What Happens If Blood Sugar Is Too High

What If There Is Too Much Glucose

If your blood sugar levels are too high, too often, you may have a condition that is called hyperglycemia. This condition happens when your body does not have enough insulin to transport the glucose in the blood, or if your body is unable to use insulin properly. If your body does not have enough insulin, the glucose cannot enter the cells. The glucose then builds up in your bloodstream.

Most everyone will experience an increase in blood sugar levels after they have eaten a meal. In particular, after a large, glucose-rich meal is eaten. However, those who have continuous high blood sugar levels are likely to have problems with producing or using insulin. Those who do not have enough insulin are likely to have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

If a person continually overeats and does not do exercise, he is likely to consistently have high amounts of blood sugar. The efficiency of the insulin in his body is thus reduced as it receives more glucose than it can actually process.

Interestingly, stress, both at home and at work also play a role in high blood glucose . During consistent stress, hormones are released that keep the glucose levels high.

How Glucose Moves In Your Body

What happens next is that the glucose goes from your digestive system into your bloodstream. But, before it can enter your cells, it needs insulin to help it along. Insulin is the protein that enables the cells in your body to receive the glucose. Without insulin, your bodys cells would starve.

After youve eaten a meal or a snack, your blood sugar concentration will increase. Its the job of your pancreas to release the insulin to move glucose from your blood to the cells.

As each cell receives glucose your blood sugar levels return to normal.

Not Taking Enough Meal Time Insulin

This is the first thing to look into. Make sure that you correctly determine the number of carbohydrates in your last meal of the day and take the insulin to suit. Be sure to also look out for sources of hidden carbs as well. Our bodies react to food and insulin differently at different times of the day. Many individuals including myself have a different carb to insulin ratio at night. I normally have to take a bit more insulin at night especially if the meal is high in carbohydrates.

Try eating your last meal at least 2 hours before bed so that you can check the 2 hour post dinner blood sugar reading. This will indicate if you are indeed giving the correct amount of insulin. If you have a good reading before bed but its much higher in the morning, then there is definitely another issue.

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High Blood Sugar Symptoms

Hyperglycemia is the medical term for high blood sugar. Hyperglycemia happens when the body doesnt have enough insulin or when it cant use insulin correctly. Many things can cause high blood glucose levels like Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, stress, illness, or the dawn phenomenon. If you have hyperglycemia or suspect you may have it, talking with a healthcare provider is always a good idea. A doctor can help you determine whats causing your high blood sugar levels and lower it to a healthy range.

Here are some of the most common symptoms that may indicate hyperglycemia:

• Fatigue

• Vision loss

You should seek immediate medical attention if your blood sugar reaches 400 mg/dL or higher.

When patients experience any of these accompanied by elevated blood sugar levels, diabetic patients are advised to go directly to the ER to avoid diabetes-induced coma, says Vikram Tarugu, MD, a gastroenterologist and the CEO of Detox of South Florida. Patients who have elevated blood sugar may also present with frothy, ketone-like smelling breath.

Here are some lifestyle changes and medical treatments that can help treat hyperglycemia:

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What Is The Normal Level For Your Blood Sugar

To ensure that your body is at its best, you do need to maintain your blood sugar levels at the normal range.

It goes without saying that if you have diabetes, you do need to be highly aware of what your blood sugar levels are. The healthy range for your blood sugar level, before you eat is 90-130 mg/dL. Once an hour or 2 has passed, it should be less than 180 mg/dL.

Sometimes your blood sugar level will suddenly rise. This could be triggered by:

• A large and heavy meal
• Lack of exercise or any physical activity
• If youve neglected to take a dose of your diabetes medication
• Stress both at work and at home

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How Common Is Low Blood Glucose

Low blood glucose is common among people with type 1 diabetes and among people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin or some other diabetes medicines. In a large global study of people with diabetes who take insulin, 4 in 5 people with type 1 diabetes and nearly half of those with type 2 diabetes reported a low blood sugar event at least once over a 4-week period.2

Severely low blood glucose, defined as when your blood glucose level drops so low you cant treat it yourself, is less common. Among U.S. adults with diabetes who take insulin or some diabetes medicines that help the pancreas release insulin into the blood, 2 in 100 may develop severely low blood glucose each year.3

Managing Blood Sugar Levels

Many people with diabetes must check their blood sugar levels daily with a glucose meter. This device takes a drop of blood, usually from a finger, and displays the sugar level within a few seconds.

People with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin as their doctor recommends, usually several times a day.

