What is High Blood Sugar?
Whether you are newly diagnosed with diabetes or you have been dealing with high blood sugar for years, there are several signs that you should be aware of. Knowing these signs can help you detect high blood sugar and get your blood glucose levels down to the target range before it leads to serious problems. Using a glucose monitor to track your sugar levels can also help you to make adjustments to your lifestyle.
High blood sugar levels are dangerous because they cause damage to many parts of your body. They increase your risk of heart disease, kidney problems, nerve damage, blindness, and amputations. Diabetes also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, and death.
One of the most common symptoms of high blood sugar is thirst. Drinking water helps you keep your body hydrated. If you are urinating often, your body is trying to get rid of excess fluid. This can lead to fatigue, dehydration, and other problems or medical conditions.
Another common symptom of high blood sugar is itchy skin. This is a sign that you are retaining water, and it can be caused by dehydration or a medication you are taking. Your doctor can test your blood to determine if you are dehydrated.
You might be unable to think clearly if your blood sugar is too low. This can lead to lack of sleep and fatigue. It can also affect your decision-making skills. The brain sends a message to your tissues, which then pull fluid from the blood to dilute it.
You may also feel sick and lightheaded, or worse you are experiencing blurred vision if you have high blood sugar. This is because your blood glucose level has changed, causing your blood vessels to constrict. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke or even kidney disease. Your doctor can monitor your blood sugar, or you can check it yourself at home. Most blood sugar meters can save your results for you to review later. However you do it, it is vital that you get your blood glucose levels down to your target range.
If your blood sugar has been elevated for some time, it can cause a “dawn phenomenon” – a surge in hormones at the beginning of the day. This can happen if you are stressed or tired. Some people experience a spike in their blood sugar after they eat a large meal. This is especially true if you eat a large amount of carbohydrates. A great specific meal plan is the best option for you.
Another worrisome side effect of high blood sugar levels is that you might also experience difficulty maintaining an erection. Men over the age of 50 are more likely to suffer from this. It is important to know how to spot these symptoms, and to speak with your health care provider. You might also be at increased risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, which can cause blindness and blurred vision. Similarly, people with diabetes are at risk for developing cataract, a thickening of the lens in your eye. If left untreated, this condition can result in vision loss.
You might also experience a dry mouth, which is known as xerostomia. Your saliva is essential to preventing yeast infections and washing away acid from the mouth. Not everyone with diabetes will experience this symptom, but it can be made worse by certain medicines.
If you have diabetes, your doctor should be able to tell you how to test your blood sugar and how to take care of your condition. It is also a good idea to keep a record of your blood sugar level and your meal plan. This can help your doctor identify what’s causing your spike in blood sugar, and may even help you to avoid it.
Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) or blood glucose, is a simple sugar that your body uses for energy. It’s made in the liver and muscles from carbohydrates you eat. Your pancreas makes insulin to help move this sugar into cells so they can use it as fuel. Insulin helps control how much sugar gets into your bloodstream. If you have diabetes, you don’t make enough of it or you can’t use it properly.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as The American Diabetes Association…gestational diabetes affects more than 29 million people in the United States, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of people with diabetes has increased dramatically over the past few decades, and it is estimated that by 2025 there will be an additional 8 to 12 million Americans with diabetes. Diabetes is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, low insulin levels or both.
What are risk factors for hyperglycemia?
* Diabetes mellitus
* Age (older than 60 years)
* Obesity
* Family history of diabetes
* Hypertension
* Hyperlipidemia
* Smoking
* Alcohol consumption
* Physical inactivity
* Impaired glucose tolerance
* Insulin resistance
* Metabolic syndrome
* Polycystic
Treatment Options
If you are suffering from with high blood sugar levels, there are some simple ways to get better and avoid long-term complications. I know you have probably heard this a million times already, but you need to have a diabetes meal plan that gets your excess sugar into a healthy range. Your doctor can give you this number… or you can contact The American Diabetes Association for their recommendations for what your specific healthy range needs to be. Increase your physical activity to at least 20 minutes a day to start…walking is a great way to start a weight loss program. Regular exercise is a must. Drink water…lots of it…every day. A healthy range to drink water is 50% of your total weight. 200 lbs = 100 oz of water. Get on a healthy diet and a balanced diet. Go and buy a blood glucose meter and create a diabetes management plan.
These are some very simple and easy techniques to combat high blood sugar levels. You would be well advised to follow this simple treatment plan. Because the alternatives are nasty. You might have severe abdominal pain or kidney failure…to name just a couple. Then your life becomes all about emergency care or extreme medical care…filled with diabetes medicines and insulin therapy. That means buying insulin pumps to get your daily insulin injections. And this isn’t really living a good life or enjoying your life.
Kristen was diagnosed with high blood sugar years ago and was close to developing diabetes. She was able to reverse this by cleaning up her diet and eating great foods. Here’s her method!