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People often discuss blood sugar issues, especially expressing concerns about high blood sugar. Diabetes has attracted widespread attention in society due to its increasing prevalence and high rates of disability and mortality. However, many people may not be aware that hypoglycemia is also a disease with extremely high risks. Occasional hypoglycemia can cause even more serious harm to the human body than high blood sugar. Severe hypoglycemia may even cause permanent and irreversible damage to the brain and even lead to brain death. Therefore, rescuing people with hypoglycemia can be described as a race against time.

The following will introduce in detail the harm of hypoglycemia to the human body and corresponding treatment methods, hoping to be helpful to you at critical moments.

How can we determine that hypoglycemia has occurred?

For non-diabetic patients, a blood sugar level lower than 2.8 mmol/L can be identified as hypoglycemia. For diabetic patients, a blood sugar level lower than 3.9 mmol/L can be judged as hypoglycemia.

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

Mild hypoglycemia: Usually, people will feel hungry, and at the same time, they may also experience symptoms such as palpitations, tremors in the hands, dizziness, weakness, cold sweats, pale complexion, and difficulty concentrating.

Moderate hypoglycemia: Besides the above symptoms, some strange behaviors may also be manifested, such as emotional instability, incontinence, being unreasonable, and mental confusion.

Severe hypoglycemia: Coma, convulsions, limb spasms, urinary incontinence, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular accidents and other symptoms may occur, and it may even endanger life.

What situations are likely to cause hypoglycemia?

Hunger, insufficient food intake, and intense exercise can easily trigger hypoglycemia. Generally speaking, people prone to hypoglycemia are mainly diabetic patients, especially those with type 1 diabetes. Meanwhile, type 2 diabetic patients using insulin are also prone to hypoglycemia.

In addition to the possible occurrence of hypoglycemia due to factors such as decreased liver and kidney functions, the following factors also require vigilance:

2 to 4 hours after a meal: Especially after consuming excessive amounts of high-sugar foods, the body may secrete and release excessive insulin in order to cope with the sudden large amount of sugar, thus resulting in a hypoglycemic effect.

Heavy drinking: Especially when drinking a large amount of alcohol on an empty stomach or in a state of hunger, it may trigger hypoglycemia. Because in this case, the liver's glycogen reserve is insufficient, and it is necessary to mobilize the body's fat and protein. However, a large amount of alcohol will inhibit the liver's function of converting fat and protein into glucose, thus triggering a hypoglycemic distress signal.

Nocturnal hypoglycemia: Nocturnal hypoglycemia usually occurs between 12:00 midnight and 2:00 am. Patients are prone to symptoms such as night sweats and nightmares. When waking up in the morning, they may feel that the quality of sleep is poor, often accompanied by headaches and fatigue. Especially for diabetic patients, nocturnal hypoglycemia often starts with nightmares. Therefore, diabetic patients must strengthen blood sugar monitoring, and if necessary, 24-hour ambulatory blood sugar monitoring can be carried.

The elderly population: The elderly, especially elderly diabetic patients, have a relatively weak ability to perceive hypoglycemia. Sometimes, when symptoms such as palpitations and dizziness occur, they are often misdiagnosed as coronary heart disease or hypertension and ignored. If similar hypoglycemic symptoms recur frequently, the body will gradually adapt, and it may no longer send out warnings. In the long run, it may cause irreversible harm to patients and even quickly fall into a coma without any warning signs. Therefore, the elderly population especially needs to pay attention to avoiding the occurrence of hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemic drugs: The use of hypoglycemic drugs is also a risk factor for the occurrence of hypoglycemia. Insulin and sulfonylurea hypoglycemic drugs are prone to cause hypoglycemia during the use process. Other hypoglycemic drugs such as metformin, pioglitazone, and acarbose generally do not easily cause hypoglycemia when used alone. Therefore, patients using such drugs must be under the guidance of doctors or pharmacists when changing drugs or adjusting doses.

How to rescue oneself in case of hypoglycemia?

Many diabetic patients may choose staple foods such as snacks and steamed buns to relieve symptoms when hypoglycemic symptoms occur. Although this approach is not completely wrong, it is not the most appropriate choice. Because for the treatment of hypoglycemia, time is of the utmost importance. Foods such as sucrose, honey, and fruit juice should be quickly consumed. These foods can be quickly absorbed by the intestine, thereby relieving hypoglycemic symptoms as soon as possible. While starchy foods such as steamed buns belong to polysaccharide foods and need to be metabolized and decomposed into monosaccharides before they can be absorbed and utilized by the human body. Therefore, the speed of correcting hypoglycemia is relatively slow. In addition, for diabetic patients taking acarbose, voglibose, and miglitol, when hypoglycemia occurs, sucrose should not be used, but glucose should be supplemented instead, because these three drugs will slow down the speed at which sucrose is decomposed into glucose and fructose, so that blood sugar cannot rise rapidly.

