Has anyone found anything on which is truly worse?
Yes, I know the general assumption is that hyperglycemia is worse. I feel like over long periods of time, this is true. But frequent hypos seem like they would be worse, as they can inhibit brain function.
So- any comments or suggested articles/reading material would be appreciated.
From what my endo has told me, persistent hypos can be just as bad to brain function. Hypos also interfere with brain development, which is why the have diabetic children "run higher." I don't typically feel symptoms of a high until I'm around 220 or so. Even then, the symptoms can be vague - a strange pressure in my head, blurry vision, a dry mouth. Once I'm over 300, however, the symptoms become very obvious and nausea sets in. For me, a day with lots of hypos interferes more with my ability to work and get things done. A day with mild highs doesn't bother me too much, but highs in the upper 200s and above make me just want to go to sleep. The only good thing about lows is I can generally treat them fast. Treating a high is trickier because the amount of insulin I need varies and I'm always a little nervous correcting.
I would say they are different, rather than “better” or “worse”. Normal is better than either hypo or hyper and that’s what I aim for.
Frequent hypos mean that some adjustment needs to be made. Same for hypers. I don't know about the brain function comment, that has been said time after time, yet there are a boat load of long term diabetics who used to ride the roller coaster of high low for years and we are still thinking just fine. Why try to pick one? I agree with ar, they are just different. Why not avoid both instead.
This may sound horrible but in my mind, I kind of think of hypo as fast death and hyper as slow death. Neither are good and both scare me. Hypos scare me more because they can come on in a matter of minutes and you can be rendered unable to help yourself.
As far as brain function, severe hypos can cause brain damage. I know someone who has a family member who had a severe hypo and passed out while at home alone. They're not sure how long she was unconcious before her daughter came by her house because she wasn't answering her phone. EMS was able to bring her out of it but she suffered brain damage as a result.
That seems like an excellent way to think about the two. I may have to steal it. I do not worry nearly as much about the highs; I just try to correct and move on.