Hyperglycemia (High Blood Glucose)

Hyperglycemia is the technical term for high blood glucose (blood sugar). High blood glucose happens when the body has too little insulin or when the body can't use insulin properly.

What Causes Hyperglycemia?

A number of things can cause hyperglycemia:

• If you have type 1, you may not have given yourself enough insulin.
• If you have type 2, your body may have enough insulin, but it is not as effective as it should be.
• You ate more than planned or exercised less than planned.
• You have stress from an illness, such as a cold or flu.
• You have other stress, such as family conflicts or school or dating problems.
• You may have experienced the dawn phenomenon (a surge of hormones that the body produces daily around 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.).

What are the Symptoms of Hyperglycemia?

The signs and symptoms include the following:

• High blood glucose
• High levels of sugar in the urine
• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst

How Do I Treat Hyperglycemia?

You can often lower your blood glucose level by exercising. However, if your blood glucose 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 glucose level go even higher. You'll need to work with your doctor to find the safest way for you to lower your blood glucose 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 don't work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it.

How Do I Treat Hyperglycemia?

You can often lower your blood glucose level by exercising. However, if your blood glucose 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 glucose level go even higher. You'll need to work with your doctor to find the safest way for you to lower your blood glucose 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 don't work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it.

• Hyperglycemia is an abnormally high blood glucose (blood sugar) level.
• Hyperglycemia is a hallmark sign of diabetes (bothtype 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes) and prediabetes.
• Diabetes is the most common cause of hyperglycemia.
• Other conditions that can cause hyperglycemia arepancreatitis, Cushing's syndrome, unusual hormone-secreting tumors, pancreatic cancer, certain medications, and severe illnesses.
• The main symptoms of hyperglycemia are increasedthirst and a frequent need to urinate.
• Severely elevated glucose levels can result in a medical emergency like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS, also referred to as hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state).
• Insulin is the treatment of choice for people with type 1 diabetes and for life-threatening increases in glucose levels.
• People with type 2 diabetes may be managed with a combination of different oral and injectable medications.
• Hyperglycemia due to medical conditions other than diabetes is generally treated by treating the underlying condition responsible for the elevated glucose. Continue ReadingHigh blood glucose, also known as hyperglycemia, can cause major health complications in people with diabetes. Several factors can contribute to hyperglycemia—including poor food and physical activity choices, illness or disease, or not getting the right dosage of glucose-lowering medication.

  Regular blood sugar testing is helpful for people with diabetes, because many people do not feel symptoms of high blood sugar. Short-term symptoms of high blood sugar include:

  • excessive thirst
  • excessive urination
  • increased urination at night
  • blurry vision
  • sores that won’t heal
  • fatigue

  If you experience symptoms of hyperglycemia, it’s important that you check your blood glucose levels. Untreated high blood sugar can lead to acute complications, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, and chronic complications, such as eye, kidney, or heart disease and/or nerve damage.

• What Are the Complications of Hyperglycemia?

  Untreated and chronic hyperglycemia can cause serious complications. These include:

  • nerve damage (neuropathy)
  • kidney damage (nephropathy) or kidney failure
  • cardiovascular disease
  • eye disease (retinopathy)
  • foot problems caused by damaged nerves and poor blood flow
  • skin problems, such as bacterial and fungal infections 

  Emergency Complications

  If your blood sugar goes high enough or is too high for a prolonged period of time, you may begin developing symptoms of two serious conditions. They are:

  
  

  This is a buildup of ketones in your blood and urine. It can be poisonous and might lead to a life-threatening diabetic coma.

  Diabetic Hyperosmolar Syndrome

  If insulin is present but not working properly, blood glucose levels may get as high as 600 mg/dL. The body cannot use glucose or fat for energy, so the glucose is dumped into the urine, which causes more-frequent urination. If left untreated, hyperosmolar syndrome may lead to life-threatening dehydration and even coma.

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