What To Do If Blood Sugar Is Over 300

How To Avoid Hyperglycemia

One high blood sugar reading does not indicate failure. People with diabetes should expect that their blood sugar will fluctuate. Rather than viewing an episode of hyperglycemia as something bad, looking at it as a learning experience may give us some benefit for the future. What caused the episode? Did I eat something different? Did I move more or less than usual? Was I ill or stressed? Taking the time to problem solve to avoid these situations in the future is one way to take control of your health.

The main goal of managing diabetes is to maintain a blood sugar as close to normal as possible. Recommendations for avoiding hyperglycemia are the same as the general recommendations for treating diabetes:

When To Go To The Er

High blood sugar can be very concerning because your body can start burning fat for energy instead of blood glucose.

This can cause conditions such as DKA and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome . These conditions are medical emergencies and can be fatal if left untreated.

DKA is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes. Its rare in people with type 2 diabetes, but can occur.

Symptoms that can indicate you should go to the emergency room include:

• ketones in your urine, as diagnosed using a urine dipstick test
• confusion
• stomach pain
• vomiting

High blood sugar levels can cause a fluid imbalance in the body and can cause the blood to become acidic in a manner that doesnt support life.

Medical treatments for these conditions include administering intravenous insulin on a continuous basis and IV fluids to correct dehydration.

Summary

High blood sugar can become a medical emergency. Go to the ER if you suspect DKA or HHS.

How Lifestyle Changes Can Also Help You Avoid Hyperglycemia

Exercise is one of the best ways to get rid of high blood sugar. But if you have ketoacidosis, you should not exercise but rather go to the emergency room. Youll want to check your urine for ketones to be safe, especially if your glucose reading is 240 mg/dL or higher.

When you exercise, your body uses glucose as its primary energy source. This, in effect, will help bring down your blood sugar levels. Working out regularly will lower your A1C.

The positive effects of regular exercise are unmistakable. According to the American Diabetes Association, working out can lead to blood sugar-reducing effects for up to 24 hours.

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What Are The Causes Of Diabetes

Diabetes-related coma is mainly caused by an extremely high or low blood sugar level. One of these conditions is diabetes-related hyperosmolar syndrome. It happens in people with Type 2 diabetes. If you develop this condition:

• Your blood sugar could be as high as 600 mg/dL.
• Your urine wont contain ketones usually.
• Your blood will be much thicker than normal.

Another condition is diabetes-related ketoacidosis, which is more common in people with Type 1 diabetes. Things to know about this condition include:

• It could happen with a blood sugar as low as 250 mg/dL or even lower in some cases.
• Your body uses fatty acids instead of glucose for fuel.
• Ketones develop in your urine and bloodstream.

Is It Safe To Sleep With High Blood Sugar

Glucose levels that are occasionally a little high at night generally dont pose serious, immediate health concerns. Most people with diabetes cannot avoid some high glucose levels. However, frequent or long-term highs particularly extremely high levels can be dangerous. It is important for people with diabetes to reduce high blood sugar as much as possible for two key reasons:

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What Causes High Blood Sugar Levels

Managing diabetes is like a three-way balancing act because you have to watch:

All three need to be balanced. If any one of these is off, blood sugar levels can be too. In general, higher than normal blood glucose levels can be caused by:

• not taking your diabetes medicine when you’re supposed to or not taking the right amounts
• not following the meal plan
• not getting enough exercise
• having an illness, like the flu
• stress
• taking other kinds of medicines that affect how your diabetes medicines work

A single high blood sugar reading usually isn’t cause for alarm it happens to everyone with diabetes from time to time. But if you have high blood sugar levels a lot, let your parents and your diabetes health care team know. Insulin or meal plans may need adjusting, or you may have an equipment issue, like an insulin pump that isn’t working right. Whatever the case, make sure you get help so you can get your blood sugar levels back under control.

