Videos from Bull Family Diabetes Center
What is the dawn phenomenon?
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What is the dawn phenomenon?
The dawn phenomenon is something that's part of your normal physiology. Hormones work on a cycle. We have hormones that peak at certain times of the day and then fall as the day progresses and that's common in typical, normal physiology of endocrinology.
In the early morning hours, say between two or three o'clock in the morning, through around six or eight o'clock in the morning, some of these hormones are peaking. Those would be things like growth hormone, cortisol, adrenaline and others. These hormones peak at that time, and the normal response that the body would have would be to increase levels of insulin. Insulin controls blood sugar levels and can lower them. Those other hormones can raise them. In normal physiology, we have a balance of those hormones. As those hormones peak, insulin peaks and we can control our blood sugar in a very normal, steady level. In diabetes, you lose the balance, as is true with every disease in endocrinology. There's an excess or deficiency of these hormones and then we can see that as a disease. In this case, an abnormal elevation of blood sugar in the early morning hours.
How can the dawn phenomenon affect someone with diabetes?
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How can the dawn phenomenon affect someone with diabetes?
The effects of dawn phenomenon typically go unnoticed. As far as the way an individual feels, the real feeling is of frustration because an individual's trying to do the right thing in taking their medicines and eating appropriately. Many times, a patient will say, "I didn't eat anything this morning and I noticed my blood sugar escalating." We have to check closely, do questions, try and figure out ... Is it something that you're doing? A stressful event? Is it unaccounted for carbohydrates like creamer in coffee? Is it a healthy meal, but yet a meal that has carbohydrates and you're not really accounting for that, so the blood sugar's escalating? Are your medicines wearing out and you actually just need a change of how or when you're using your medicines? Or, is this dawn phenomenon?
If we can identify it as dawn phenomenon, or separate it from those other causes, then we can try and attack that. As far as feeling poorly, a person might feel an elevation of blood sugar, particularly if it's more extreme. If it's in a more modest, reasonable range, as would be more typical, it may go unnoticed unless you're checking or monitoring the blood sugar.
How can someone with diabetes help reduce the effects of the dawn phenomenon?
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How can someone with diabetes help reduce the effects of the dawn phenomenon?
What are signs someone with diabetes needs to visit their health care provider for help with the dawn phenomenon?
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When should someone visit their health care provider for help with dawn phenomenon?