Uncontrolled Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes affects one in ten people worldwide. Understanding the condition is the first step to preventing and managing it. Whether you live with diabetes or care for someone with diabetes, learn about signs, symptoms and when to seek medical treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
- Sweating, chills, and clamminess
- Shakiness and confusion
- Rapid/fast heartbeat
- Hunger and nausea
- Headaches
- Urinating often
- Dry mouth and itchy skin
What is a blood sugar crisis?
There are two tell-tale crises that can happen when blood sugar levels get too low, and too high. When blood sugar levels get too low, the following can happen, and is commonly known as hypoglycemia.
- Shaky
- Nervous or anxious
- Sweaty, chilly, or clammy
- Cranky or impatient
- Confused
- Lightheaded or dizzy
- Hungry
- Sleepy
- Weak
- Tingly or numb in your lips, tongue, or cheeks
When blood sugar levels get too high, it is known as hyperglycemia. Symptoms include:
- Heavy thirst
- Blurry vision
- Peeing a lot
- More hunger
- Numb or tingling feet
- Fatigue
- Sugar in your urine
- Weight loss
- Vaginal and skin infections
- Slow-healing cuts and sores
- Blood glucose over 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)
Treatment for diabetes
Follow up with your Primary Care Physician or Endocrinologist to discuss lifestyle changes, medications, or surgery. You will need a physician to manage your care and follow your progress.
Seeking Care and What to Expect
If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes or diabetic crisis; Seek medical attention immediately. When you visit the iCare, our team is lead by exceptional ER physicians and will immediately assess your situation, employ life saving intervention as needed and provide a physical examination. Your care team may perform laboratory testing from our on-site lab. Once you are diagnosed, a treatment plan will be provided based on severity of your condition and symptoms.
If your diagnosis is uncomplicated and simply requires time to improve your blood sugar level, iCare is equipped to provide medications, IV fluids and cardiac monitoring under the watchful eye of our medical team in observation. Once your blood sugar levels have reached and maintained at an acceptable level and you are in stable and improved condition, the ER physician would be able to discharge you.
In the event that a patient requires hospitalization or other procedures that we do not offer at iCare, we are able to transfer them to a hospital for admission.
Sources: Mayo Clinic