A Blood Sugar In The 300s Is Dangerously High And All Diabetics Need To Recognize When Its Time To Rush To The Emergency Room When Their Glucose Levels Soar Into An Unacceptable Range

Normal non-fasting blood sugars are acceptable below 150, preferably 80-120, says Yvette McQueen, MD, emergency medicine physician and CEO of MedQueen LLC, through which she offers travel medicine, urgent care and nutritional consultations via telemedicine to individuals, executives and travel groups.

Long-time diabetes or hard to control diabetes may have blood sugars in the 300s, continues Dr. McQueen. They will manage it at home with medications, and the blood sugar will reduce.

When a Blood Sugar in the 300s Means a Trip to the ER

Dr. McQueen explains that when blood sugars are in the 300s and they have symptoms , they should definitely come to the emergency department.

Two Types of Diabetes 300sType 1. The pancreas does not produce, or does not produce enough, of the hormone insulin.

Type 2. The pancreas secretes enough insulin, but the insulin receptor sites on cells are impaired.

Shutterstock/Maya Kruchankova

Type 1 diabetics can easily bring their blood sugars down with insulin, says Dr. McQueen.

So people who have hard to control sugars will wear an insulin pump that steadily gives the body insulin.

Type 2 diabetics glucose can be reduced by pills or insulin injections usually the glucose input into their body will cause it to spike. Exercise as well will bring down the glucose. 300s

The concern for high blood sugars is the bodys reactions, continues Dr. McQueen. The body is a fine-tuned machine and likes to have levels steady.

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How Do You Feel When Diabetes Level Rises Above 300

When the diabetes level rises above 300, its an abnormal condition. In fact, you may feel dizzy and dehydrated. You will feel nausea and might faint in that case. Unusual sugar level might be fatal and result in death even. You may diagnose the symptoms like- feeling thirsty, drying of mouth, blurry vision and feeling fatigue might occur. The bloodstream begins to flow in the cortisol which is in a continuous state of emergency in the body. When the final breakdown starts in the body, the downward spiral series of events stops. The adrenal system may be swollen, the immune system could be depressed, and there could be shrinkage of the thymus, shrinkage in spleen and lymph nodes. Thereby there could be a series of problems and recovery could be delayed.

When Is It Necessary To Call A Doctor If You Have Diabetes

• If you have diabetes and your blood sugar is 300 mg/dL or higher two times in a row for an unknown reason.
• If you have a low blood sugar that has not come up after three treatments, call your healthcare provider or 911.
• If you see a person with diabetes who appears confused, they may be having a low blood sugar episode. Left untreated, the low blood sugar could lead to a diabetes-related coma. If the person is still able to follow instructions, give him or her something to drink or eat and call for an ambulance or 911.
• If you see someone with diabetes become unresponsive, call 911.

If you do call 911, let the responders know that the person has diabetes if theyre not able to communicate. If you do have diabetes, you may want to wear a medical identification item like a bracelet or necklace.

When you are taken to a healthcare facility, providers will do a physical examination and take blood to determine levels of glucose, ketones and other substances.

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How Long Does It Take To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

the ability of cells in your pancreas to make insulin The organ overcompensates and insulin ranges stay too high.

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Diagnosing And Treating Hyperglycemia

Diagnosing hyperglycemia is done by assessing symptoms and performing a simple blood glucose test. Depending on the severity of the condition and which type of diabetes the patient is diagnosed with, insulin and a variety of medication may be prescribed to help the person keep their blood sugar under control. Insulin comes in short, long and fast-acting forms, and a person suffering from type 1 diabetes is likely to be prescribed some combination of these.

Individuals who are either diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or are considered at risk for the disease are recommended to make alterations to their diet, lifestyle habits and exercise routine in order to lower blood sugar and keep it under control. These changes generally help to improve blood glucose control, individuals with type 2 diabetes may require medication eventually. These can include glitazones, acarbose, glucophage or sulphonylureas.

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How Is Dka Treated

DKA is very serious, but it can be treated if you go to the doctor or hospital right away. To feel better, a person with DKA needs to get insulin and fluids through a tube that goes into a vein in the body .

