Low Blood Sugar or Diabetes?

I have a lot of trouble with my hands shaking, especially if I skip a meal or don't eat a lot of sugar. I get light-headed sometimes and extremely fatigued. Does this sound more like low blood sugar or Diabetes? Diabetes runs in my family, but so does an essential tremor which makes your hands shake. Which one does it sound like to you? What are the treatments? How is it tested? Thanks so much! Godbless.

Any pharmacy has a blood tester for serum sugar levels. The Walgreens had one as cheap as $10, and it had some free test strips in it. Your resting (non-eating) blood sugar should be below 140 to not be diabetic. If it is significantly below 100, you could have low blood sugar. Don't eat for several hours before you test. There are many good drugs available to treat either high or low blood sugar, but you need to know which one it is to start treatment. Make sure you measure your blood pressure too, it could be low blood pressure as well.

diabetes...
What is Diabetes

Diabetes means that your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. But too much glucose in the blood isn't good for your health.

Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If your body doesn't make enough insulin or if the insulin doesn't work the way it should, glucose can't get into your cells. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Signs of Diabetes

The signs of diabetes are

* being very thirsty
* urinating often
* feeling very hungry or tired
* losing weight without trying
* having sores that heal slowly
* having dry, itchy skin
* losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
* having blurry eyesight

You may have had one or more of these signs before you found out you had diabetes. Or you may have had no signs at all. A blood test to check your glucose levels will show if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Type of Diabetes

People can get diabetes at any age. There are three main kinds.

Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. In this form of diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has attacked and destroyed them. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin shots or using an insulin pump, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily (for some), and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age锟絜ven during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. Being overweight and inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes using diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Some women develop gestational diabetes during the late stages of pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had it is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin.
What is at Risk

After many years, diabetes can lead to serious problems in your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth. But the most serious problem caused by diabetes is heart disease. When you have diabetes, you are more than twice as likely as people without diabetes to have heart disease or a stroke.

If you have diabetes, your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has already had a heart attack. Both women and men with diabetes are at risk. You may not even have the typical signs of a heart attack.
Things you can do to prevent and control diabetes

You can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by controlling your blood pressure and blood fat levels. If you smoke, talk with your doctor about quitting. Remember that every step toward your goals helps!

The best way to take care of your health is to work with your health care team to keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target range.

Chances of getting diabetes are much more if you have diabetes in your family or with obesity or inactive lifestyle.

your symptoms sound like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and that is often a precursor of the onset of full blown diabetes. See your doctor for fasting blood tests, have him check for fasting blood sugar and a1C (glycosylated hemoglobin) to see if you are indeed diabetic.

This is a sign of glucose intolerance. It is not diabetes, but it is a known risk factor for diabetes. Since you have at least two risk factors, it would be best to begin monitoring your blood sugar regularly; your family doctor or an endocrinologist would be good to consult about this. Beyond this - maintain a healthy weight, get plenty of exercise, and eat a healthy diet so that you DON'T go on to develop diabetes.

HIGH blood sugar is a symptom of diabetes. Low blood sugar is a symptom of hypoglycemia.

Go to your doctor and get some blood tests to find out.

Is it long periods of time before you eat? If so it's low blood sugar.

Simple you need to see a doctor according to the picture you posted you are a woman of color and you need to know in african american culture neither is not good.
Blood pressure is known as the silent killer, you could them both and not know until you pass, or fall out.
Blood pressure is checked with a pressure cup and sugar is tested by a simple quick stick on the finger, Neither is painful and you can get the results to both is less than 5 minutes.
to be honest what you are saying sounds like both,
Please go get checked out, if you want you can go to your local drug store or pharmacy and have the pressure checked for free and since you have family member that has high sugar if they have to inject insulin or if they have the monitor, you can have them use a clean strip along with a clean needle(tremendously tiny and small you can barely see it) and have them test you, take less than a 2 minutes.
do not eat or smoke before testing it can raise the numbers

you need to get tested for diabetes... since the symptoms are similar.. ask your dr to test you for diabetes and then go from there.. I''m diabetic and it also runs in my family,,, depends on which type you have ... you can email me I'll tell you
about my diabetes

hope this helps you

sounds like low blood sugar.. you can buy a test kit at any drug store for around 10 dollars and keep it monitored.. take the readings you get to your doctor.always do the test before eating... early mornings will give the most accurate readings. and you must not eat for at least 8 hours before testing