Those with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes may need to change their diet and exercise habits. They may also need to take oral medications or insulin.

A number of strategies can help prevent hyperglycemia.

People should:

• check their blood sugar levels as their doctor advises and take the correct amount of insulin, if they have type 1 diabetes
• speak to their healthcare provider or dietitian about which foods to eat or avoid, how much to eat, and how often
• take precautions to avoid infections, for example, through regular hand washing, as illness, such as a cold, can trigger a rise in blood pressure
• plan their food intake and exercise to balance blood sugar levels
• minimize stress, as far as possible, for example, through exercise, getting enough sleep, and stress-reducing activities such as meditation or yoga

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can happen when a person:

• has certain medical conditions
• does a lot of exercise
• skips meals or eats too little

It can also be a side effect of diabetes medicines. Taking too much insulin can result in low blood sugar levels.

Symptoms of low blood sugar may include:

• visit a doctor regularly

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What Should My Blood Sugar Level Be

When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, your diabetes care team will usually tell you what your blood sugar level is and what you should aim to get it down to.

You may be advised to use a testing device to monitor your blood sugar level regularly at home.

Or you may have an appointment with a nurse or doctor every few months to see what your average blood sugar level is. This is known as your HbA1c level.

Target blood sugar levels differ for everyone, but generally speaking:

• if you monitor yourself at home with a self-testing kit a normal target is 4 to 7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5 to 9mmol/l 2 hours after a meal
• if your HbA1c level is tested every few months a normal HbA1c target is below 48mmol/mol

The Diabetes UK website has more about blood sugar levels and testing.

How Do You Feel When Your Blood Sugar Is Too High

Here are some of the complaints that you may feel when your blood sugar is too high,

• Headache and body aches

• Loss of consciousness, coma or a seizure
• Difficulty in concentration

These symptoms can go on for a while till some food containing sugar is given. If this continues for long without any intake of sugar or any carbs, the condition can worsen and the blood sugar levels may further drop down, leading to complications. Very low blood sugar level can be a medical emergency too, which is why it is very important to be aware of the symptoms coming up because without an immediate treatment the patient can faint, may experience a seizure, or can even go into a coma.

Both the high and the low blood sugar level can lead to an emergency, and therefore knowledge of how do you feel when your blood sugar is too high or low is very necessary. Early you come up with a solution faster the condition can be eased and the complication can be avoided.

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When To Get Urgent Medical Attention

Contact your diabetes care team immediately if you have a high blood sugar level and experience the following symptoms:

• feeling or being sick
• a fever for more than 24 hours
• signs of dehydration, such as a headache, dry skin and a weak, rapid heartbeat
• difficulty staying awake

These symptoms could be a sign of a more serious complication of hyperglycaemia, such as diabetic ketoacidosis or a hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state, and you may need to be looked after in hospital.

Alternative Fuels: Running On Sugar Or On Fat

The body basically runs on two different fuels: fat and sugar. The premium fuel is sugarit burns cleaner and much more efficiently. Every carbohydrate and protein you eat is eventually broken down into sugar for your cells to use as fuel.

However, your body is a versatile engine. It can also use fat as a fuel. It’s not clean burningkind of like the difference between high octane racing gas and coalbut it gets the job done in a pinch.

Not all cells in your body are capable of using alternative fuel. Some of the cells are high-performance, and only the premium fuel will do. The brain is just such an elite machine. Brain cells cannot burn fat for energy.

When the bloodstream runs low on sugar, the body tries to save it for the brain. When the blood sugar gets too low, the brain starts to sputterand the victim becomes dizzy, confused, and weak. Nothing will work other than sugar, the premium, high-octane racing fuel for the body.

High blood sugar is a different mechanical problem entirely and has a different cause and requires different treatment. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream because there isn’t enough insulin in there to use it. For most cells other than the brain, insulin is the fuel pump. It moves sugar from the bloodstream into the cells by binding with the sugar. Without insulin, sugar can’t get into most types of cells.

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Can High Levels And Dka Be Prevented

These two problems dont sound like much fun, so youre probably wondering how to prevent them. The solution is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, which means following your diabetes management plan. Checking your blood sugar levels several times a day will let you and your parents know when your blood sugar level is high. Then you can treat it and help prevent DKA from happening.

What else can you do? Wear a medical identification bracelet that says you have diabetes. Then, if you are not feeling well, whoevers helping you even if the person doesnt know you will know to call for medical help. And the doctors will be able to get you better more quickly if they know you have diabetes. These bracelets also can include your doctors phone number or a parents phone number. The quicker you get the help you need, the sooner youll be feeling better!

