Everyone feels very tired, feverish, irritated or have a migraine. If this happens to you regularly, you probably think you suffer from anxiety. But be careful, you could actually have hypoglycemia, a doctor warns. “It is possible to confuse hypoglycemia and anxiety, because the symptoms are very similarexplains Dr Priyanka Majety, assistant professor of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States to the American edition of HuffPost. Especially if the person does not have a history of diabetes or hypoglycemia, as anxiety is more common and may seem like a more likely cause. »
“Both conditions trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, releasing stress hormones that cause similar physical sensations,” explains the expert.
As a reminder, hypoglycemia results from an excessive drop in blood sugar levels. An attack can occur in a non-diabetic person when they skip meals, take certain medications, drink a lot of alcohol or have health problems with their liver or kidneys.
What symptoms?
Symptoms of a panic attack or low blood sugar include: headache or migraine, nervousness, agitation, tremor, confusion, weakness, insomnia, sweating, feeling cold or clammy, racing heart, irritability, dizziness or even dizziness.
“When blood sugar levels drop, epinephrine (adrenaline) is released, which sends signals to the liver to produce more glucose (blood sugar), says Dr. Markyia Nichols, chief medical officer of medical technology company Ciba Health, at HuffPost. Adrenaline also increases your heart rate, makes you sweat, and can make you more anxious. »
What tests?
If you have any doubt about the origin of the crisis, several tests exist and can be carried out at home. For example, you can use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or a real-time finger prick test.
“True hypoglycemia is generally defined as a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL in diabetic people on insulin therapy,” explains Dr. Majety. According to health authorities, a non-diabetic person is considered hypoglycemic if their level is 55 mg/dL or less.
If you don’t have such a device and have no apparent reason to be anxious, Marjorie Nolan Cohn, registered dietitian and clinical director of nutritional software company Berry Street, encourages you to ask yourself the following questions: “Has it been over three hours since I last ate?” What type of food did I eat last? Did the meal include a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats? »
How to overcome a hypoglycemic attack?
If the answers to these questions point you toward a possible hypoglycemic attack, eat immediately. Dr. Majesty recommends about 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates, such as fruit juice or glucose tablets. “If these symptoms disappear fairly quickly after eating and continue to stabilize afterward, it is likely hypoglycemia. » If you have the proper equipment, recheck your blood sugar 15 minutes after eating.
Be careful, don’t treat your attack with foods containing fat, warns Dr. Rozalina McCoy, endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland (United States). “Because these slow down absorption and the treatment won’t work as well. Common foods that people eat, like a candy bar, for example, are not good treatments. »
You could suffer from both conditions at the same time
But you can obviously suffer from hypoglycemia AND anxiety. “I have had several patients with anxiety who were diagnosed with diabetes who had exactly these types of symptoms.”testifies in particular Dr Jennifer Kraker, psychiatrist with 20 years of clinical experience in nutrition and psychiatry. Especially since a “Low blood sugar perpetuates anxiety, and anxiety can impact appetite”adds Marjorie Nolan Cohn.
But if you suffer from both problems at the same time, know that it is more urgent to treat hypoglycemia. If you are not diabetic, it is even vital, experts insist. “If you are unsure of the cause, the safest initial approach is to treat the hypoglycemia first, as untreated hypoglycemia can lead to serious complications,” alerts Dr. Majesty. These include cardiac arrhythmias, coma and even death.
What to do if anxiety is the cause?
If anxiety is the sole cause of your crisis, turn to calming techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness or even grounding exercises.
For example, you might bite into a lemon, dip your hands in water and focus on the temperature and sensation on your palms and fingers, hold an ice cube and notice how it feels, inhale a strong smell, grab a object that you like and note its characteristics, its shape, its touch, its texture… Caressing your pet if you have one can also help. But you could also eat or drink something you enjoy and take the time to savor it, go for a short walk to clear your head by focusing on the rhythm of your steps or even stretch carefully and slowly.
If you are regularly subject to anxiety attacks, we invite you to consult a psychotherapist, particularly specialized in CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy). As a reminder, this is a therapy aimed at replacing negative ideas and inappropriate behaviors with thoughts and reactions in line with reality. Ultimately, the goal is to help the patient overcome disabling symptoms and sources of distress such as rituals, checks, stress, avoidance, inhibition, poor self-esteem or aggressive reactions… Patient and psychotherapist work together to identify and understand problems based on emotions, the thoughts associated with them and the behaviors that this generates.
Source: www.topsante.com
