Type 2 diabetes: Three symptoms in the morning warning of the dawn phenomenon

Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert

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Diabetes is a condition that causes the blood sugar level in an individual’s blood to become too high. These rising levels are said to be more pronounced in the evening and the morning. In fact, a condition occurs in the morning with more than 50 percent of diabetics with any of these three symptoms being a warning.

The dawn phenomenon is a natural rise in blood sugar that occurs in the early morning hours.

The shift in blood sugar levels happens as a result of hormonal changes in the body.

When this occurs, blurry vision, extreme thirst or nausea may ensue.

Hyperglycaemia occurs when the body has too little insulin, for example, when a person eats more or exercises less than they had planned.

The dawn phenomenon refers to a rise in blood sugar released by the liver.

The release happens as the person’s body is preparing to wake for the day.

The body normally uses insulin to cope with this rise in blood sugar.

The dawn phenomenon can be problematic because the body isn’t able to naturally correct insulin changes during the night.

This often creates consistently high blood glucose levels in the morning.

Estimates show that the dawn phenomenon occurs in about 50 percent of people who have type 2 diabetes.

Is it dangerous?

According to one study, people with type 2 diabetes found that the dawn phenomenon can increase A1C levels, a measure of average blood sugar levels over three months, by 0.4 percent.

Elevated A1C levels are associated with an increased risk of diabetes complications.

These can include things like heart disease or kidney damage.

Since even small increases in blood sugar levels can impact your health, managing the dawn phenomenon can be an important step in reducing your risk of diabetes complications.

You can avoid the dawn phenomenon by:

  • Eating regular meals and snacks
  • Taking medications according to the prescription
  • Adjusting food and medication intake when increasing activity levels.

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