Is diabetes to blame for your headache?
Well, sometimes it can be hard to tell. However, diabetes can certainly contribute to diabetes headaches. It is important to note that having diabetes does not mean that you’ll get headaches. However, the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more likely you are to have headaches related to your diabetes.
Can headaches be symptom of diabetes?
Diabetes-related headaches can cause other symptoms too, depending on whether your blood sugar is too low or too high. Low blood sugar headaches can leave you feeling faint, shaky, nauseous, or sweaty. High blood sugar headaches may be accompanied by feeling super thirsty or having to pee more than usual, fatigue, or blurred vision.
What does a diabetic headache feel like?
They can be super painful, with a throbbing or pulsing sensation on in your head. You might also feel weak, nauseous, and sensitive to light or sound. Diabetes-related headaches can cause other...
Is headache a sign of high blood sugar?
Your blood sugar may rise above 180–200 mg/dL. Experiencing a headache may be an early sign of blood sugar that is too high. Headaches associated with hyperglycemia may start out mild in nature and get worse as your blood sugar rises or maintains a high level.
What does diabetic headache feel like?
According to the National Headache Foundation, a hypoglycemia headache often feels like a dull throbbing pain in the temples. 7 It can also be accompanied by other hypoglycemic symptoms, including shakiness, confusion, sweating, increased heartbeat, and fatigue.
What are the early signs of being a diabetic?
Some of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are:Feeling more thirsty than usual.Urinating often.Losing weight without trying.Presence of ketones in the urine. ... Feeling tired and weak.Feeling irritable or having other mood changes.Having blurry vision.Having slow-healing sores.More items...•
What are 10 warning signs of diabetes?
Here are 10 subtle signs of diabetes:Frequent urination. Most people urinate four to seven times in a day. ... Excessive thirst. ... Extreme hunger. ... Weakness/fatigue. ... Pins and needles. ... Blurry vision. ... Itchy skin. ... Slow healing wounds and increased skin infections.More items...•
What does untreated diabetes feel like?
Among the signs and symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes are: Extreme fatigue. Frequent urination. Excessive thirst or hunger.
What are the 3 most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes?
Here are more details about the signs and symptoms of diabetes:Excessive thirst and increased urination. Excessive thirst and increased urination are common diabetes signs and symptoms. ... Weight loss. ... Blurred vision. ... Slow-healing sores or frequent infections. ... Red, swollen, tender gums.
How long can you have diabetes without knowing?
Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general.
How to stop headaches from diabetes?
This can involve making lifestyle or dietary changes and adjusting dosages or types of medication.
How to relieve headaches from high blood glucose?
Exercise can help relieve a headache from high blood glucose levels. If a person with type 1 diabetes is concerned about their level of ketones, it is important to check their urine for ketones first, especially if blood sugar levels reach 240 mg/dl.
Why is it important to manage diabetes?
It is essential to manage diabetes carefully and treat symptoms of hypoglycemia quickly. This can help prevent headaches and more serious compilations.
What is the cause of high blood sugar?
Hyperglycemia results from too much glucose circulating in the blood. In type 1 diabetes, a lack of insulin production causes spikes in blood sugar. In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot use insulin correctly. Additional risk factors include:
What are some examples of headaches?
Primary headaches: These do not relate to another medical condition. Examples of primary headaches include migraines and tension headaches. Secondary headaches: Underlying medical conditions or health issues cause these headaches. They include the type of headache that people with diabetes can experience.
How long does it take for headaches to go away with low blood sugar?
The ADA recommend that people with low blood sugar consume 15 grams of simple carbohydrates or glucose before rechecking levels after 15 minutes. Once blood sugar returns to the target range, the headache pain should reduce.
Why is hyperglycemia so bad?
slow healing wounds. Hyperglycemia is a serious condition that requires rapid management, as high levels of glucose can damage the blood vessels and nerves. Without treatment, high blood glucose might make the body resistant to the effects of insulin, a hormone that allows cells to absorb glucose.
How long does it take for a headache to get worse?
Unlike low blood sugar headaches, high blood sugar headaches tend to develop slowly over a few days or weeks. As your blood glucose levels continue to rise, you might notice that your headache gets worse and worse.
How to get rid of headaches?
Drink that water. Dehydration is a top cause of headaches in general, so making sure that you’re drinking enough is just common sense. Eight cups of water daily is a good rule of thumb, but if that’s not quite enough to quench your thirst, have more.
What to do if your blood sugar is too high?
If your blood sugar is above the target range, you may need to adjust your insulin levels or take a supplement of short-acting insulin. Getting more insulin can help your cells absorb some of the excess glucose in your bloodstream, bringing your blood sugar levels back down and helping your headache go away.
What happens if you don't have enough glucose in your blood?
If you don’t have enough glucose in your bloodstream to give the brain what it needs, you can end up with a throbbing headache. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, may occur when your blood glucose levels get (drumroll) too high — usually at least over 180 mg/dL or 10 mmol/L.
Why does blood sugar dip when eating too many carbs?
It’s also possible for your blood glucose to dip if you eat something with too many carbs, since the sudden spike in blood sugar can lead to an unhealthy drop after the body tries to compensate.
What to eat if you have a low blood sugar headache?
Tend to wake up with a low blood sugar headache? Having a high-fiber snack before bed can help (think a medium pear with cottage cheese, a slice of Ezekiel toast with nut butter, a rice cake, or some roasted chickpeas).
What foods can help with hyperglycemia?