The first aid methods for diabetic hypoglycemia are as follows: After patients show hypoglycemic symptoms, they should immediately lie down and rest. Orally take 15 - 20 grams of sugar-containing foods (preferably glucose). Monitor blood sugar every 15 minutes. If the blood sugar is still lower than 3.9 mmol/L, sugar-containing foods can be taken again; if it is higher than 3.9 mmol/L, starchy or protein-containing foods such as milk, bananas, or sandwiches can be eaten.

Finally, a reminder: Hypoglycemia caused by long-acting insulin or sulfonylurea drugs is not easy to correct. It is recommended to seek medical treatment in time after self-rescue. It may be necessary to infuse glucose for a long time. After regaining consciousness, monitor blood sugar for at least 24 - 48 hours.

For severe hypoglycemic attacks, timely and correct treatment measures are crucial. Diabetic patients should regularly monitor blood sugar to avoid the occurrence of hypoglycemia. At the same time, avoid intense exercise on an empty stomach or in a state of hunger. If moderate or severe hypoglycemia occurs and self-rescue is ineffective, they should be immediately sent to the hospital for medical treatment.

If hypoglycemia recurs frequently and the cause is unknown, do not handle it by yourself at home. Be sure to go to the hospital to seek help from doctors. For severely hypoglycemic patients with consciousness disorders, immediately dial the 120 emergency rescue hotline and send them to the hospital for treatment.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often suffer from hypoxemia due to ventilation dysfunction and ventilation/perfusion mismatch, which can have a serious impact on their daily lives.

Long-term home oxygen therapy (LTOT) is an important means in the management of COPD patients. It can effectively correct hypoxemia, relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life. Next, let's discuss in detail how to conduct home oxygen therapy correctly.

I. What is long-term home oxygen therapy?
Long-term home oxygen therapy refers to a treatment method in which COPD patients receive continuous oxygen inhalation at home for at least 15 hours a day and for a duration of at least 6 months.
This oxygen therapy method aims to improve the quality of life of patients and prolong their survival period.

II. Which patients need oxygen therapy?
When COPD patients breathe room air, their arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) is less than or equal to 88%.
When COPD patients breathe room air at rest and their arterial oxygen saturation is 88% accompanied by symptoms such as cor pulmonale, pulmonary hypertension, and polycythemia.

III. How to inhale oxygen effectively?
Although the standard long-term home oxygen therapy recommends inhaling oxygen 24 hours a day, in actual operation, it can be adjusted according to the patient's condition and the doctor's advice. Generally speaking, the longer the daily oxygen inhalation time is, the better the effect will be. Nighttime oxygen therapy is particularly important and can significantly improve the survival rate of COPD patients.

IV. Selection of oxygen therapy equipment
The main home oxygen therapy equipment includes portable oxygen concentrators, home oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and so on. When choosing, factors such as portability, oxygen supply time and stability need to be considered. For example, portable oxygen concentrators are suitable for use when going out, while home oxygen concentrators are suitable for long-term home use.

V. Preparations before oxygen inhalation
Clean the nostrils: Use a cotton swab dipped in clean water to clean the nostrils to ensure that the nostrils are unobstructed.
Adjust the flow rate: Adjust the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen therapy equipment according to the doctor's advice or the instruction manual. For COPD patients, single-nasal-catheter oxygen inhalation is generally recommended, and the oxygen flow rate is controlled at 1 - 2 L/min.

VI. Precautions during oxygen therapy

VII. Recommendations for nighttime oxygen therapy
For COPD patients who are prone to nocturnal hypoxemia, the nighttime oxygen flow rate can be adjusted according to maintaining the arterial oxygen saturation above 90%. It can be considered to maintain or appropriately increase the oxygen concentration during daytime rest to ensure the effect of nighttime oxygen therapy.

Sub-health is a very common phenomenon among us nowadays. We are busy with work, have irregular diets and lack self-restraint in life. However, as we grow older, various uncomfortable reactions have emerged in our bodies. So we should start to pay attention to it now.

The blood oxygen index is a relatively important indicator in the body. The blood oxygen level can reflect both the metabolic situation in the body and the functions of respiration and circulation. By monitoring blood oxygen, we can also understand the health status of the body.

What health problems may be caused by low blood oxygen saturation?

Increased heart rate:

The body may accelerate the heart rate through a reflex mechanism to compensate for the lack of oxygen, which may lead to enhanced myocardial contractility and affect the normal circulatory system.

