People with type 1 and 2 diabetes are prone to conditions related to unstable blood sugar levels. One of them is dawn phenomenon or the dawn phenomenon, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels in the morning.
This condition needs to be watched out for because high blood sugar levels can risk complications in diabetic patients. Here are some related things dawn phenomenon which is important to know.
1. What is the dawn phenomenon?
illustration of high blood sugar (freepik.com/xb100)
Dawn phenomenon is a condition of increased blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia that occurs in the morning. This usually happens between 3 and 8 in the morning. This phenomenon is common in people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes.
This condition is not usually seen in people without diabetes because the pancreas releases sufficient amounts of the hormone insulin to help control blood sugar levels. In diabetic patients, dawn phenomenon potentially increasing blood sugar levels to dangerous levels that need to be addressed.
Also Read: 8 Types of Oral Diabetes Medications and How They Work
2. Cause
illustration of a blood sugar test kit (pexels.com/Nataliya Vaitkevich)
Reported Healthline, dawn phenomenon occurs due to the release of hormones in the body, such as growth hormone, cortisol and glucagon. When levels of this hormone increase, the liver is stimulated to release glucose into the bloodstream. This process provides an energy boost for the body and prepares you to wake up in the morning.
In a healthy person’s body, cells in the pancreas will release the hormone insulin to help maintain the balance of blood sugar levels. However, it is different with diabetes patients who do not produce enough insulin or when the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin (insulin resistance). As a result, blood sugar levels remain high when you wake up in the morning.
Increased blood sugar levels in the morning are also at risk for diabetes patients who use insulin as part of their treatment. If injecting long-acting insulin (long-acting insulin) earlier, insulin levels in the bloodstream may not persist until morning. If you use an insulin pump, the insulin level given at night may be too low.
In addition, sleep quality may have an effect on emergence dawn phenomenon. Deep research International Journal of Endocrinology 2017 showed that poor sleep quality is associated with dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes patients.
3. Symptoms
illustrated haus (pexels.com/Andrea Piacquadio)
Main symptoms dawn phenomenon i.e. high blood sugar levels in the morning. Diabetic patients can use a glucometer or through the device continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) upon waking.
Some of the symptoms that can be experienced include:
Continue reading the article below
Editor’s picks
- Increased thirst and hunger.
- Dry mouth.
- Frequent urination.
- Headache.
- Blurred vision.
- Fatigue.
- Discomfort in the stomach.
- Nauseous.
4. The difference between the Somogyi effect and the dawn phenomenon
illustration of checking blood sugar levels (pexels.com/PhotoMIX Company)
Besides dawn phenomenoneffect Somogyi (Somogyi effect) is also believed to cause high blood sugar levels in the morning. Reported American Diabetes Association, the name of the Somogyi effect comes from Michael Somogyi, PhD, who first described it in the 1930’s. The Somogyi effect is the body’s response to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) at night.
A number of factors trigger this condition, such as diabetic patients who skip dinner or use too much insulin after dinner. Blood sugar levels may drop too low overnight. The body will make more glucose to compensate so that blood sugar levels are high in the morning.
To tell the difference, people with diabetes are advised to do regular blood sugar tests at certain times such as:
- Before sleeping.
- Around 2 to 3 am.
- After waking up in the morning.
This needs to be done for several nights and mornings.
If blood sugar levels are low between 2 and 3 a.m., a person is most likely experiencing the Somogyi effect. However, if your blood sugar level is normal or high between 2 and 3 a.m., it’s probably the cause dawn phenomenon.
Also Read: 7 Signs of Uncontrolled Diabetes, Beware of Complications!
IDN Times Community is a media that provides a platform for writing. All written works are fully the responsibility of the author.
