Understanding Blood Sugar Fluctuations in Active Seniors

As we age, our bodies undergo various changes that can affect blood sugar levels. Regular physical activity is essential for seniors to maintain overall health and well-being. However, exercising with high or low blood sugar levels can be detrimental to one's health.

The Dangers of High Blood Sugar Ranges High blood sugar ranges can lead to a range of complications in active seniors, including increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and vision problems. Furthermore, uncontrolled diabetes symptoms may become more apparent with age, such as fatigue, thirst, and frequent urination.

Symptoms to Watch Out For

• Frequent urination or polyuria
• Increased hunger or appetite due to high blood sugar levels
• Fatigue or weakness
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal (indicative of poor circulation)
• Tingling sensations in the hands and feet

Maintaining a stable blood glucose level is crucial for active seniors. This can be achieved through monitoring techniques, such as using a glucometer at home.

Monitoring Techniques Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly with a glucometer to understand fluctuations throughout the day. Keep track of readings over time by maintaining a logbook or spreadsheet. Regular measurements will help you identify patterns coffee impact on blood sugar and make necessary adjustments in diet and exercise routine to keep blood glucose within normal limits.

Another crucial aspect is insulin sensitivity, which affects how effectively your body can regulate random blood sugar levels chart foods that control blood sugar levels blood blood sugar 123 before eating sugar levels.

Insulin Sensitivity: The Key to Regulating Blood Sugar Reduced insulin sensitivity increases the risk of developing high blood sugar. This occurs when cells become less responsive to insulin over time due to various factors such as genetics or blood sugar level 108 after eating environmental influences. Incorporating exercises that improve cardiovascular health, such as brisk walking or cycling, can enhance your body's response to insulin and lower overall blood glucose.

Maintaining a stable diet is also essential for regulating blood glucose levels in active seniors.

Dietary Considerations Consuming foods with high fiber content can help slow down the digestion process of carbohydrates. High-fiber options include fruits like berries, leafy greens such as spinach or kale, and legumes like lentils or chickpeas. Also, incorporating sources rich in protein will stabilize blood sugar levels.

Additionally, some stress management techniques can contribute to overall health by minimizing spikes in blood glucose.

Managing Stress Engage in regular exercises that promote relaxation and calmness such as yoga or meditation. These activities improve sleep quality and may reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases associated with high blood pressure like kidney disease.

In this video, you'll learn the basics of how to treat a high blood glucose result with a Correction Dose of insulin, how to calculate the Correction Dose, and when not to give a Correction Dose. The advice in this video is not intended to replace the instructions from your diabetes team. Please talk to your team about how to tailor this information to meet your needs. This video is part of a wider series about managing diabetes. You can find the full playlist here: ------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to Michigan Medicine’s YouTube channel for upcoming videos and future live streams featuring our experts answering your questions. ------------------------------------------------------- Follow Michigan Medicine on Social: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: #MichiganMedicine #Diabetes #T1D #Type1 #DiabetesMellitus