Understanding the Effects of Diabetes on Brain Health

Diabetes is a condition that can affect many organs in the body, one of which is the brain. Please note, this organ turned out to be quite sensitive to glucose (sugar in the blood). Check out the relationship between diabetes and the brain through the following review.

Diabetes and Its Effect on the Brain

The brain consists of nerve cells that function to help the body work properly. At the time of carrying out this function, the brain requires sugar in the blood as energy.

The amount of energy needed by the brain is quite a lot. In fact, this organ requires half of all the energy in the body to work optimally.

Therefore, blood sugar levels play an important role in brain function. This is where the relationship between diabetes and the brain is intertwined.

Diabetes is a condition when the body does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin that has been produced cannot be used properly by the body.

Insulin itself is a hormone that is also responsible for processing sugar into energy. So, if the process is hampered, an increase in blood sugar can occur.

Also Read: Alert, Diabetics are Vulnerable to Leaking Kidneys

Please note, kDiabetic blood sugar levels are not within the normal range. Not only high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can also occur in people with diabetes.

If blood sugar is not controlled, you can be at risk of experiencing it brainfog. Symptoms can vary from person to person, but symptoms associated with diabetes include:

• Fatigue.
• Confusion.
• Dizzy.
• Memory loss.
• Easily offended.
• Difficult to troubleshoot.
• Inability to process information.
• It’s hard to use the right words.
• Unable to concentrate.
• Feel moving in a slow tempo.

Impact of Hyperglycemia on the Brain

The high amount of sugar in the blood will eventually damage the blood vessels in the brain. In fact, the function of these blood vessels is very important because it distributes oxygen-rich blood cells.

If the brain receives a little blood, brain cells can die. This loss of brain cells (neurons) is known as brain atrophy.

If diabetics experience it, sufferers will experience problems with memory. This condition can lead to vascular dementia.

Dementia is not a disease, but a term used to describe impaired ability to think, remember or make decisions. The most common dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.

Epidemiological studies have reported that vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s are more common in patients with type 2 diabetes. The exact cause of this event is still not known with certainty.

Also Read: Diabetics Are Vulnerable to Mental Disorders, Here’s the Reason

Impact of Hypoglycemia on the Brain

Not only blood sugar levels that are too high, diabetics can also experience hypoglycemia. This is a condition when a person’s blood sugar is below normal (70 mg/dL).

When the brain doesn’t get enough sugar, this means that oxygen intake to the brain will stop. This incident certainly needs attention because it can cause serious medical problems.

According to research published in the Ganesha Medicina Journal, repeated episodes of hypoglycemia are a risk factor for cognitive decline. This means that diabetics who constantly experience a decrease in blood sugar can be at risk of experiencing cognitive problems.

In contrast to high blood sugar, usually the symptoms of low blood sugar can be seen right away.

Symptoms of this condition include shaking, dizziness, irritability, difficulty speaking or walking. Not only that, in severe conditions hypoglycemia can cause fainting or seizures, even coma.

Now,, after knowing the relationship between diabetes and the brain, you should consult with your doctor about personal blood sugar goals. By controlling sugar levels to stay at that threshold, brain health can be maintained.

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