If you're diabetic, you probably hear about blood sugar or blood glucose all the time. But what does it mean really? Why should you care? And how does it impact your life? And which people are at risk of high blood sugar? These are critical questions that deserve immediate answers, and we're getting into their answers right now.
In this post, we'll cut the case and break down an otherwise complex topic so you can protect yourself from the risks of high blood sugar. Plus, you'll also discover why it's not just about blood sugar and what the real threats are, why you shouldn't ignore a simple headache, and how infections play a significant part in blood sugar levels.
How Insulin Control Blood Sugar
So first, we need to talk about a hormone called insulin. Think of insulin as a unique key that unlocks the doors to your body's cells. When your body behaves itself, those open cells let your blood sugar in and use it for energy.
Now, what role does insulin play in the big picture? Well, to answer that, we also need to know what is high blood sugar? Abnormally high levels of blood sugar create a medical condition known as hyperglycemia, which is not to be confused with low blood sugar levels, also known as hypoglycemia.
Blood sugar levels build up when your body fails to make enough insulin to remove it, or if you have enough insulin, but the cells in your body ignore it and stay closed.
When that happens, the levels of sugar in your bloodstream increases. You do not want undiagnosed, untreated hyperglycemia as it's potentially dangerous.
Who Gets High Blood Sugar (Hyperglycemia)?
You're most at risk of hyperglycemia if you have, prediabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but anyone can get it hyperglycaemia at some point.
Non-diabetic risk factors are illness, undue stress, and steroid medications. And by the end of our post, you will know the 10 most common high blood sugar warning signs. These warnings don't mean you have hyperglycemia already, but they are potential risk factors, so please take them seriously and see your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
Dangerous Effects of High Blood Sugar
It's important not to demonize blood sugar or glucose. See, blood glucose is quite normal as your body uses it as a primary source of energy. The problems occur when blood sugar levels get too high and stay that manner. Persistently high blood sugar or hyperglycemia makes your blood thick, sticky, and slow, and when left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious health complications.
Some of the most severe long-term complications linked to hyperglycemia are cardiovascular disease, kidney damage or failure, nerve damage or neuropathy, eye damage, and vision loss, teeth and gum infections, plus bones and joint problems.
Extreme complications can lead to amputations or life-threatening diabetic coma. These are the reasons why you should recognize and act on high blood sugar warnings. Early diagnosis and treatment are how you avoid or effectively treat hyperglycemia.
How to Measure my Blood Sugar Level and Know if I Have Hyperglycaemia?
Your doctor can test for hyperglycemia with a simple on-the-spot blood test. According to the World Health Organization, you have the condition if your blood sugar levels are greater than 7.0 millimoles per liter or 126 milligrams per deciliter while fasting fir at least 8 hours, greater than 11.0 millimoles per liter or 200 milligrams per deciliter two hours post-meal.
Early Warning Signs of High Blood Sugar
1. Chronic fatigue
High blood sugar levels mean you're not making enough insulin or it's not working properly. In either case, the glucose isn't moving from your blood into your cells to provide energy, and it's this lack of energy that could be the cause of your tiredness or chronic fatigue. Moreover, extreme tiredness can affect everyday living and lifestyles. Your mental health, emotional health, and self-esteem can suffer if you ignore these warnings.
Several studies found definite relationships between hyperglycemia and exhaustion. That includes type 1 and type 2 diabetes and undiagnosed pre-diabetes. Some causes of fatigue are less clear and may not have direct links to hyperglycemia.
Even so, your fatigue can still be connected to other diabetes-related symptoms. That's why it's vital you get a professional diagnosis sooner rather than later.
2. Headaches
Recurring headaches, including migraines could mean you have high blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia. But low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, can also trigger painful headaches or migraines. Head pain tends to intensify when there are fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. Headaches caused by high blood sugar can take days to develop. The pain tends to be mild to moderate in the early stages of hyperglycemia.
A study suggests high blood sugar triggers headaches and migraines in some people. Another study found a probable link between migraines and glucose metabolism. Untreated high blood sugar may result in more frequent intense head pain.
The National Headache Foundation defines high blood sugar headaches as a dull, throbbing pain mostly centered around the temples. You'd be wise to get your sugar levels checked if you start to develop unexplained headaches.
3. Shortness of Breath
Your respiratory system has five parts. It includes your mouth, nose, windpipe or trachea, lungs, and diaphragm. In healthy adults, 12 to 20 breaths per minute is considered normal. There's something wrong if your breathing becomes tight when you're in a rested state. A potential complication caused by high blood sugar is impaired lung function.
People with type 2 diabetes have 3 to 10 percent lower lung volumes than those who don't have the condition and that can cause you to experience shortness of breath. At the last count, 46 percent of people in the world with diabetes remain undiagnosed. In a worst case scenario, rapid or forced breathing called Kussmaul breathing could be a symptom of a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA.
