Diabetes Diary

Here are some symptoms of high and low blood sugars. If you're hanging out with your friend/family member/co-worker who has Diabetes and they exhibit any of these symptoms, you may want to gently urge them to test their blood sugar. I believe these are fairly common, but this list is not necessarily exhaustive and is mostly based on personal experience.

High Blood Sugar:

Headache
Dehydration or extreme thirst
Irritability or change in mood
Fatigue
Lack of appetite
Dizziness
Nausea/vomiting
Increased heart rate

Low Blood Sugar:

Dizziness
Shakiness
Weak or tired feeling
Delayed mental processing
Irritability or change in mood
Swelling or numbness in lips or tongue
Headache

Note that some symptoms are the same for both highs and lows. I tend to notice my irritability more when I have a high blood sugar, but the other morning I was irritable with my brother and my blood sugar was 66. Of course, sometimes I might just have a headache or not have much of an appetite and my blood sugar is fine. Some of these are not dead giveaways of an out-of-range blood sugar.

Also, please note that extreme cases of high or low blood sugar can cause a person with Diabetes to go into a coma and be unresponsive. If this happens, call an ambulance. In nearly fourteen years, this has never happened to me or my brother, thankfully, but it's important to be aware of the possibility.