Why fatigue in diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, research shows that 61 percent of people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes report fatigue as a symptom. The same study found that fatigue is the second most common symptom in this group. In this article, we look at the links between diabetes and fatigue. We also provide advice on how to manage this potentially disruptive symptom. Fatigue is a common symptom of diabetes. There are many reasons why diabetes can cause fatigue, including:.

When a person eats, the body breaks down food into simple sugars, or glucose. In people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin , or the body does not use insulin effectively. Cells need insulin to absorb glucose from the blood. If the cells do not take in enough glucose, it can build up in the blood. The cells need glucose to provide energy. Fatigue and weakness might result when the cells do not get enough glucose.

Diabetes medications, such as insulin or metformin, help more of this sugar to move into the cells and prevent it from building to harmful levels in the blood.

A potential side effect of diabetes medications is low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar can also cause fatigue, especially in people who do not get enough warning that their blood sugars levels are dropping. A person can also feel fatigued after treatment of low blood sugar. While not all of those symptoms account for feelings of fatigue directly, many of them may contribute to an overall feeling of being unwell.

These persistent and uncomfortable sensations may have severe mental and physical effects that can lead to the development of fatigue. Adimoolam notes that all of these factors can independently decrease insulin sensitivity, making it even harder for insulin to deliver glucose from the bloodstream into tissues, including those in the heart, brain, and muscles.

Meanwhile, many people with type 2 diabetes also have coexisting conditions such as heart disease, kidney damage, and dehydration ; these can further increase fatigue, according to Adimoolam. Many medications for hypertension are known to cause fatigue. Take a proactive approach to dealing with fatigue by addressing your symptoms and concerns with your healthcare providers and support team.

Following these steps can help:. Talk to your doctor. Let your doctor know that exhaustion is preventing you from doing activities that are important to keeping you healthy.

Try keeping a journal to track your symptoms: How many times do you get up at night to go to the bathroom? Take detailed notes on your daily habits and use your journal to talk to your doctor or diabetes educator about concerns that make living with type 2 diabetes harder for you, she says. Be as active as possible. Set small, achievable activity goals, such as taking a daily walk or stretching , and increase your movement goals as you feel able. But Dr. Underlying conditions and diabetes-related complications are additional factors that can contribute to tiredness.

Zonszein explains that when people have had type 2 diabetes for a long time, they can develop damage in their kidneys, heart, and liver. When fatigue is a concern, Zonszein will also screen for anemia. Anemia is not caused by diabetes, but it frequently occurs in people with diabetes and is a common cause of fatigue.

Depression runs high in diabetes. According to the journal Current Diabetes Reports , people with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression. This can be caused by biological changes or by long-term psychological changes. Learn more about the link between these two conditions. You can talk with your doctor about possibly switching medications to see whether your sleep improves.

Exercise can also help depression by increasing serotonin levels. You may also benefit from group or one-on-one counseling with a therapist. One such study looked at the results of a survey on sleep quality. Researchers reported that 31 percent of people with type 1 diabetes had poor sleep quality.

The prevalence was slightly larger in adults who had type 2 diabetes, at 42 percent. According to another study from , about 40 percent of people with type 1 diabetes reported chronic fatigue.

The authors also noted that the fatigue is often so severe that it impacts everyday tasks as well as quality of life. A study was conducted on 37 people with diabetes, as well as 33 without diabetes. This way, the researchers could look at differences in fatigue levels. The participants anonymously answered questions on fatigue surveys.

Researchers concluded that fatigue was much higher in the group with diabetes. Fatigue seems to occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A study found that while fatigue is a classic symptom of hyperglycemia, there was no relationship between hyperglycemia and chronic fatigue in people with type 1 diabetes. While you may experience fatigue with diabetes, there are things that you can do to help alleviate that fatigue. Here are some tips:.

Keeping your diabetes in check will help manage fatigue.