A 2019 study first published in the World Journal of Diabetes saw that respiratory failure during the treatment of DKA increases mortality rates. If you're diagnosed as a diabetic, shortness of breath may also suggest heart disease.
4. Stomach pain
Lasting high blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels. These critical vessels supply your nerves and organs with vital oxygen and nutrients. One of the roles of your nerves is to move food along your gastrointestinal tract or GI.
But as they become damaged, your muscles stop working effectively. So, food sits undigested in your stomach for longer than usual. This delayed gastric emptying even has a name, gastroparesis, and it's the cause of stomach pains.
Typical symptoms are bloating, stomach spasms, acid reflux, and other side effects. And according to the American Diabetes Association, up to 75% of patients who visit diabetes clinics present significant GI symptoms. Don't suffer in silence hoping the pain will go away, seek urgent medical care, get it checked now. You're worth it.
5. Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet
Over time, high blood sugar ravages the tiny blood vessels that supply your nerves. That includes the ones responsible for sending signals to your extremities. It's a condition called peripheral or diabetic neuropathy or DN.
DN includes several progressive nerve disorders caused by hyperglycemia and high triglycerides. Typical symptoms are tingling sensations or numbness in your hands, fingers, and toes. In some cases, though, DN results in more intense or burning diabetic nerve pain.
A few lifestyle adjustments can vastly reduce your risk of DN complications. That includes controlling your blood pressure, healthy diet, and an active lifestyle. Check in with your physician if you start to get any of these symptoms.
6. Recurrent Infections
Your blood sugar levels might be high if you suffer from recurring infections. Some of the nastier ones are colds, influenza, and even pneumonia. Respiratory infections occur because hyperglycemia impairs your immune system. That results in fewer white blood cells reducing your ability to kill viruses.
High blood sugar levels don't stop with respiratory infections. They also feed yeast growth. That can lead to fungal infections on the skin and inside your body.
Common complaints are severe vaginal and oral thrush, plus bladder infections. These are not recent discoveries. The link between hyperglycemia, environments, and immune dysfunction is well documented by science.
7. Slow Healing Sores
Previously, we talked about how hyperglycemia causes neuropathy or nerve damage. Well, damaged nerves can result in poor blood circulation too. And the harder it is for your blood to reach and repair areas of infection, the longer it takes sores to heal.
A 2013 study published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal found a clear link between high blood glucose levels and slow wound healing. And here's a warning. Never ignore slow healing sores like blisters, cuts, and grazes.
The longer you leave them, the higher the risk of even more severe conditions. Untreated sores can lead to fungal and bacterial infections, including gangrene.
8. Nausea and Vomiting
Have you experienced recurrent episodes of nausea and vomiting for no apparent reason? If yes, it's time to visit your doctor's office without further delay.
And here's why, your body may be in a persistent state of hyperglycemia that can cause a buildup of chemicals produced by your liver and released into your blood, called ketones. Excessive levels of ketones are toxic to your system.
It's a potentially fatal condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. Nausea and vomiting could be signs of DKA. Others are abdominal pain, dry mouth, shortness of breath, weakness, confusion, and even coma.
9. Blurred Vision
Blurred vision is not only frustrating, it can also be dangerous for obvious reasons. Hyperglycemia can cause temporary problems if the spike is short-lived. See, high blood sugar makes the lens of your eyes swell, which affects your ability to focus.
So bringing your blood glucose back to within normal range fixes the problem. But it can take six or more weeks for the celling to go down after your blood sugar returns to normal levels. Hyperglycemia can lead to severe other eye-related complications.
Some examples are cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, which can even cause blindness.
10. Unquenchable Thirst and Frequent Peeing
Are you constantly thirsty and spending more time peeing than is normal? Or are you constantly waking up to urinate more than 2 times at night? It could be that your blood sugar levels are persistently high. Too much glucose in your bloodstream causes your kidneys to work overtime.
It's their job to absorb and filter any excess buildup of blood glucose. But when your sugar levels are too high, your kidneys find it hard to keep up. So your body must excrete the leftover glucose into your urine.
It's a condition called polyuria, and the reason you're peeing way too much. Another problem with this bodily process is that it flushes out hydrating fluids in your system. And the more you urinate, the thirstier you get, so the cycle continues. But high blood sugar levels are only one of the possible causes of polyuria. Bladder infections, kidney stones, or failure, and some cancers are others.
As the problem worsens, toilet visits can disrupt your sleep and drain your energy levels. Whatever the root cause, have your doctor check you out for a peace of mind. Diagnosis usually starts with a urine 24-hour collection or a volume test.
Conclusion
And this concludes our top 10 countdown of high blood sugar warning signs. Have you experienced any of the common signs of high blood sugar levels? How were you diagnosed and what have you done to fix the issues? We'd love to hear your experience, so why not let us know in the comments below.
It's our mission to bring you valuable tips, tricks, and updates and posts that will help you fight obesity and manage your diabetes.
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