Fill your plate with foods that can help control your blood sugar, like fatty fish, leafy green veggies, Greek yogurt, and eggs. If low blood sugar is a recurring problem for you, try having smaller, more frequent mini-meals instead of three bigger ones.
What Does A Diabetic Headache Feel Like?
About Diabetes & Diabetic Headache When your body's ability to use or produce insulin gets impaired, it gives way to a disease known as diabetes. Insulin is a hormone which helps the body to use glucose or sugar derived from the food we eat to give us energy or store it for future use. Made in the pancreas, insulin also helps prevent the blood sugar levels from getting both too low (hypoglycemia) or too high (hyperglycemia). There are 2 types of Diabetes. In the Type 1 Diabetes, the pancreas in unable to produce insulin without which excess amounts of sugar remain in the blood, become toxic over time and lead to headaches, blindness, neuropathy and fatigue. In Type 2 Diabetes, cellular resistance to insulin occurs in the body and is not diagnosed till severe symptoms such as diabetic headaches start to reveal itself. Understanding what a diabetic headache or the symptoms of a diabetic headache is not easy and in some cases the patient is unable to bear the pain associated with the same. Let us analyze what a diabetic headache feels like. What Does a Diabetic Headache Feel Like? The cause of the diabetic headache determines its feeling and extent. There are certain symptoms and signs which help determine the type of diabetic headache that you are suffering from. Let us analyze each of these types of diabetic headaches and the feeling associated with it. High blood glucose of hyperglycemia occurs when there is insufficient production of insulin in the pancreas or the body develops cellular resistance to the same. Occurring in both types of diabetes, it can prove to be fatal for some patients as the high concentration of glucose in the blood can prove toxic for the blood nerves or vessels. The problem with this condition is that many patients are unable to feel the symptom Continue reading >>
Why Does Diabetes Cause Headaches?
Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot make enough of the hormone insulin, or cannot use it properly, causing glucose to build up in the blood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 29 million people in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes does not usually cause headaches. But, while headaches are not dangerous, they may be an indication of poor blood sugar control in a person with diabetes. Over time, periods of continuous high or low blood sugar can lead to serious and even life-threatening health complications, such as heart disease and kidney failure. This article looks at the connection between diabetes and headaches and suggests ways to relieve diabetes-induced headaches. Contents of this article: Types of headache According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, published by the International Headache Society, there are over 150 types of headaches. Broadly speaking, headaches can be classified as either primary or secondary: Primary headaches are ones that are not linked to another medical condition. Examples of primary headaches include migraines and tension headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by underlying medical conditions or health issues and include the type of headache often experienced by people with diabetes. Other causes of secondary headaches include: hormone fluctuations infection nerve disorders overuse of medication trauma The pain associated with either primary or secondary headaches can vary in severity and duration. Some people may not experience headaches often, while others can get a headache several days each week. Depending on the type of headache, other symptoms may be present. For example, migraines can be linked with nausea and increased sensitivity to sound or light. Continue reading >>
Why Does High (or Low) Blood Sugar Give Me Headaches?
Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE, has been a registered pharmacist for more than 20 years and a Certified Diabetes Educator for more than 15 years. Her two sons were diagnosed with diabetes, and since then, she has been dedicated to promoting wellness and optimal outcomes as a patient advocate, information expert, educator, and corporate partner. Headaches can be debilitating, and patients with diabetes can get headaches from blood sugars dropping too low or climbing too high. As if we didn’t have enough to think about, right? There are many factors that can trigger headaches or even migraines, and blood sugar fluctuations are just one of those factors. The key to avoiding blood sugar-related headaches is keeping blood sugars from spiking or dropping too rapidly. For example, when you are treating a low blood sugar, don’t go on a high carbohydrate-eating binge, even though you may be ravenous. Eat a sensible meal with some protein as directed by your healthcare provider. When blood sugar is too low One of the suspected causes of low blood sugar-caused headaches has to do with the blood vessels in your brain. Your brain needs a readily available supply of glucose in order to function properly. If the brain senses it does not have enough sugar, blood vessels in the brain can spasm, triggering a headache. In the fasting state, stress hormones are also released which can cause vasoconstriction leading to headache. There is also a type of headache that can be seen in patients with diabetes that experience frequent low blood sugars, which are followed by rebound high blood sugars. This rebound phenomenon is often due to hormones that the body releases in response to a low blood sugar in an attempt to regulate itself. When blood sugar is too high High blood sugars can cause l Continue reading >>
Is Your Diabetes A Pain In The… Head?
You have a history of migraines. Is the headache caused by your diabetes, or is it a migraine? Well, sometimes it can be hard to tell. However, diabetes can certainly contribute to diabetes headaches. It is important to note that having diabetes does not mean that you’ll get headaches. However, the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more likely you are to have headaches related to your diabetes. When your blood sugar has a rapid drop, your brain senses that it doesn’t have enough glucose to function properly and the blood vessels in your brain can then spasm, causing a headache. When your sugars quickly climb too high, you will feel that familiar lack of concentration and sluggishness (like a food coma). If this goes on too long, your body will try to eliminate excess sugars through increased urination, which can cause dehydration. And, as we know, dehydration can cause headaches. Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar level is at or below 70 mg/dl. However, if your blood sugar levels are consistently high, you may have symptoms of hypoglycemia at a higher level. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include headaches (of course!), shakiness, sweatiness, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, and hunger. Hyperglycemia is when your blood sugar level is at or above 180 mg/dl. A headache is a common symptom of hyperglycemia, although often you may have no symptoms associated with hyperglycemia. However, symptoms typically become more apparent the higher the blood sugar level. When your blood sugar levels vac Continue reading >>
