Thursday, March 28, 2024

What Causes Blood Sugar Levels To Rise

Popular Articles

How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia And Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels

Importance Of Blood Sugar Monitoring At Home [Sponsored]

Testing your blood sugar levels regularly can help you spot the signs of hyperglycaemia. But there are some steps you can take to either prevent a hyper from happening or to bring down your blood sugar levels.

You can start by making sure you are aware of your carbohydrate portions and how they may be affecting your blood sugar levels after eating. Carb countingis one of the ways you can manage this. Avoid foods that have a high glycemic index and choose low GI foods that can help manage your blood sugar levels more effectively. Increase the fibre in your diet. This can help slow down carbohydrate digestion, which can help limit the rise in your blood sugars.

Try to maintain a healthy weight as this promotes regular blood sugar levels in the body. Be as active as possible, regular exercise can help your body process more of the sugar.

Remember to take your insulin and other diabetes medication, and always take them correctly. Continue to take your diabetes medication even if you are ill and not eating.

Concentrate on your emotional wellbeing, get a quality nights sleep and find ways to manage your stress. Stress can cause hormones to be released, which keep your blood sugar levels high.

If your blood sugar levels continue to be high, or youre unsure of what to do, contact your doctor for further guidance.

How Long Does Alcohol Affect Your Blood Sugar

Alcohol affects your blood sugar for as long as it is in your body. The effects of alcohol on your blood sugar will initially increase as the sugar from alcohol enters your blood, then peak once the maximum amount of sugar in the alcohol has been absorbed. This often occurs in about 12 hours.

Once your body has absorbed all the sugar it can from alcohol, it will start to use up the sugar, decreasing your blood sugar levels. As the liver inhibits the release of more sugar, your blood sugar levels will lower. This makes your blood sugar artificially low as long as the alcohol keeps impacting your livers normal function. Once enough alcohol has been eliminated, your liver will regain the ability to release sugar. This often takes about 12 hours.

Unexpectedly High Blood Sugar Readings Can Be A Bummer

If youre living with type 2 diabetes, your doctor has probably told you time and time again that maintaining control over your blood sugar is essential.

Controlling blood sugar is important for two main reasons, says Lynn Grieger, RD, CDCES, a certified personal trainer in Prescott, Arizona, and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. On a day-to-day basis, people just feel better when their blood sugar stays in a healthy range. Over the long term, its the best thing you can do to prevent complications of diabetes from occurring. Diabetes complications include nerve damage, kidney disease, skin conditions, eye damage, heart disease, and stroke, according to the American Diabetes Association.

One of the main and most frequently discussed contributors to high blood sugar is a diet too rich in carbohydrates, which once digested turn into sugar . Certain high-carb foods are among the most common foods that spike blood sugar, she explains.

RELATED: 10 Foods to Avoid When You Have Type 2 Diabetes

There are some triggers of high blood sugar, however, that are out of your control or can sneak up on you. Such triggers can make it difficult to manage blood sugar levels even when you think youre doing everything right.

Here are 10 surprising yet common causes of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia.

Editor’s Picks

You May Like: Smirnoff Vodka Sugar Content

Whats Up With Thyroid Diagnosis & Treatment

If youre experiencing any of the symptoms described, youll want to see your endocrinologist or primary care physician ASAP. You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in thyroid issues , but your endocrinologist will know exactly how to diagnosis you. The primary way to diagnose thyroid disease is something called a TSH test, which checks the amount of thyroid-stimulating hormone in your system. Its a very easy and inexpensive blood test, so dont delay if you think you have symptoms!

However, sometimes the test will come back false-normal, so testing for antibodies or having a full Thyroid Panel can also turn up things that the TSH test might leave out.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases, like Hashimotos Disease, are usually much easier to manage than diabetes. The hormone replacement treatment comes in pill form, so taking the medication is easy-peasey. But some patients have difficulty finding the right type of thyroid replacement pill. While there are two types of natural thyroid hormones, called T3 and T4, only T4 is found in the common thyroid replacements. For many people, this doesnt work well. In theory, T4 medication would also convert to T3, but research suggests this doesnt always happen. Youll want to do your homework and make sure you get on the right treatment for you!

You May Like: How To Administer Insulin And D50 For Hyperkalemia

How To Naturally Control Blood Sugar Levels

What Causes Your Blood Sugar to Rise? Causes, Symptoms ...

Specific symptoms may indicate you are on a blood sugar rollercoaster.

For example, you may experience:

  • Irritability if you miss a meal
  • Eating food to relieve fatigue
  • Feeling anxiety or nervousness
  • Difficulty losing weight
  • Increased weight gain around the waistline

If you experience these symptoms, you can rest easy knowing that many of these symptoms can improve with lifestyle and dietary adjustments. Ideally, you catch yourself on this rollercoaster early, as waiting too long may lead to insulin resistance or, eventually, type 2 diabetes. Try these natural solutions to balancing your blood sugar.

