Experiencing high blood sugar or low blood sugar problems? If you feel drowsy after meals, get irritated and hungry 2-3 hours after a meal, or crave strongly for sweet desserts or snacks, then you have joined the ever increasing crowd of people with problems of blood sugar imbalances. In most cases, you can point a finger at the modern diet, often the culprit behind metabolic syndrome and blood sugar dysregulation.
Blood sugar dysregulation, also known as dysglycemia, simply means the inability of the body to regulate or maintain healthy blood sugar levels. In this case, a person with blood sugar dysregulation can either have high blood sugar levels, low blood glucose levels, or a fluctuation between both conditions.
What is Blood Sugar?
Another term for blood sugar is blood glucose. Glucose is the substance taken from the food we eat and converted into energy for the cells. Carbohydrates are a source of glucose which is processed in the digestive system and directly released into the bloodstream. Glucose in the blood triggers the pancreatic action of insulin release which allows the cells to receive or absorb the energy-giving glucose. It is normal after each meal for our blood sugar levels to rise and then settle down after an hour. A meal spikes blood sugar levels but insulin action and cell absorption balances out the glucose volume after a time.When Does Blood Sugar Dysregulation Happen?
A person afflicted with blood sugar dysregulation either experiences chronic high blood glucose levels, low blood sugar levels, or fluctuate between these two conditions. When the body fails to regulate its blood sugar movements at healthy levels, things rapidly go south. Dysglycemia is often a precursor to diabetes. This condition often causes other health issues too such as immune system dysfunction, metabolic fatigue, and hormonal imbalances.Chronic high blood sugar or hyperglycaemia can in the long run lead to blindness, erectile dysfunction, renal disease, and other serious conditions. Chronic hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar can spell kidney disorders, hepatitis, and problems with the endocrine system.
When a person chronically consumes a diet high in processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugary foods, he raises his blood sugar levels drastically all the time. The pancreas is tasked to meet this radical rise by pumping matching levels of insulin so that a large volume of glucose can enter the cells. Over time, the chronic elevated levels of insulin exhaust the cells so that they start refusing to absorb insulin and therefore become insulin resistant. When cells become insulin resistant, glucose is refused entry into them as well. There is now excess glucose in the blood and the person is now afflicted with high blood sugar or hyperglycaemia. Because the body will always try to metabolise excess sugar, it converts these excesses into triglycerides to be stored as fat.
On the other hand, chronic radical increases in blood glucose levels often sees hypoglycaemic (those prone to blood sugar levels lower than normal) crashing midday or a few hours after a meal. With more insulin opening cell doors to the higher volume of glucose in the blood, the cells tend to absorb more glucose and leave the bloodstream depleted of much of it. The body is then depleted of its energy source and goes into a crash. This phenomenon is termed reactive hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemics experience loss of energy, a constant craving for sweets, loss of focus, and even poor memory.
In both cases, blood sugar dysregulation leads to insulin resistance in the long haul causing huge issues over weight control, diabetes, and cardiovascular health.
Signs of a Blood Sugar Imbalance
Detecting the signs of an impending blood sugar imbalance is important to avoid problems of high or low blood glucose conditions later on. People need to be aware of the following symptoms so that early corrections can be made:• Extra fat in trunkal area. Increasing girth or fat quantities at the torso is a sign that all is not too well. Usually the quantity of abdominal fat is a dead give-away; but, be also aware that fat at the torso includes upper body areas such as back and shoulder blade sections.
• Dark skin on jawline, neck, armpits or under the breasts. Elevated insulin levels cause this condition called acanthosis nigricans.
• Buffalo hump. A hump of fat at the base of the neck and between the shoulder blades can signal elevated blood glucose levels.
• Gynecomastia. Colloquially, gynecomastia is known as "man boobs". Increased blood sugar level can trigger an enzyme to change the male hormone, testosterone, to the female hormone, oestrogen. Such as action promotes growth of male breast tissue.
• Lab results showing either elevated or below normal blood glucose levels. It is important to get at least a yearly blood glucose test.
However, what if you are already having an imbalance? Here are some tell-tale signs that could alert you to whether you have a high or low blood sugar count.
Signs of Hyperglycaemia (High Blood Sugar)
Symptoms for hyperglycaemia include:• Dry mouth
• Chronic thirst
• Chronic urination
• Suppressed appetite in the early stages; increased appetite later on
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue, lethargy
• Weakness
• Difficulty waking up; drowsiness
Signs of Hypoglycaemia (Low Blood Sugar)
Hypoglycaemia symptoms list the following:• Pallid face
• Tremors
• Tingling lips
• Palpitations, rapid heart rate
• Anxiety, panic
• Sweating
• Disorientation
• Drunken-like behaviour
• Cognitive impairment such as loss of concentration, impaired memory
• Paranoid and aggressive disposition
In diabetic patients, the condition of low blood sugar is dangerous as this increases the risk of death.
Tips for Balancing Blood Sugar Levels
As an ounce of prevention is always worth more than a ton of cure, the best way to make sure of maintaining your blood sugar at an even keel is to incorporate these suggestions into your lifestyle:• Eat right. Minimize or best, eradicate your diet of processed, refined, and high sugar foods. A diet low in vegetable intake and high on junk food is the quickest way to destroying your body’s ability to regulate its glucose volume.
• Regular exercise. This improves insulin signalling.
• Decrease stress. Chronic stress invokes the chronic release of the hormone, cortisol. When cortisol lingers too long in the body, it elevates blood sugar levels. Its constant activity can cause blood sugar dysregulation.
• Avoid the habit of skipping meals. Chronic blood sugar crashes because of long intervals without fuel sources (food) plays havoc on the metabolic system.
These suggestions are but a short list and it would be good to be aware of more healthy habits. Keeping your blood sugar levels at a healthy balance most of the time actually just boils down to maintaining a wholesome and healthy lifestyle.