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MDDate reviewed: June 2013

Note: All information on KidsHealth is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

How To Stabilize Your Blood Sugar Overnight

The most important thing you can do to stabilize your blood sugar is monitor your glucose levels at bedtime, during the night, and when you wake up to look for patterns. This will help you determine whats going on in your body and how you can fix it. While there are many strategies people use to stabilize blood sugar at night, every person is different youll have to look for trends in your body, experiment with ways to lower glucose levels over a period of time, and learn what works best for your body.

• Check your blood sugar before bed. If its already high, your blood sugar levels may remain high throughout the night. To address this, youll want to start by adjusting when you eat your evening meal and what it consists of, and how much mealtime insulin you take to cover it.

• Avoid eating lots of food close to bedtime. For diaTribe writer Adam Brown, the key to staying in range overnight is low-carb, early dinners, with no snacking after dinner.

• Consider eating less food at night and taking more basal insulin to cover your evening meal.

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How Do I Treat Hyperglycemia

You can often lower your blood sugar level by exercising. However, if your blood sugar is above 240 mg/dl, check your urine for ketones. If you have ketones, do not exercise.

Exercising when ketones are present may make your blood sugar level go even higher. Youll need to work with your doctor to find the safest way for you to lower your blood sugar level.

Cutting down on the amount of food you eat might also help. Work with your dietitian to make changes in your meal plan. If exercise and changes in your diet dont work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it.

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Is Hyperglycaemia Serious

The aim of diabetes treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as near to normal as possible.

But if you have diabetes, no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to experience hyperglycaemia at some point.

It’s important to be able to recognise and treat hyperglycaemia, as it can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

Occasional mild episodes are not usually a cause for concern and can be treated quite easily or may return to normal on their own.

But hyperglycaemia can be potentially dangerous if blood sugar levels become very high or stay high for long periods.

Very high blood sugar levels can cause life-threatening complications, such as:

• diabetic ketoacidosis a condition caused by the body needing to break down fat as a source of energy, which can lead to a diabetic coma this tends to affect people with type 1 diabetes
• hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state severe dehydration caused by the body trying to get rid of excess sugar this tends to affect people with type 2 diabetes

Regularly having high blood sugar levels for long periods of time can result in permanent damage to parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels.

If you experience hyperglycaemia regularly, speak to your doctor or diabetes care team.

You may need to change your treatment or lifestyle to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

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So Whats Making You High

As diabetics we are constantly striving to maintain a perfect blood glucose level. Having a high fasting reading constantly is a cause for major concern and can definitely affect your hbA1c and by extension your health if not corrected. For 3 or 4 days in a row, plan specific blood glucose testing times. You should also prepare your own meals during this testing period so that you are certain of the carbohydrate content. Try to have your last meal at least 2 hours before bedtime. Check your blood glucose at bedtime, wake up around 3 a.m to test again, and take the final reading at your usual wake-up time. Comparing these results can identify what is the underlying cause of your high blood glucose level in the morning. Sometimes it can also be a combination of issues. The table below is a guideline to follow to assist in identifying the problem. Always seek medical advice from your doctor pertaining to medication dosages and modifications.

If your 2 hour post dinner time is close to your bedtime there is no need to test again. If it is more than an hour apart include both tests. These are quite a lot of test which will be done over a couple day. Your fingers will be sore but it will lead to discovering your underlying problem.

This Is Done Because Blood Pressure Is The Primary Indicator

These routine screenings check for everything from liver function to hig. When this happens, it’s called a blood clot. Most of us have experienced having our blood pressure taken, as it’s standard practice in virtually every medical provider’s office, from an optometrist to a general practitioner. Your blood needs to keep flowing through your veins and arteries. If your blood pressure is very high, your doctor may want you to start taking blood press. When you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor will likely help you adopt a new health regimen to improve your diet and start exercising. Also known simply as blood sugar, blood glucose provides the fuel your body needs to power the brain, heart and muscles. For people with diabetes, routinely monitoring your blood sugar can be the key to feeling well and functioning normally. Left untreated, high blood sugar can be life threatening, leading to a diabetic coma. When you go for your yearly physical and sometimes when you have a regular doctor’s appointment, your healthcare provider may order certain tests, such as blood tests. A beginner’s guide to fear, fatigue, and the fraternity of boxing d. When it comes to maintaining your health, your blood glucose level is one of the most important readings in your body. The blood clots that form at the site of an injury usually break down after th.

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