Digestive dysfunction:

A decrease in blood oxygen concentration may affect the blood supply to the digestive system, resulting in symptoms such as indigestion or loss of appetite.

Cerebral hypoxia:

Hypoxia in the brain may cause neurological symptoms such as dizziness, a feeling of fullness in the head, and headache. In severe cases, it may lead to a decline in cognitive function or even brain damage.

Impaired cardiopulmonary function:

The heart and lungs may bear a greater burden due to lack of oxygen. Long-term hypoxemia may lead to cardiac insufficiency and lung inflammation or fibrosis.

Multiple organ failure:

Continuous hypoxia may lead to impaired functions of important organs such as the liver and kidneys. In severe cases, it may trigger multiple organ failure.

Metabolic acidosis:

The imbalance of acid-base in the body may lead to deeper and faster breathing. Long-term development may damage the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.

Respiratory failure:

Symptoms such as dyspnea and cyanosis of the lips may appear, and further development may lead to serious complications such as disturbance of consciousness and convulsions.

Heart failure:

The pumping function of the heart is impaired, and symptoms such as chest tightness, dyspnea, and edema may appear. In severe cases, it may endanger life.

Monitoring blood oxygen saturation is crucial for early detection and prevention of these hazards. Especially for those with a history of chronic pulmonary diseases, they should pay attention to changes in blood oxygen at all times.

Some people say that hypertension is a "fussy" and tiresome problem. As long as you are a little bit careless, the blood pressure value will rise unrestrainedly. Especially in autumn, which is a transitional season, the climate changes from summer to winter and the temperature turns from hot to cool. The weather is sometimes cold and sometimes hot and repeats frequently. Hypertensive patients can't adapt to it, so autumn can be regarded as the "devil season" for hypertension. In this autumn with unstable temperatures, hypertensive patients need to pay attention to the following six points to stabilize their blood pressure:

Follow the doctor's instructions on taking medications. This is of the utmost importance. Don't stop taking medications, change medications or increase or decrease the dosage on your own. Do a good job in daily blood pressure monitoring. If there are any changes, inform the doctor in time to see if it is necessary to adjust the medication treatment plan.

Eat a light diet. There is a saying about "gaining weight in autumn", but hypertensive patients still need to control their diet and avoid eating a lot of meat and greasy foods. Such foods may lead to the accumulation of cholesterol and fat, clogging blood vessels and causing dangerous situations such as cerebral infarction and stroke.

Don't "resist the autumn cold". In autumn, it's cool in the morning and evening and hot during the day. You should put on clothes in time and don't be greedy for coolness. Pay special attention to keeping the head, ears, hands and feet warm so that the body's perceived temperature remains basically constant and avoid the body being stimulated by temperature changes.

Get up slowly. During sleep, various physiological functions operate at a low speed, the metabolic level drops, the heart rate slows down and the blood pressure decreases. When people wake up and change from a deep sleep state to an active state, if they get out of bed immediately or make large movements, it's easy to induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Don't exercise vigorously. Moderate exercise also has a good effect on lowering blood pressure, but don't exercise vigorously. Hypertensive patients should try their best to avoid strength exercises such as pushing, pulling and lifting or breath-holding exercises. They should choose exercise items that are  whole-body, rhythmic and easy to relax.

Speak slowly. Speaking too fast can easily make emotions excited and nervous, prompting the sympathetic nerve to be excited, causing blood vessels to contract and triggering or aggravating the recurrence of hypertension, heart disease and so on. You should regulate and control your emotions, keep a happy mood and prevent blood pressure fluctuations. In many cases, the impact of hypertension on the human body is like "boiling a frog in warm water". You may not feel uncomfortable in the beginning period, but if the body is in a "high-pressure" state for a long time, it will gradually cause damage to the internal organs. So we must attach importance to hypertension.

Everyone knows that we should eat less salt, but in daily life, we often unconsciously take in too much of it. For ordinary people, perhaps a little more or less salt intake doesn't seem to have an obvious impact on their health.

However, for the following six types of people, excessive salt intake will cause noticeable reactions in their bodies. Maybe the health problems that you have been suffering from for a long time are actually caused by excessive salt intake.

People who often have headaches:

Excessive salt intake will increase the pressure on blood vessels and lead to headaches. Research shows that if the daily salt intake is controlled below 3 grams, the probability of having headaches will be reduced by 31%.

People with poor gastrointestinal function:

Eating foods with high salt content will cause three kinds of harm to the gastrointestinal tract:
① A high osmotic pressure environment will be formed in the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea.
② It will damage the gastric mucosa, reducing its protective effect and making the stomach wall more vulnerable to injury.
③ It will prolong the emptying time of the stomach, reduce the secretion of gastric acid and aggravate indigestion.

