; the other is patients with long-term illness who are complicated by diabetic autonomic neuropathy or pituitary microvascular disease, resulting in a low response of glycemic hormone in the body during hypoglycemia. In this case, people with diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar regularly so that asymptomatic hypoglycemia can be detected in time.

Asymptomatic hypoglycemia does not have the typical symptoms of hypoglycemia (palpitations, anxiety, sweating, hunger, etc.), and some patients may present with hypoglycemic coma without warning symptoms after repeated episodes of hypoglycemia. Therefore, when a diabetic patient sleeps particularly deeply, he or she should be alert to the onset of asymptomatic hypoglycemia. If family members discover this situation, they should measure the patient's blood sugar in time to prevent danger.

Nightmares, sweating - low blood sugar at night

If diabetic patients have an unreasonable blood sugar lowering plan, it may lead to nocturnal hypoglycemia, especially for patients treated with insulin. For example, if intermediate-acting insulin is used as basal insulin, due to the peak effect of intermediate-acting insulin, nocturnal hypoglycemia may occur. Whether diabetic patients find nocturnal hypoglycemia, they can first answer these questions:

(1) Have you ever found that your pajamas or mattress are damp when you wake up in the morning?

(2) Do you feel restless sleep or have nightmares?

(3) Do you have a headache or are you still tired when you wake up?

If these conditions occur, it may indicate that you may have low blood sugar at night. In order to determine whether nocturnal hypoglycemia has occurred, you can test blood sugar at 2 to 3 am for two consecutive days to see if there is nocturnal hypoglycemia. If so, be sure to tell your doctor that you need to adjust your blood sugar-lowering plan to avoid hypoglycemia.

In addition to night sweats caused by low blood sugar, yin deficiency can also cause "night sweats". Sweating during sleep is called night sweats. In addition to night sweats, people with yin deficiency may also experience heat in the palms and soles of the hands and feet, irritability, redness and heat on the face, and problems in the mouth and throat. Due to dryness and other characteristics, diabetic patients should pay attention to distinguish night sweats from profuse sweating caused by nighttime hypoglycemia.

Losing your temper – hypoglycemia

When hypoglycemia occurs, in addition to symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and hunger, there will also be emotional changes, such as irritability, irritability, temper, anxiety, etc. Therefore, when a person with diabetes loses his temper, it may indicate that he or she has discovered something. If you have hypoglycemia, you should check your blood sugar in time to prevent danger. Especially for people with diabetes who often have emotional problems, they need to be more vigilant. A severe iatrogenic hypoglycemia or a cardiovascular event induced by it may offset the benefits of maintaining blood sugar within the normal range throughout their lives.

I would also like to remind everyone that a bad mood can also cause blood sugar to rise, because mood swings can cause hormone secretion disorders in the human body, leading to an increase in the secretion of glucagon hormones, such as epinephrine and glucagon. Therefore, people with diabetes must learn to control their emotions. Emotions are like a "barometer" of blood sugar control. They can not only remind you that your blood sugar may be too low, but may also cause your blood sugar to rise.

Drunkness - hypoglycemia

For patients with diabetes and liver dysfunction, heavy drinking can easily cause hypoglycemia after drinking. Because alcohol can inhibit the reaction of gluconeogenesis and hepatic glycogen decomposition in the body. Gluconeogenesis means that when the body's hypoglycemia concentration decreases, fatty acids and amino acids in the body will be converted into glucose through the gluconeogenesis pathway to supply glucose. Human energy needs. Glycogen is the "energy reserve". Glycogen is stored in muscles and liver and can be converted into blood sugar to provide energy. When blood sugar is insufficient to meet physiological needs, the body breaks down stored glycogen and converts it into glucose to supply energy. If a diabetic patient drinks a large amount of alcohol, especially on an empty stomach, the rapid entry of ethanol into the liver will inhibit the conversion of liver glycogen into glucose and transport it into the blood. The gluconeogenesis process will also be affected, making hypoglycemia more likely to occur.

Some symptoms of hypoglycemia are very similar to those of drunkenness, such as unsteady gait, slow reaction, and drowsiness. They can easily be mistaken for drunkenness, which can lead to severe and long-lasting hypoglycemia, delay in rescue, and even life-threatening in severe cases. Regardless of whether a diabetic patient drinks alcohol or appears drunk, it is necessary to measure blood sugar so that hypoglycemia can be detected in time.

Feeling tired and sleepy – high blood sugar

When people with diabetes feel tired, tired, and sleepy, it may be caused by high blood sugar. Because when the body's blood sugar rises, the insulin in the body is not effective enough, so glucose cannot enter the body's cells to supply energy, and part of the glucose will be excreted in the urine. The body's cells lack energy for movement, and people will naturally feel tired. When diabetic patients develop diabetic ketoacidosis, early symptoms include polyuria, polydipsia, and fatigue. When the disease progresses further, patients may also experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, irritability, and lethargy.

Diabetic patients should also pay attention to distinguishing between fatigue and drowsiness caused by hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Patients with hypoglycemia episodes will also have symptoms such as mental changes and cognitive impairment, but hypoglycemia episodes will also be accompanied by palpitations, anxiety, sweating and other typical symptoms of hypoglycemia. Symptoms can be distinguished from symptoms of hyperglycemia.

Rotten apple smell - ketoacidosis

When diabetic patients develop ketoacidosis, the smell of rotten apples, which is the smell of acetone, will appear in their breath as the condition becomes tense. This typical characteristic of diabetic ketoacidosis can be one of the clues to the discovery of the disease. When a diabetic patient finds that there is a smell of rotten apples in his breath, he must not be careless. He needs to be monitored immediately to detect diabetic ketoacidosis in time. Poisoned.

Dangers of hypoglycemia

Diabetic patients are more likely to suffer from hypoglycemia than ordinary people because common causes of hypoglycemia include:

(1) Some diabetic patients have too strict dietary restrictions and eat too little at each meal. The energy intake cannot sustain the body's energy needs, which will lead to hypoglycemia.

(2) If antidiabetic drugs are not used according to medical advice, they may cause severe hypoglycemia, such as increasing the dosage or frequency of taking the medicine without authorization.

(3) Excessive exercise without an appropriate increase in diet or reduction in medication will increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

(4) Drinking on an empty stomach is a predisposing factor for hypoglycemia. Diabetic patients are not recommended to drink alcohol, let alone drinking on an empty stomach.

The dangers of hypoglycemia include:

(1) Causes rebound hyperglycemia, which is not conducive to disease control. When a patient experiences hypoglycemia, the body's protective function will increase the secretion of glucagon (glucagon, epinephrine, etc.), leading to rebound hyperglycemia after hypoglycemia.

(2) It is easy to induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents. When hypoglycemia occurs, it will stimulate sympathetic nerve excitement, cause vasoconstriction, accelerate heartbeat, and easily cause abnormal heart rhythm and myocardial infarction.

(3) Long-term hypoglycemia may cause brain damage, because the energy source for human brain tissue activity is glucose. If the brain tissue cannot obtain energy supply for a long time, it may cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system. Patients may suffer from memory loss, mental retardation, and even dementia.

(4) Severe hypoglycemia may be life-threatening if not rescued in time.

The dangers of high blood sugar

The harm of hyperglycemia to the human body is divided into two aspects: acute and chronic injury. The main manifestation of acute injury is diabetic ketoacidosis. When a diabetic patient is exposed to some predisposing factors, such as infection, fever, insulin interruption or insufficient dosage, blood sugar can rise sharply, leading to diabetic ketoacidosis. In the early stages of diabetic ketoacidosis, the symptoms of three more and one less will be aggravated due to elevated blood sugar, followed by fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, polyuria, dry mouth, headache, drowsiness, deep and fast breathing, and fluid in the exhalation. Rotten apple smell (acetone), severe dehydration, drop in blood pressure, disturbance of consciousness and even coma will occur in the later stage. If not treated in time, it will be life-threatening.

Acute complications of diabetes also include diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome, which mainly manifests as severe hyperglycemia without obvious ketoacidosis but a significant increase in plasma osmotic pressure, as well as dehydration and impaired consciousness. The incidence of diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome is significantly lower than diabetic ketoacidosis, and it is more common in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Many patients are familiar with the chronic complications of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic foot disease, diabetic lower limb vasculopathy, diabetic skin lesions, etc.