Controlling Blood Sugar Spikes and Dips
Avoiding blood sugar that's too high or too low is essential to living well with diabetes. Find out how to avoid fluctuations in your blood sugar.
Controlling blood sugar spikes and
dips is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle with type 2 diabetes.
Blood sugar levels that run too high increase your risk for a host of chronic
complications. Blood sugar levels that dip too low can have more immediate
consequences — if not treated immediately, this situation can result
in loss of consciousness, and in extreme cases, even death.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to
prevent all blood sugar spikes and dips, says Robert Ratner, MD, chief scientific
and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association. "We can’t
eliminate all of the highs and lows that occur," he says. But there's a
lot you can do to keep your blood sugar levels as steady as possible.
Blood Sugar: High Versus
Good control over blood sugar spikes and dips can prevent
both high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Here’s why it’s so important:
occurs when your blood sugar levels spike. Left untreated, hyperglycemia can affect
many parts of the body. Damage to the heart and blood vessels increases your
risk for heart attack and stroke. If your eyes are affected, you could develop
vision problems and eventually lose your sight. Kidney damage could cause your
kidneys to shut down. In extreme cases of hyperglycemia, you could fall into a
diabetic coma as toxins build up in your body.
which is a sudden drop in blood sugar, can have a much more immediate and
life-threatening effect. This can occur if you take too much insulin or if your
diabetes medication causes your blood sugar level to fall too rapidly.
hypoglycemia, you can become dizzy and disoriented and might have a seizure or
lose consciousness if not treated immediately. These episodes can be extremely
dangerous, and not just because severe hypoglycemia can lead to coma and death.
"If you're driving and have a hypoglycemic reaction, it can be very
dangerous for you and others," says George Grunberger, MD, chairman of the
Grunberger Diabetes Institute in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a clinical professor
of internal medicine and molecular medicine and genetics at Wayne State
University School of Medicine in Detroit, and vice president of the American
Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
If you suspect that you're suffering hypoglycemia while
driving, pull over immediately and eat a fast-acting carbohydrate (fruit or
fruit juice, sugary candy, or glucose tablets, for instance). Then check your
blood glucose levels in about 15 minutes.
It's best to wait 30 to 45 minutes before resuming your drive, to give
your blood glucose levels time to stabilize.
Sugar Spikes and Dips
When you take insulin, monitoring
your blood sugar levels — as directed by your doctor — is
crucial to maintaining control over blood sugar spikes and dips. Be sure to
write down the results of every self-test. Then share this blood sugar log with
your doctor and use it to find ways to better control your levels.
A number of lifestyle strategies
can also help balance your blood sugar levels:
right. Avoid simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour. Instead, eat
plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Include protein from fish,
poultry, and lean meat, and avoid fatty foods.
your portions. Make sure you keep track of your calories, even if you're
eating healthy foods. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, one
quarter with lean protein, and one quarter with whole grains. "Medication
for diabetes is of limited value if food intake isn’t monitored and controlled
carefully, too," Dr. Ratner says.
Exercise. A daily workout burns calories and helps your body maintain a stable blood
sugar level. "When you exercise, your body's sensitivity to insulin
improves," Dr. Grunberger says. "You get more mileage out of your own
insulin." Exercise can also improve your heart health and blood pressure.
diabetes medications as prescribed. If you skip doses or don't take your
medication at all, your blood sugar levels are much more likely to fluctuate.
Take medication on time and exactly as directed. If you can't afford the
prescriptions you’ve been given, ask your doctor to switch you to a less
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