Symptomology 101

Throughout these posts, I have mentioned symptoms and associated many of those symptoms with possible root causes. I've made dramatic lifestyle changes and I'm experiencing either a resolution of or a decrease in the intensity of my symptoms.

I call that success!

I decided to take a moment to celebrate my successes and speculate on which life change may have contributed to the improvement of symptoms.

Acne
Significant changes in not only what I eat, but when and how much I eat have contributed to completely clearing up acne breakouts. I'm positive that going dairy free, and eliminating potatoes, rice, and white flour, have contributed to eliminating this particular malady.

Excessive Sweating
While I haven't found the off switch for this lovely symptom, it is greatly reduced. I've noticed that the onset is usually when my blood sugar levels are high that I'm particularly susceptible to sweating. Further, when I'm exercising my sweating is within acceptable limits, so long as I drink plenty of water before, during, and after an activity. I'm fairly sure that eliminating caffeine and drinking buckets of water have been key to alleviating this fun symptom.

Assorted
Some of the following symptoms I know are addressed by using a CPAP. Others depend on my blood sugar levels, amount of daily excercise, and my stress levels. Still, significant improvements overall.

• Anxiety reduced
• Depression reduced
• Daytime fatigue reduced
• Forgetfulness reduced
• Lack of energy during the day reduced
• Loud snoring gone!
• Mood changes reduced
• Morning headaches reduced
• Sleepiness reduced
• Slower reaction time reduced
• Restless sleep reduced
• Recurrent awakenings reduced
• Insomnia reduced
• Vision problems reduced
• Waking up with a very sore or dry throat gone!
• Waking up with a choking or gasping sensation gone!

Related Links

• How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
• Patient information: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Alcohol, exercise, and medical care (Beyond the Basics)
• Pre-Diabetes&Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Personal Data Collection

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. 

Related Links

• Quantified Self (This is a little over-the-top. The one below is well worth viewing.)
• Show me the data -- becoming an expert in yourself

System Flush

Research cited by the New York Times shows when your body is dehydrated, your kidneys go all Chicken Little on you. No, the sky isn't falling, yet those panicked kidneys retain water and release a hormone that raises blood sugar. For those of us who are tasked with driving our glucose levels down, it makes sense to do what it takes to keep our kidneys from pushing the panic button and releasing that pesky hormone. Fear not, Chicken Little kidneys, we know of a magical elixir that will bath you into calm bliss: Water.

Water dilutes the blood and flushes out glucose, among other things, from your bloodstream. Evidence suggests that drinking as little as .5 to 1 liter, or 17 to 34 ounces, will help you with attaining homeostasis. I drink a lot of water. On good days, my water consumption goes beyond 2 liters, or over 64 ounces. On other days, I stay in the range noted above. I drink water about .5 liter or 16 oz and eat a small protein/carb duo to stave off my blood sugar spike as soon as I get out of bed in the morning. I'm happy to report that this small change has greatly reduced the excessive sweating symptom I talked about in the One Hot Mama and Reverse Symptomology posts.

By chance I ran across a post in a forum that offered a suggestion for when blood sugar levels spike. My signs of hyperglycemia may include:

• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Decreased vision

When I experience any or a combination of the above, I flush out the sugar by drinking 16 ounce water quickly. I wait five minutes and drink another 8 ounce glass of water. Soon after, I'll pee, and my blood sugar levels start to decline. I keep drinking through out the day, as well. Keeping well hydrated has kept me cool and comfortable for several weeks now.

I'm thinking I'm on to something.

Related Links

• Does drinking lots of water and staying well hydrated help with keeping blood sugar levels at a more normal level?
• Does Drinking Water Bring High Glucose Levels Down?
• Five Simple Ways to Lower Your Blood Sugar
• Ways to lower your blood sugar quickly