If you’ve been feeling light-headed, experiencing mood swings, and are taking too many trips to the loo, it could mean that your blood sugar levels are imbalanced. To understand how to recognize signs of blood sugar imbalance, it’s important that you know exactly what it is and why it’s important.
All the food that you eat is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is released into your bloodstream. When the sugar levels in your blood are spiked or crashed, it causes an imbalance, thereby affecting your energy, mood, concentration, weight, among other things. The blood glucose level is controlled by a hormone called insulin. When the sugar levels are too high, insulin works to bring it down to a normal level. When too much insulin is released, it causes the sugar level to crash, leading to a cycle called blood sugar rollercoaster.1 Here’s how you can find out if you are affected by a blood sugar imbalance.
1. You Feel Light-Headed
If you feel light-headed whenever you skip a meal, it’s probably due to the sudden drop in your blood sugar levels. Your brain does not receive enough glucose and starts to feed off the sugar in your blood. This results in a compromised brain activity and thus, dizziness.2
2. You Frequent The Loo Often
If you notice that you are making more trips to the loo than usual, then your blood sugar levels must be checked. Frequent urination is a classic symptom of elevated blood sugar levels. When there is a high level of blood sugar in your blood, some of the glucose finds its way to the urine, where it draws more water, making you urinate more often.3
3. You Feel Thirsty Too Often
Frequent urination due to blood sugar imbalance drains the water from your body, making you feel more thirsty. Your body needs to replenish all that water to avoid dehydration. Feeling thirsty too often is a warning sign to get your sugar levels checked.
4. Weight That Refuses To Go
If shedding off those extra calories seems to be an impossible task despite all the efforts you are putting in, you might have to get your blood sugar checked. The inability to lose weight could be the result of high blood sugar levels. The excess glucose in your blood is stored as fat for future use, thereby making it difficult for you to lose weight.4
5. You Feel Tired All The Time
You just had a good night’s sleep, and yet, you feel tired or lethargic. This can be a classic symptom of blood sugar imbalance. When the excess sugar that is concentrated in your blood is not diverted to the body cells, your muscles don’t receive enough energy, thereby resulting in fatigue.
6. You Have Poor Focus
A warning sign of dipping blood sugar levels is the inability to focus or concentrate on anything for a long period of time. Your brain needs fuel to function effectively, and it relies on glucose to complete its tasks. When you have low levels of glucose in your blood, your cognition suffers, leading to lack of concentration and memory issues.5
If you find yourself displaying two or more of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to get your blood sugar levels checked. If you do have an imbalance, take steps to correct it before it develops into diabetes. To manage erratic blood sugar levels, eat a well-balanced meal, coordinate your meals and medication, avoid artificially sweetened beverages and foods, and exercise regularly.
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