High blood sugar, called hyperglycemia, is when the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high. High blood sugar mainly affects people who have diabetes.
If you have diabetes and your blood sugar levels are too high, it can become serious if left untreated. When levels remain high for a long time, or if they suddenly become very high, it can cause nerve damage in your hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy), eye damage (diabetic retinopathy) or other serious conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis.
This is why people with diabetes regularly test their blood sugar levels with a blood glucose test.
In this article, we look at the symptoms of sudden high blood sugar and its main causes.
What is high blood sugar?
Glucose is the body’s main source of energy, which comes from the foods we eat – particularly carbohydrates. When our stomach breaks down our food, glucose is absorbed by our intestines and enters our bloodstream. Usually, a hormone called insulin moves glucose from the blood and into our cells to provide them with energy. Diabetics don’t have enough insulin, or it doesn’t work properly, so the glucose doesn’t enter cells and remains in the blood. Blood sugar levels stay high and as more carbohydrates are eaten, levels can rise even further
What are the symptoms of high blood sugar?
When your blood sugar level is high, symptoms may include:
- Urinating more frequently
- Feeling thirsty
- Feeling tired or weak
- Blurred vision.What causes high blood sugar?If you are diabetic and your blood sugar level rises, it may be due to:
- Missing your diabetes medication
- Eating too much starchy or sugary food
- Being less physically active than normal.High blood sugar can also be caused by:
- Illness
- High stress
- Pregnancy
- Taking certain medications that affect the pancreas (the organ that produces insulin)
- Taking other medications, including beta-blockers, corticosteroids or antipsychotics.How can I lower my blood sugar level? If you have diabetes, then it is very important to manage your blood sugar levels and prevent them from getting too high. Always take your diabetes medication as your doctor has prescribed.
- Avoid starchy and sugary foods
- Increase physical activity
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Reduce stress.
It’s very important that you never change the dose of your diabetes medication or skip any doses. If you are concerned about your medication, always talk to your doctor.
Concerned about high blood sugar levels?
If you have tried to lower your blood sugar levels but they are still high, or you still have symptoms of high blood sugar, it’s important to talk to your doctor.
If you aren’t diabetic and you have experienced any of the symptoms listed above, then always have it checked out.