Diet

Managing your diet is the most effective way to balance your blood sugar. Understanding our nutritional needs can be overwhelming, especially if you have a health condition like Hashimotoâs. We know that carbohydrates are the primary source of glucose, so limiting carbs is imperative. However, knowing good carbs from not-so-good carbs can be challenging. The Glycemic Index is an easy-to-use tool to help you choose carbohydrates that have minimal blood sugar effects. When you eat carbohydrates, always eat some protein, too, to keep blood glucose levels steady.

Exercise

Get quality sleep

When we do not get enough sleep, our cortisol levels increase, and our metabolic hormones can be affected. Often, these disturbances can lead to poor dietary choices that inevitably increase our blood sugar.

Drink water

Don’t Miss: Can Too Much Sugar Cause Seizures

How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia

There are simple ways to reduce your risk of severe or prolonged hyperglycaemia:

  • Be careful what you eat be particularly aware of how snacking and eating sugary foods or carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level.
  • Stick to your treatment plan remember to take your insulin or other diabetes medications as recommended by your care team.
  • Be as active as possible getting regular exercise can help stop your blood sugar level rising, but you should check with your doctor first if you’re taking diabetes medication, as some medicines can lead to hypoglycaemia if you exercise too much
  • Take extra care when you’re ill your care team can provide you with some “sick day rules” that outline what you can do to keep your blood sugar level under control during an illness.
  • Monitor your blood sugar level your care team may suggest using a device to check your level at home, so you can spot an increase early and take steps to stop it.

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome : A Complication Of Severe Hyperglycemia In Type 2 Diabetes

In people with type 2 diabetes, extreme hyperglycemia can lead to a very rare but serious condition called hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, or HHNS). HHNS is most likely to occur when you’re sick particularly if you aren’t able to drink enough fluids or keep fluids down. It happens most often in elderly people and, like ketoacidosis, can result in a coma.

Read Also: Can Sugar Cause Afib

What Makes Blood Glucose Go Up Or Down

Food, diabetes medicines, and physical activity have the most effect on blood glucose levels most of the time, but there are other things that can raise or lower blood glucose. Heres a list of some of what can make your blood glucose go up, go down, or go down too much resulting in hypoglycemia. UP Eating carbohydrate-containing foods Not taking the diabetes medicines you need Not taking enough of the diabetes medicines youve been prescribed Taking certain non-diabetesrelated medicines, such as steroids, some oral contraceptives, laxatives , or diuretics Eating meals or snacks too close to each other Inactivity Infection or other illness Changes in hormone levels Stress DOWN Taking diabetes medicines Being physically active Drinking alcohol Taking certain non-diabetesrelated medicines DOWN TOO LOW Not eating enough carbohydrate Taking too high a dose of diabetes medicine Taking certain non-diabetesrelated medicines such as warfarin and some antibiotics Eating meals or snacks too far apart from each other Drinking alcohol, especially on an empty stomach Being more physically active than usual Continue reading > >

Causes Related To Diet

Can anxiety cause a rise in blood sugar?

Processed foods and sugar

Diet and how it relates to blood glucose values can vary immensely from person to person. But, research suggests that eating processed foods can increase blood glucose.

Overeating or grazing

Itâs a common belief that snacking throughout the day will keep blood glucose levels steady. But, a 2013 study found that eating two large meals per day helped reduce blood glucose more effectively than six small meals per day. Itâs also important to keep our meals to the right proportions, as overeating can raise blood glucose levels as well.

Dehydration

Some research has found a connection between low water intake and a greater risk of hyperglycemia. This is most likely because less water in the body means the concentration of glucose in the blood is higher.

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

Research into this cause is ongoing. Yet, studies suggest diets lacking micronutrients like chromium, magnesium, or vitamin D may contribute to high blood glucose.

Recommended Reading: Can Prediabetics Eat Bananas

I Feel Fine So I Dont Need To Test My Levels

Zanini points out that having high blood glucose can come as a surprise to anyone. âIt’s possible they didn’t notice any symptoms or were simply feeling ‘more tired than usual,ââ she says. âIt’s easy to attribute being tired to many other things. . .so this is why regular physicals with your healthcare provider are important.â The bottom line? Listen to your body, take note of symptoms as they arise, and consider monitoring your continuous glucose values.

The Hidden Cause Of Hypothyroidism

Dr. Michael Ruscio: Hi. This is Dr. Ruscio, and welcome to the next video in our Thyroid Solution Series, the hidden cause of hyperthyroidism Number 2: Insulin, blood sugar and your thyroid.

Insulin and blood sugar can affect your thyroid through four main mechanisms: they are through manipulation of your stress hormones, through modulating inflammation, through causing digestive problems, and through worsening autoimmunity.

Recommended Reading: Will Bananas Raise Your Blood Sugar

Causes Of Blood Sugar Levels

Whilst the liver and muscles produce some glucose, most comes from the foods we eat. Food and drinks that are high in carbohydrates are most impactful on blood sugar level. What we eat provides us most of the nutrients our body needs and sometimes, does not need. That is not to say that food is a major cause of blood sugar level increasing or decreasing too dramatically.

