If you have diabetes, it is likely that you have experienced diabetic weakness. One of the first signs of the disease, in fact, is diabetic weakness. Primarily, this occurs because the cells lack the sugar they need to make energy. Since they are essentially starving, they continue calling out for nutrients, causing the diabetic to continually feel hungry and unsatisfied.
Another major cause of diabetic weakness is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Taking too strong of a dose of medicationor skipping mealsusually lead to this hypoglycemic state and to diabetic weakness. If you feel weak, check your blood sugar level. If it is low, eating some type of sugar such as a few hard candies or glucose tablets, or drinking half a cup of juice or soda pop will normally bring your blood sugar levels back to normal. Be sure to check your glucose levels again after about 15 minutes. Once your blood sugar levels are above 100 mg/dL, or after the symptoms subside, eat a meal or a snack.
The following are tips to help you avoid or treat diabetic weakness:
- eHow.com recommends eating a snack with both carbohydrates and protein make a good snack after a hypoglycemic episode. A good example is one-half of a peanut butter or meat sandwich and a half a glass of milk. Eating a similar snack before and after a long walk or other exercise can help prevent hypoglycemia and diabetic weakness as well.
- The ADA recommends keeping a glucagon kit around the home in case you pass out from a diabetic episode. If friends and family do not know how to treat the problem, you should be taken to the hospital immediately.
- The ADA also states that you should refrain from any physical activity for 30 minutes after your hypoglycemic episode, and be sure to wait until your diabetic weakness subsides.
Nerve Damage & Diabetic Weakness
When a diabetic feels muscle weakness, it may be a symptom of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). Normally this happens after years of having nerve damage. There are several forms of neuropathy. No matter what type of neuropathy you have, the nerve damage will eventually lead to diabetic weakness in the muscles of the affected area. In fact, in peripheral neuropathy the muscles in your hands and feet shrink up and you gradually lose mobility all together:
Other than your diabetic condition, lifestyle factors such as smoking, the consumption of alcohol, and lack of exercise contribute can contribute to the development of diabetic neuropathy and diabetic weakness. If you feel tingling a numbness in your feet, or feel muscle weakness in your legs, you should speak to you doctor about it as soon as possible. You can avoid this and many other types of diabetic weakness simply by keeping your blood sugar levels under control.
