Symptoms and treatment of hyperinsulinism

The functions of insulin in our body are diverse and all of them important for its proper functioning, but when there is a problem that causes the levels of this hormone to rise, other health problems begin to arise as a result of this deregulation of insulin. For this reason, it is very important that we pay attention to our health and go for regular medical check-ups.

The reasons for this condition in the insulin level can be several, but the main causes of hyperinsulinism are as follows:

• Insulin resistance: Insulin allows the passage of glucose to some cells of different tissues such as adipose or muscle, but sometimes these cells create resistance to insulin and therefore stop responding to it. As the body detects that glucose or sugar is not being absorbed by these cells, it sends more insulin to achieve it, resulting in excessively high levels of this hormone.
• Pancreas problems: When the pancreas does not function properly, it is normally due to some problem in the islets of Langerhans, which are responsible for the production of insulin. It may be due to a tumor in this area, but it is also possible that there is a tumor in the central nervous system that cannot send correct signals to the pancreas.
• Set of diseases: High insulin may be due to a number of diseases or conditions in the body that cause this condition in a secondary way. For example, being overweight, obese, and a poor diet with excess sugars can lead to hyperinsulinemia. Anemia and bulimia due to malnutrition are also causative factors of this condition.
• Congenital hyperinsulinism: There is a type of high insulin that occurs at birth, in this case the disease is usually hereditary and can occur in newborn babies as well as in children. When it comes to newborns, it can easily be confused with hypoglycemia or even epilepsy, because the symptoms of hyperinsulinism and these other diseases are very similar, especially in severe cases.

High insulin may go unnoticed at first, but we must be very attentive to the various signs and symptoms so that we can see a doctor as soon as possible and act to stop the problem. These are some of the main symptoms of hyperinsulinism:

• Weakness and fatigue
• Headache
• Sweating
• Hypertension and tachycardias
• Hypotension and low temperature (depending on the cause and in each case, hypertension or hypotension may occur)
• Regular weight gain and difficulty losing weight, being overweight or obese
• More hunger than normal, especially from eating carbohydrates
• Tremors, cramps and in very severe cases seizures
• Anxiety, depression, and disorientation
• Pale skin
• Increase in bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar

Rarely do many of these symptoms occur at the same time, perhaps only in severe cases that have not been treated for a long time, the most normal is that these symptoms appear little by little.

To finish explaining all about symptoms and treatment of hyperinsulinismIt only remains to comment on the possible treatments. There is more than one treatment for hyperinsulinism, depending on the origin of the condition, one treatment or another should be followed.

In case of a problem in the pancreas, especially in the case of tumors, the treatment is surgical. Through a surgery that removes the part of the pancreas that is affected, the condition of hyperinsulinemia can be solved or improved.

In other cases, surgery is not necessary and therefore the indicated treatment is based on doing enough exercise and dieting for hyperinsulinism adequate. It is advisable to follow the diet indicated by the doctor who has carried out the entire diagnostic process and to follow up on this eating pattern to adapt it. In general, the diet should be based on foods low in carbohydrates and sugars and it will have to be high in protein and complex carbohydrates. In addition, we must include a lot of fiber and vegetables and reduce foods such as potatoes.

When hyperinsulinism occurs, especially if it is not treated, other diseases and problems secondary to this condition end up. Sometimes, these secondary diseases can be the warning symptom that you have or have suffered from high insulin. Some of these diseases caused by hyperinsulinism are as follows:

• Diabetes: When hyperinsulinemia occurs due to insulin resistance, what happens is that the body detects that glucose accumulates in the bloodstream and produces more insulin to fight it. In the long term, it can happen that the pancreas being so forced is no longer able to produce more of this hormone, therefore the sugar level continues to grow and diabetes occurs.
• Hypoglycemia: It is possible that if the high level of insulin that accumulates in the blood manages to take effect and the cells begin to process glucose, then a drop in sugar or severe hypoglycemia can occur.
• Anxiety, depression, and insomnia: Due to the imbalance of the hormone, if it is not treated, it can end up causing anxiety and depression. In addition, because of this, it can also cause sleep to become irregular and insomnia.

This article is merely informative, at oneHOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

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