Is My Diabetes Making Me Tired?

If you have diabetes, you face a lot of issues that others don’t. You may have headaches or blurred vision. You may feel irritated or have poor memory and concentration. There are other symptoms and one of those may be feeling tired. In fact, there’s a term for that symptom, which is called diabetic fatigue. It often comes from the complications of diabetes.

If you have high levels of blood sugar, your blood tends to flow very slow.

High levels of insulin and blood sugar can cause damage to the blood vessels and red blood cells. It can cause the blood to get thicker, which makes it move slower. That makes it harder to reach the inner cells and provide adequate oxygen. The oxygen helps boost the energy as it goes to all parts of the body. It can cause people to feel tired and sleepy all the time.

The inflammation of the blood vessels and throughout the body may cause feeling tired.

Not only does the inflammation cause the blood to thicken, it can also trigger a message to the brain that you need to rest. That creates the exhaustion and fatigue that diabetics often feel. High levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol—HDL—also inflames the blood vessels, causing plaque that narrows blood vessels, lowering blood flow, adding to the exhaustion.

Your body retains more fluid and increases the bladder to handle more urine.

When diabetics have high blood sugar levels, they feel thirsty more often. That means they drink more fluid and have more frequent urination. Kidneys work harder when blood sugar goes up and the added fluid means you have to empty more. The emptying isn’t always during the day and often wakes the diabetic several times throughout the night. That interrupted sleep can also cause a diabetic to feel tired.

• There’s a direct relationship between the exhaustion you feel and your blood glucose levels. Whether it’s too high or too low, you’ll feel exhausted and tired. If you’re feeling tired for no reason, check your blood sugar.
• Too high of blood sugar, it means insulin is low and your cells aren’t getting the energy from the food you ate. That can make you feel tired and listless. The reverse is true. When blood sugar levels are too high, your brain doesn’t function properly and you can feel tired.
• Monitor your tiredness after a meal and then check your diet. Too many carbs can cause it, fast digestion—such as simple carbs and not enough fiber and inaccurate doses of medication may be responsible.
• You can help relieve the problem via good monitoring, a healthy diet, exercise and getting adequate vitamin D. Getting outdoors in the sun more frequently can help. Walking more frequently, meditation, relieving stress and getting adequate sleep also helps.

For more information, contact us today at Jari Love