How to Spot Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

• Diabetes develops because the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin in sufficiency to deal with the high levels of sugar we consume.
• In most cases, the symptoms of high blood sugar require lifestyle changes. You may need to adjust your diet in order to decrease the amount of sugar and carbohydrates you ingest.

Diabetes is becoming an increasingly common chronic health condition in the United States and other parts of the world. The disease develops because the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin in sufficiency to deal with the high levels of sugar many of us have been consuming. When this happens, all of that excess sugar is left to float around in our bloodstreams and can lead to serious complications, including poor circulation, blindness, and heart disease. The high blood sugar numbers themselves can even lead to a serious illness. This is why knowing how to recognize the symptoms of high blood sugar is so important.

Mild Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

If you know you have diabetes, you should be closely monitoring your blood sugar levels because sometimes the levels can increase with no alerting symptoms. Most of the time, however, you will feel changes that let you know those levels are high.

These symptoms of high blood sugar include blurry vision and increased appetite. You are also likely to experience an increase in thirst, which ends up causing you to urinate more. Sometimes you may even be awakened with the urge to use the bathroom. High blood sugar often makes you feel tired more often, even after you have had plenty of restful sleep.

More Serious Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

Although you don’t want your blood sugar levels to be high, it’s easier to deal with the mild symptoms of high blood sugar. If you do nothing, or if your levels become extremely high, you can face more serious symptoms and consequences. Dizziness and difficulty breathing are two frightening symptoms of high blood sugar. Others include increased drowsiness, confusion, and even unconsciousness.

You can also develop a condition known as ketoacidosis, or a diabetic coma. This happens when your body can’t manufacture enough insulin to create energy for your body from the glucose in your blood. Instead, you body looks for an alternative energy source: fats. When these fats are used, they produce ketones as a waste product. Normally, the ketones would be excreted safely through your urine. Unfortunately, your body may not be able to eliminate all of these ketones and when they build up in your body, this life-threatening condition can result.

Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea or vomiting, fruit-smelling breath, extreme dry mouth, and shortness of breath. If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Treating the Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

In most cases, the symptoms of high blood sugar require lifestyle changes. You may need to adjust your diet in order to decrease the amount of sugar and carbohydrates you ingest. You may also need to take medication and/or insulin to help control your blood sugar levels. Increasing physical activity can also help keep your levels in check.

Even if you are doing all of these things, you may still suffer from the symptoms of high blood sugar occasionally. That’s because other factors including illness and stress can sometimes raise those levels. If you’re keeping to your plan and still seeing elevated levels or experiencing these symptoms of high blood sugar, you should talk to your physician.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.