People with chronic kidney disease:

The kidneys play a role in excreting sodium. In people with chronic kidney disease, the kidney function is impaired and their ability to excrete sodium decreases, resulting in the retention of salt and water in the blood, which causes an increase in blood pressure, an increase in the pressure on the glomeruli, accelerates the deterioration of the kidneys and may even lead to kidney failure.

Hypertensive patients:

If hypertensive patients consume too much salt, in order to maintain the water-sodium balance, water will be "locked" in the body, resulting in water and sodium retention. There will be more blood in the blood vessels and the pressure on the blood vessel walls will increase, further raising blood pressure.

Patients with chronic pharyngitis:

After eating foods with high salt content, the pharyngeal mucus will increase, making the throat feel more uncomfortable and aggravating coughing.

People with osteoporosis:

When the body excretes sodium, it also excretes calcium. When too much salt is consumed, as more salt is excreted, more calcium will be lost, which is particularly unfavorable for people with osteoporosis.

How to make up for it when you occasionally eat something too salty?

Potassium and sodium in the body are interrelated. The balance between potassium and sodium enables cells to work normally. When the intake of sodium ions is excessive, this balance will be disrupted. If potassium can be supplemented appropriately, it can promote the excretion of sodium and offset the harm caused by a high-sodium diet. (Foods rich in potassium include fruits such as bananas and citrus fruits, tubers such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, and vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and tomatoes.)

Exercise can make you sweat, and sweating will take away some sodium. Drinking a lot of water after eating salty food is not a good way, because the salt in the body will absorb water and lead to body edema. Just drink an appropriate amount of water.

Of course, the best way is still to eat less salt and keep the daily salt intake below 5 grams to relieve the burden on the body.

Blood vessels, as an important structure inside the human body, are the channels and guardians of our lives. The health condition of blood vessels is directly related to the quality of our lives. They are like the guardians of the body, always on guard against external invasions.

Four symptoms of blood vessel blockage

Complexion

Healthy people have a ruddy complexion, which benefits from the smooth flow of blood in the blood vessels. Once the blood vessels are blocked, the complexion often turns pale or bluish-purple, because of the poor blood circulation.

Vision

Blood vessel blockage may affect the blood supply to the eyes, resulting in symptoms such as blurred vision and narrowed visual field. If you find that your vision has declined, you may as well go to the hospital for an examination to see if it is caused by blood vessel blockage.

Headache

When blood vessel blockage leads to insufficient blood supply, the brain may suffer from a headache due to lack of oxygen. This kind of headache is usually persistent and may become more severe as the condition worsens.

Language ability

Blood vessel blockage may affect the blood supply to the brain, thus affecting language functions. If you find that you have difficulty speaking, become incoherent or your comprehension ability declines, then this may be a sign of blood vessel blockage.

The hazards of blood vessel blockage

Firstly, blood vessel blockage will directly affect the circulation of blood. Over time, all organs of the body will gradually decline and their functions will gradually weaken due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. Secondly, blood vessel blockage may also lead to a series of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Blockage of blood vessels in the brain may lead to a stroke, causing serious sequelae such as hemiplegia and aphasia. These diseases not only bring great physical pain to patients but also impose a heavy burden on families and society. In addition, blood vessel blockage may also trigger a series of complications. For example, due to poor blood circulation, local tissues may suffer from hypoxia and necrosis, forming ulcers or gangrene. These complications not only increase the difficulty of treatment but also bring greater pain to patients.

How to prevent blood vessel blockage

A balanced diet is the foundation for maintaining the health of blood vessels. You should consume more foods rich in fiber and antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc. They can effectively remove the waste in blood vessels and keep the blood flowing smoothly. Meanwhile, you should control the intake of oil and salt to reduce blood lipid and blood pressure, thus reducing the pressure on blood vessels. Stick to appropriate amounts of exercise. Exercise can enhance the cardiopulmonary function and improve the efficiency of blood circulation, which helps to remove the waste and toxins in blood vessels. Do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc., to make your body full of vitality during exercise. Keep good work and rest habits. Adequate sleep and regular work and rest help to regulate the endocrine and maintain the stability of blood pressure and blood lipid. Try to avoid bad living habits such as staying up late and overworking, and provide a good resting environment for blood vessels. Keep an optimistic attitude. When you are in a good mood, all organs of the body will work more harmoniously and blood vessels will be more unobstructed. You should learn to regulate your emotions and keep a peaceful mind so that blood vessels can maintain health in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

When it comes to diabetes, I believe everyone is quite familiar with it. It is known as the "undead cancer", from which we can imagine how harmful it is!

To prevent diabetes, the key lies in "early" - early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment.