How You Feel When Blood Sugar Is High

Vegetarian Eggs And Lentils On Toast

How it feels to have high blood sugar

Amy Gorin

The old standby breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast can be a healthy way to start the day. And you can mix it up somewhat and still have a diabetes-friendly meal. Try this vegetarian lentils and egg toast dish from Amy Gorin, RDN, whos based in Jersey City, New Jersey.

You get a sunny-side up egg on each slice of toast. That egg, in addition to the lentils, provides satiating protein to keep you fuller for longer and keep your blood sugar levels stable, says Gorin. According to the USDA, one large egg contains 6.4 g of protein, in addition to 231 micrograms of lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients are associated with eye health, which is a particular concern for people with diabetes, Gorin adds. As for the lentils, this vegetarian staple is associated with a lower risk for diabetes and better diabetes management, thanks to their hypoglycemic effect, according to a review published in November 2017 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Each serving of the recipe has about 60 g of carbs and 20 g of fiber , Gorin says. Youre also scoring a satisfying 25 g of protein in total per serving.

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome

This mostly affects elderly people. As glucose builds up in your blood, your body tries to get rid of it through your urine.

At first, you pee a lot. Over time, you pee less, but when you do, itâs very dark. This condition can lead to dehydration, coma, and death.

Get medical help right away if you have any of these warning signs:

Blood sugar level over 600 mg/dL
Extreme thirst that may later go away
Warm, dry skin that doesnât sweat
Fever over 101 F

What Are Blood Sugar Targets

A blood sugar target is the range you try to reach as much as possible. These are typical targets:

Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL.
Two hours after the start of a meal: Less than 180 mg/dL.

Your blood sugar targets may be different depending on your age, any additional health problems you have, and other factors. Be sure to talk to your health care team about which targets are best for you.

High Blood Sugar Levels

If you have diabetes, you can find out if your blood sugar level is high by having a blood sugar test.

You may have regular tests by your care team or GP surgery, or you may have tests you can do at home.

Types of diabetes test and high blood sugar levels.

Type of test	High level
Test done by a health professional to check your blood sugar level over the last 2 or 3 months	48 mmol/mol or over
Test done by a health professional after not eating for a few hours	Over 7 mmol/L
Home test done after waking up or before eating	Over 7 mmol/L
Home test done at any other time	Over 11 mmol/L

Mini Corn Cheese And Basil Frittatas

Frances Largeman-Roth

You can make these flavor-packed frittatas ahead of time and store them in the fridge for on-the-go breakfasts, says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, a nutrition and wellness expert in Brooklyn, New York, and the author of Eating in Color.

Theres more good news: The mini frittatas make a great breakfast for anyone, but theyre an especially good pick for diabetics, because they have about 6 g of protein in each one and are low in carbs, she says. That means theres room left over to add some high-fiber fruit to your meal, such as berries.

While starchy carbs pose a greater risk of raising blood sugar than nonstarchy carbs, you can still enjoy them in moderation. Corn, along with green peas, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin fall into the starchy-carbs category that the ADA notes are in the eat more of these category. Not only do you get fiber from the corn, but you also score antioxidants like carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, according to the Mayo Clinic

And as for those carbohydrates, one serving of these egg bites has only about 5.2 g, making this a super, low-carb way to start your day.

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How Well Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar

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Numbness And Tingling In The Extremities

Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet can occur when a person has poor circulation due to an accumulation of glucose.

In addition, chronically elevated blood sugars can damage the nerves. This condition is known as diabetic neuropathy. There are different types of diabetic neuropathy, each of which can affect different parts of the body. But the most common type is peripheral neuropathy, which affects the feet and legs and sometimes the hands and arms.

This symptom is more common in people who have had diabetes for a long time, affecting about half of people with diabetes.

How To Prevent It

If you work to keep your blood sugar under control — follow your meal plan, exercise program, and medicine schedule — you shouldnât have to worry about hyperglycemia. You can also:

Know your diet — count the total amounts of carbs in each meal and snack.
Test your blood sugar regularly.
Tell your doctor if you have repeated abnormal blood sugar readings.
Wear medical identification to let people know you have diabetes in case of an emergency.

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Check Your Blood Glucose Levels

What a High Blood Sugar Feels Like

For many people with diabetes, checking their blood glucose level each day is an important way to manage their diabetes. Monitoring your blood glucose level is most important if you take insulin. The results of blood glucose monitoring can help you make decisions about food, physical activity, and medicines.

The most common way to check your blood glucose level at home is with a blood glucose meter. You get a drop of blood by pricking the side of your fingertip with a lancet. Then you apply the blood to a test strip. The meter will show you how much glucose is in your blood at the moment.

Ask your health care team how often you should check your blood glucose levels. Make sure to keep a record of your blood glucose self-checks. You can print copies of this glucose self-check chart . Take these records with you when you visit your health care team.

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Psychological Causes Of Brittle Diabetes

Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between mental health and brittle diabetes. A 2017 study in the Journal Nutrients found that eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating disorder, rumination, and pica can complicate the clinical course of type 1 diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes and a diagnosis of an eating disorder are more likely to have episodes of DKA and hypoglycemia, the hallmarks of brittle diabetes. They are more likely to be hospitalized and when they are, their hospital stays are longer than the stays of other patients. Overall, patients with type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder are at higher risk of premature mortality.

Depression and other mental health conditions can also contribute to brittle diabetes. Depression can increase hyperglycemia , which is concerning because depression is roughly three times more prevalent in patients with Type 1 diabetes than in their healthy peers. In addition, a 2002 study from the Journal of Psychosomatic Research shows that, Children with diabetes have a two-fold greater prevalence of depression, and adolescents up to three-fold greater, than youth without diabetes.

Other mental health conditions linked to brittle diabetes include borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders . Because of the relationship between mental health and brittle diabetes, doctors should conduct mental health screenings for patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

Why You Still Need To Exercise If You Have Diabetes

Despite all of the excuses you may come up with to skip the gym when you have neuropathy, you have even more reasons to make exercise a priority if youre managing this complication. Thats because exercise is actually good for neuropathy.

One of the best ways to prevent progression of diabetic neuropathy is to stay active, Machowsky says. For instance, in one study published in September 2012 in the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications, all it took was 10 weeks of exercise to significantly reduce pain and symptoms in men and women with diabetes-related neuropathy. In that time frame, the participants nerve health and function also improved.

Thats not exactly surprising when you consider what researchers already know about the benefits of exercise for diabetes. Physical activity is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels in check, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce inflammation, Machowsky says. Plus, by undoing some of the blood vessel damage that can occur with diabetes, exercise can help increase the flow of blood, oxygen, and other nutrients to nerve cells, further helping to improve neuropathic symptoms.

Diabetes Medication That Works With The Kidneys

Most people who have type 2 diabetes need to take prescription medications, some of which act specifically on the kidneys to lower A1C.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors

How they work: By blocking SGLT2s, these drugs prevent glucose from being reabsorbed into the blood and help the kidneys remove sugar from the body through the urine

Keep Your Feet Dry To Reduce The Risk Of Infection

Make sure that drying your feet is part of your hygiene routine. The space between the toes is very airtight, says Tillett. Skin gets moist and breaks down, leading to infection. Prevent this by toweling off thoroughly after washing your feet and by removing wet or sweaty socks or shoes immediately. As mentioned previously, you can still use moisturizer to prevent dry, cracked skin just avoid putting it between your toes.

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Causes Of High Blood Sugar

Common causes of high blood sugar in people with diabetes include:

eating too much sugary or starchy food
being less active than usual
missing doses of diabetes medicine

You can also get high blood sugar if your diabetes medicine is not working well, you’re taking certain medicines or you recently had an operation.

How Do You Treat Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar levels happen when theres too little glucose left in the bloodstream to continue supplying fuel to your organs, muscles, and tissues. It most often occurs when you dont eat enough food, especially carb-containing foods, given your blood-sugar-lowering medications and physical activity levels, ONeill says. Levels can decrease gradually or suddenly.

When the amount of glucose in the bloodstream drops to too-low levels, the body reacts by releasing epinephrine, also called adrenaline or the fight or flight hormone. Epinephrine revs your heart rate and can cause sweating, shaking, anxiety, and irritability. If not enough glucose is able to reach the brain, the result may be difficulty concentrating, confused thinking, and slurred speech. In extreme cases, a lack of glucose within the brain can lead to seizures, coma, and even death, she says.

People with low glucose levels can use the ADAs 15-15 Rule, which advises people consume 15 g of carbs, wait 15 minutes, and check their levels again. If the number is still low, repeat until reaching at least 70 mg/dL.