Let your parents or someone on your diabetes health care team know if you have any of these symptoms or are sick and don’t know what to do to take care of your diabetes.

Always wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace that says you have diabetes. Then, if you are not feeling well, whoever’s helping you will know to call for medical help. Medical identification can also include your doctor’s phone number or a parent’s phone number.

High Blood Sugar At : What Causes It

Poor diet and lack of medication are the biggest culprits of high blood sugar. Well be covering diet more below.

There are a few other causes for high blood sugar that may explain your high reading.

These include:

• Illness, such as having the flu, also raises stress hormones
• General stress, which is why its not good to panic when your blood sugar is high
• Certain medications, such as steroids

Work with your healthcare team to address any of the above concerns to optimize your glucose control.

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Avoiding High Blood Sugar And Dka

No matter how well they take care of themselves, people with diabetes will sometimes have high blood sugar levels. But the best way to avoid problems is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to your desired range as possible, which means following your diabetes management plan. Checking your blood sugar levels several times a day will let you know when your blood sugar level is high. Then you can treat it and help prevent DKA from happening.

High blood sugar levels don’t always cause symptoms, and a person who isn’t testing regularly might be having blood sugar levels high enough to damage the body without even realizing it. Doctors may use the HbA1c test to find out if someone has been having high blood sugar levels over time, even if the person has not had obvious symptoms.

Here are some other tips for avoiding high blood sugar levels and preventing DKA:

• Try to eat all your meals and snacks on time and not skip any.
• Take the right amount of insulin.
• Check your blood sugar levels regularly and your ketone levels when your diabetes management plan recommends it.
• Stick to your diabetes management plan.

Choose Low Glycemic Index Foods

The glycemic index measures and ranks various foods by how much they cause blood sugar levels to rise. Research shows that following a low glycemic index diet decreases fasting blood sugar levels.

Low glycemic index foods are those that score below 55 on the glycemic index. Examples of low glycemic foods include:

• sweet potatoes

• fruit

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Best Ways To Lower Blood Sugar Quickly

When treated early, you can bring high blood sugar levels down and prevent complications, including DKA.

Some sources suggest that drinking water or eating a high protein snack can quickly lower your blood sugar levels, though there isnt enough research to support this.

If you have high blood sugar and need to lower it fast, try the following methods:

Stick To Your Medication And Insulin Regimen

Skipping a dose of medication or insulin can be harmful to your body and increase your blood sugar levels.

Its important to stick to your treatment plan and follow your doctors instructions for taking your medication.

Summary

Healthful lifestyle habits can help people manage their blood sugar levels over the long term, such as eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, staying hydrated, and getting good sleep.

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What You Should Know About Food Addiction

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What Is The Somogyi Effect

A second possible cause of high blood sugar levels in the morning is the Somogyi effect, sometimes also called rebound hyperglycemia. It was named after the doctor who first wrote about it.

If your blood sugar drops too low in the middle of the night while you are sleeping, your body will release hormones in an attempt to rescue you from the dangerously low blood sugar. The hormones do this by prompting your liver to release stored glucose in larger amounts than usual. But this system isnt perfect in a person with diabetes, so the liver releases more sugar than needed which leads to a high blood sugar level in the morning. This is the Somogyi effect.

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Control Your Stress Levels

Stress is usually one of the main reasons that trigger hyperglycemia. Meditating or practicing yoga is the best way to control your anxiety and stress. It will help you to clear your mind and get away from every annoying stimulus of the world. So, take deep breaths and relax if you want to lower blood sugar fast.

When To Contact Your Healthcare Provider

Hyperglycemia can turn into a medical emergency like DKA and HHS that requires immediate intervention by your practitioner or a local emergency department. If you have two blood sugar readings of 300 mg/dL or more or have blood sugar above your target range for more than a week, seek immediate medical help.

Signs of hyperglycemia include:

• Ketones in your urine
• Stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
• Shortness of breath

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