Contents:
- Medical Video: Treating Low Blood Sugar | Hypoglycemia | Nucleus Health
- Overview of diabetes
- Why does diabetes cause headaches?
- What are the symptoms of headaches in diabetes?
- 1. Hyperglycemia headache
- 2. Hypoglycemia headaches
- 3. Neuropathic headaches
- 4. Glaucoma headaches
- So what should I do?
Medical Video: Treating Low Blood Sugar | Hypoglycemia | Nucleus Health
Diabetes is identical to abnormal blood sugar levels in the body. This disease cannot be underestimated because it can affect other health problems such as headaches.
Ordinary headaches may not be too dangerous, but headaches due to diabetes can be different. Even so, you can find out what symptoms might lead to headache due to diabetes, so that it can be treated immediately.
Overview of diabetes
Diabetes is a disease caused by insufficient insulin produced by the pancreas, or insulin produced cannot be used effectively by the body.
Insulin itself is a hormone that functions to control blood sugar levels. So if insulin production in the body is insufficient, the blood glucose concentration will increase or it is called hyperglycemia which ultimately causes diabetes.
There are three types of diabetes, namely type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a lack of insulin production. Whereas in type 2 diabetes insulin resistance occurs, where insulin produced by the body cannot function effectively.
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Treatment for this type of diabetes is done directly by a doctor, but you can also do other things to manage blood sugar levels. After birth, gestational diabetes usually disappears by itself.
Why does diabetes cause headaches?
Actually, not all diabetics experience headache. Usually headaches often occur in people newly diagnosed with diabetes. This is because the body still tends to manage its blood sugar levels, so it often causes headaches. While people who have had diabetes for a long time, they may experience headaches due to diabetes.
Headaches associated with diabetes usually occur due to changes in blood sugar levels. The more blood glucose levels fluctuate, the more likely a person with diabetes will experience headaches. This headache can result in changes in hormone levels, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which then results in narrowing of the arteries in the brain. This narrowing is called vasoconstriction.
What are the symptoms of headaches in diabetes?
There are certain signs that help determine the type of diabetes headache you are suffering from. The types of headaches and their signs are as follows:
1. Hyperglycemia headache
Hyperglycemia can be interpreted as high blood glucose. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, headaches in new diabetics will appear when blood sugar is above 200 mg / dL.
Many sufferers do not feel symptoms even when blood sugar is very high, so sometimes symptoms are often detected late. Headache can be considered because your blood glucose is increasing and it is a sign to check your health condition further.
Symptoms that you can feel:
- Easily tired
- Blurred vision
- Dehydrated
- Wounds are difficult to heal
If you experience this, it is recommended to make lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and exercise, and some people use drugs to regulate their blood sugar levels.
2. Hypoglycemia headaches
Hypoglycemia is a condition when blood glucose in the body is low, below 70 mg / dL. Unlike hyperglycemia where new symptoms will appear within a few days, symptoms of headache due to hypoglycemia are often sudden.
Pain in the head of diabetics is usually characterized by symptoms:
- Excessive sweating
- Hunger
- Easy to get angry
- Nausea
- Feeling weak
If you want to treat headache due to hypoglycemia, it is recommended to consume 15-20 grams of simple carbohydrates or glucose tablets, then check your blood sugar about 15 minutes later. When glucose in the blood is stabilized, then slowly your headache will disappear.
3. Neuropathic headaches
Diabetes often leads to neuropathy, where the nerve conditions are damaged or irritated due to high blood glucose levels. This can occur when the nerves in the human brain, such as cranial nerves, cause neuropathic headaches due to high blood glucose levels in the long term. In this case, headaches in diabetes will feel like migraines.
4. Glaucoma headaches
People with type 2 diabetes are at risk for glaucoma. This is a condition when the pressure in the eye increases dramatically. This high eye pressure then causes pain in the head of diabetics and eye pain.
Symptoms that often arise are:
- Pain in the back and top of the eye
- Nausea
- Gag
So what should I do?
Now that you know about diabetic headaches, you still need to remember that diabetes must be controlled first and then the headache will gradually heal. The options that can be tried are consuming blood sugar-lowering drugs, doing yoga to minimize stress, changing eating patterns to be healthier, and doing lots of physical and sports activities.
But if the way you do doesn't work, the next step you should do is contact your doctor and do a further examination. The doctor will recommend medical treatment according to your health condition.