You can find 15 g of carbs in:

1 slice of bread
Three to four hard candies
Glucose tablets as indicated on the label
Glucose gel as indicated on the label

Once your glucose levels are back to normal, the ADA suggests going ahead and eating your next scheduled meal or snack, which will help prevent levels from dropping again.

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You Have Noticeably Blurry Vision And Frequent Headaches

You may notice that your vision isnt as clear as it used to be and that things may appear a bit blurry. High blood sugar levels can lead to swollen lenses in your eye from fluid leaking in, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. This changes the shape of the lens, which makes it unable to properly focus, causing blurred vision. You may also find yourself struggling at work, having difficulty driving, and suffering from frequent headaches, Emanuele notes.

Nausea Vomiting Confusion And More

What Does High Blood Sugar Feel Like?

These seemingly disparate symptoms are all signs of a rare and life-threatening state called diabetic ketoacidosis , according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. DKA can cause the symptoms above, as well as stomach pain, trouble breathing, dry or flushed skin, fruity-smelling breath, or difficulty paying attention. It usually occurs in people with type 1 diabetes and is sometimes the first sign they are sick, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. DKA happens when the liver is unable to use the sugar in the blood for energy without insulin and begins to break down body fat into a type of fuel called ketones at such a high rate that they become toxic and make the blood acidic, the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains. DKA can be fatal if left untreated, so anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek care immediately.

Over time, untreated high blood sugar can cause additional symptoms, such as:

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Signs Of A High Blood Sugar Emergency

If high levels of blood sugar arent treated, you can develop a life-threatening complication called diabetic ketoacidosis . The conditionwhich is more common in type 1 diabetescan cause a build-up of ketone, a type of acid, in your blood.

Sometimes, DKA can be the first sign of diabetes for those who have not yet been diagnosed.

DKA can develop slowly at first, with its initial symptoms including:

Muscle aches and stiffness

Left untreated DKA, can result in coma or death.

High blood sugar levels mixed with dehydration can also lead to hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state . HHS is more common among people with type 2 diabetes who have had an infection of some kind, such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection.

HHS can present as extremely high blood sugars with fever, confusion, or weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. Immediate treatment is necessary to prevent serious consequences.

Can Hyperglycemia Be Treated

Your doctor may recommend a low-impact exercise program as your first line of defense. If youre already following a fitness plan, they may recommend that you increase your overall level of activity.

Your doctor may also suggest that you reduce glucose-rich food intake. Its important to maintain a balanced diet and stick to healthy food portions. If you arent sure where to begin, your doctor can refer you to a dietician or nutritionist who can help you establish a diet plan.

If these changes dont help lower your high blood sugar, your doctor may prescribe medication. If you have diabetes, your doctor may prescribe oral medications or change the amount or type of insulin youve already been prescribed.

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Take Your Insulin As Prescribed

High blood sugar occurs when your body has too little insulin, or your body cant use insulin properly. Administering insulin can bring your blood sugar levels down.

Talk to your doctor about how much rapid-acting insulin you should administer when your blood sugar is high.

You may want to check your blood sugar about 1530 minutes after taking insulin to make sure your blood sugar is going down and that its not dropping too low.

How To Efficiently Treat High Blood Sugar

There are many different treatment methods for high blood sugar. Treatment depends on the type of diabetes, the severity of high blood sugar, duration of having diabetes, and many other factors. This means that one persons diabetes treatment plan will likely look much different than someone elses.

Healthy diet: Carbohydrates in foods like fruits, certain vegetables, legumes, grains, and milk turn into sugar when digested, which means they have a big impact on blood sugar levels. A healthy diet for diabetes should emphasize fiber-rich carbohydrates and eat carbohydrates consistently throughout the day to promote steady blood sugars.

Blood sugar levels can improve by eating a healthy diet such as a Mediterranean diet or following the Plate Method, combined with other healthy lifestyle habits.

A Mediterranean diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods, avoids refined sugars and red meat, and has improved health outcomes, including improved blood sugar levels and improved cardiovascular outcomes. A Mediterranean diet includes foods such as:

Physical activity: 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity is recommended for people with and without diabetes. Strength or resistance training a few days per week is also recommended. It can help reduce insulin resistance and improve blood sugars by increasing the amount of glucose absorbed by the muscles to use as fuel.

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