Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is critical for your overall health and avoiding prediabetes, diabetes, and other health issues related to unhealthy blood sugar levels. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 100 million people in the United States are living with prediabetes or diabetes. Untreated blood sugar issues, prediabetes, and diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, liver issues, vision loss, and other health issues. However, blood sugar level issues, insulin resistance, and hypoglycemic episodes can arise even before you reach the stage of prediabetes or diabetes, making it important to watch your blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar or blood glucose is a sugar that you obtain from your diet that your bloodstream carries to your cells to create and supply energy. Healthy blood glucose levels mean that there is enough blood sugar in your body for energy, but not too much to overload your system.
If your blood sugar levels drop below the normal range of about 70 mg/dL, it means that you have hypoglycemia. Hyperglycemia is characterized by consistently high blood sugar levels. It often develops when your body doesn’t have enough insulin to deal with
all the blood sugar or develops lower insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a very important hormone in your body and is created by your pancreas. It helps your cells to absorb and use sugar and assists blood glucose to enter your cells in
your fat, muscles, and liver to be used for energy.
When you eat, your blood sugar levels increase. To deal with all the blood sugar, your pancreas releases insulin to help lower your blood sugar and create balanced, normal blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, it means that your body is unable to respond to or use the insulin produced by your body. This means that your muscles, fat, and liver won’t be able to easily absorb and use blood sugar. This will drive your pancreas to overwork and increase the release of insulin trying to make up for your body’s weak response to insulin and trying to keep your blood sugar levels at a healthy range. This increases your risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, as well as consequent health risks and health issues.
Signs of insulin resistance may include having a large appetite, intense sugar cravings, being overweight, trouble losing weight, fatigue after meals, frequent thirst or urination, hormonal issues, estrogen or testosterone dominance in females, low testosterone in males, acne, skin issues, high blood pressure, and other health issues.
What Is Diabetes?
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are both chronic and progressive diseases that affect the way one’s body regulates blood sugar or glucose. People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin themselves and need to receive insulin via injections. People with Type 2 diabetes don’t respond to the insulin their body is producing, or don’t make enough. Both conditions are life-threatening and require immediate interventions.
Do you know your ABCs*?
*ABC is A1C (a snapshot of what your blood sugars have been averaging the past 2-3 months), B is blood pressure, and C is cholesterol. It is important to know YOUR numbers.
How we can help?
The good news is that through a healthy diet and lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy weight can help normalize your blood sugars and prevent development of prediabetes and diebetes. The latest Consensus Report recommends individualized nutrition counseling for all people with diabetes and prediabetes.
If you want to find out more information, contact us today at our Ambler, PA physical therapy clinic to make an appointment with one of our specialists at Polishuk Physical Therapy.
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