Sifting through data can be enlightening. Going through the process of collecting data can be arduous and, at times, a drag. Yet I needed to quickly learn what improved my symptoms and what made them worse. There is only one way for me to gain the kind of insight necessary to achieve my goal of lessening the intensity and duration of my symptoms, and that way is keeping records.
I'm very much into technology and as I always carry my smart phone, I saw no reason why I couldn't find apps to aid me in record keeping.
First things first, I downloaded the My Symptoms food diary and symptoms app. Within a few days of record keeping, I began to see patterns emerge. I could pinpoint correlations between activities or foods and how my body responded. Specifically, I wanted to minimize or eliminate completely the excessive sweating symptom - that one drives me nuts!
Not long after, I received a blood testing kit (glucose meter). After grumbling a bit at having to use two separate apps to track my personal data, I downloaded the Glucose Buddy app. That was a huge eye opener for me. It was through tracking my blood glucose levels at the onset of any symptom that I made a huge leap in understanding what was happening to my body and what I needed to do to minimize a symptom's intensity and duration.
While the My Symptoms app gave me correlations and insights, it didn't give me calories or a breakdown of fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. I also wanted a running total of the number of calories I burned while exercising. More data with which to fine tune the positive changes I'm incorporating into my life.
I was referred to SparkPeople to track my foods and fitness by the facilitator of a pre-diabetes class I attended. Wow! Neat program that links an online interface with apps. So, I can do the bulk of my entries, or define frequently used entries, online, and then enter updates in real time via my smart phone. Pretty nifty. Further, you can sign up for various types of support and network with others who have faced or are facing similar issues to ones with which you may be dealing. I choose not to be quite so connected, as my goal isn't to lose weight, per se, but to be symptom free. Loosing weight just so happens to be a benefit of my goal.
I track everything, even the three squares of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts that somehow slipped from my fingers into my mouth. Yeah, if I'm not honest with myself and track everything that passes my lips, tracking doesn't help.
It does take a bit of time and trial-and-error to find the tools that work best for you. I can assure you that becoming an expert on you, your body, and your health is well worth the investment.
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It's time to explore this sweating symptom again. All the medical sites I have searched relate the excessive sweating symptom with low blood sugar. Fortunately, I came across a message board where members talked about becoming hot and sweaty when their blood sugar levels were high. Quite the opposite of what the "expert" sites cited, and exactly what I am experiencing.
Welcome to the world of "weirdness"... Both my sister-in-law and myself seem to get flushed and sweat when our sugar is up a bit. If my sugar is low, then I will get a bit light headed, very pale and might break out in a COLD sweat and get shaky. Everyone is different and I guess you know your own body. ~JJ
I think that it's important to begin with the experts. Absolutely, you should take your symptoms and concerns to your doctor. However, I don't stop there. I want to know what the people who are dealing with any particular malady are experiencing, and how they approach and minimize their symptoms. It's fantastic that there are so many content creators and various technologies to share information and experiences. Sometimes the sheer volume of information can feel overwhelming, and much of the content needs to be examined with a critical eye. Yet sifting through and reading posts, blogs, and forums is invaluable for spotting trends that can shed light on your concerns.
Now that I know I will sweat when my blood sugar spikes, which foods have a high GI, and I have the tools to monitor my glucose levels, I feel much more in control over this particular (embarrassing) symptom.
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I began having hot flashes when I turned 32. That seems young, doesn't it? I thought so too, at first, until I realized that I began menstruating when I was nine. Young, I know, right? Anyway, I remember having a few night sweat episodes after the birth of my youngest, but nothing like the drenchings that began around 40.
I thought that I was experiencing peri-menopause. You know, all those things that we once
heard word-of-mouth, doctors thought women were crazy and referred us to mental health specialists? Thanks to the magic of the interwebs, our collective voices are heard. Turns out, we're women and things like mood swings, headaches, night
sweats, and hot flashes are part an parcel of being female. I know, sucks, right? It's easy to collect these symptoms together and label them "the change of life," except, of course, when we just accept the easy collective reality we might miss the exceptions and individual symptoms that might belong to another, more challenging collective reality.
So, here's the thing: excessive sweating, hot flashes, and night sweats can be peri-menopausal, or they can be something else entirely. If I knew then what I know now, I would have insisted on a complete hormonal panel blood test be ordered often and frequently. The whole kit-and-caboodle.
In fact, when my daughters begin their first annual girly parts exams, I will insist that they get hormonal panels done, too. Period.
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