Typically, if a person has health conditions or poor nutrition, this will lead to a spike or decline in blood sugar level. The causes differ from high to low blood sugar levels and are as follows:

A Caveat About Thyroid Testing

7 Unknown Reasons Why Sugar is a No

Left untreated, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can worsen blood sugar management and alter medication requirements. Therefore, individuals with diabetes should regularly monitor their thyroid functionand everyone with a thyroid disorder should be periodically screened for diabetes.

Theres one caveat about thyroid testing. If your TSH test results come back within the normal range but you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, request additional testing for total and free T3, T4, and thyroid antibodies.

Subclinical hypothyroidism causes symptoms in many patientsespecially womenand may increase the risk of diabetic complications. Yet many physicians rely solely on TSH results and refuse to dig deeper. Consequently, hypothyroidism often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Also Check: Do You Give Insulin Or Dextrose First For Hyperkalemia

Read Also: What Is Signs Of High Blood Sugar

Many Medications That Treat Common Conditions Can Actually Raise Your Blood Sugar Levels And Make Glucose Management Much More Difficult

Sara Seitz 0

People with diabetes often take other medications to support their heart, weight, blood pressure, and more. While these medications are important to your overall health, they can also make controlling your blood sugars more difficult.

In fact, some of the most common non-diabetes medications taken by people living with type 2 diabetes are well known for raising blood sugar in most patients, whether they have or dont have diabetes.

Here are the six most common medications that have negative impacts on blood glucose control for people managing their type 2 diabetes.

Why Does Blood Sugar Go Up At Night

There are many factors that can cause your blood sugar to increase at night. For example: what food you ate during the day, how much and when you exercised, whether you ate snacks before bed, the timing of your insulin doses, and your stress level. You can experience different patterns of high blood sugar at night. You may start with high glucose when you go to bed, start the night in range but go high several hours later, or spend most of the night in range until the hours just before you wake up. By identifying your bodys patterns, you can figure out what is causing your high blood sugar and how to address it.

Common causes of a glucose increase at night include:

Read Also: Dangers Of High Glucose Levels

If My A1c Is Normal My Glucose Is Good

An A1C result thatâs below 5.7% is normal âs standards, but having a result below that number isnât the end of the story. Pregnancy, hemoglobin variants, anemia, liver disease, and certain medications can cause inaccurate A1C results.

Additionally, the A1C test is measuring your average glucose value over the past 3 months, but averages inherently do not capture highs and lows. So, you could have a normal average while also having abnormal glucose spikes. The A1C test should only supplement your regular blood sugar testing, not replace it completely.

What Causes Blood Sugar To Rise In Non

Does fruit cause blood sugar to rise? HRV N=1 Experiments

Dr. Danielle Weiss is the founder of the Center for Hormonal Health and Well-Being, a personalized, proactive, patient-centered medical practice with a unique focus on integrative endocrinology. She enjoys giving lectures and writing articles for both the lay public and medical audiences.

High blood sugar or glucose, also called hyperglycemia, occurs when there is too much sugar in the blood. High blood sugar is the primary symptom that underlies diabetes, but it can also occur in people who dont have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, either because of stress or trauma, or gradually as a result of certain chronic conditions.

It is important to manage high blood sugar, even if you dont have diabetes, because elevated blood glucose can delay your ability to heal, increase your risk of infections, and cause irreversible damage to your nerves, blood vessels, and organs, such as your eyes and kidneys. Blood vessel damage from high blood sugar also increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

You May Like: Which Fruit Contains The Most Sugar

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar Levels

Signs of high blood sugar levels include:

  • Peeing a lot: The kidneys respond by flushing out the extra glucose in urine. People with high blood sugar need to pee more often and in larger amounts.
  • Drinking a lot: Someone losing so much fluid from peeing that often can get very thirsty.
  • Losing weight even though your appetite has stayed the same: If there isn’t enough insulin to help the body use glucose, the body breaks down muscle and stored fat instead in an attempt to provide fuel to hungry cells.
  • Feeling tired: Because the body can’t use glucose for energy properly, a person may feel unusually tired.
page 2

Roller Coaster: Female Hormones

When a woman’s hormones change, so does their blood sugar. Keep a monthly record of your levels to get a better idea of how your menstrual cycle affects you. Hormone changes during menopause may make blood sugar even harder to control. Talk to your doctor about whether hormone replacement therapy is a good idea.

You May Like: How Much Sugar Does Vanilla Ice Cream Have

How Does High Blood Sugar Affect The Body

High sugar in the blood can lead to a number of other symptoms and complications. Here are just a few.

Urination and thirst: High blood sugar goes into the kidneys and urine. This attracts more water, causing frequent urination. This can also lead to increased thirst, despite drinking enough liquids.

Weight loss: High blood sugar can cause sudden or unexplained weight loss. This occurs because the bodys cells are not getting the glucose they need, so the body burns muscle and fat for energy instead.

Numbness and tingling: High blood sugar can also cause numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands, legs, and feet. This is due to diabetic neuropathy, a complication of diabetes that often occurs after many years of high blood sugar levels.

Related news