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What Is To High Blood Sugar Level

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Maintain A Healthy Weight

How to bring down high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)

Losing weight helps control blood sugar levels. Being overweight is linked to increased incidents of diabetes and greater occurrences of insulin resistance.

Studies show that reducing weight by even only 7 percent can reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

It is important to note that a person does not need to achieve ideal body weight to benefit from losing 1020 pounds and keeping it off. Doing so will also improve cholesterol, reduce the risk of complications, and improve a persons general sense of well-being.

Eating a healthful diet full of fruits and vegetables and getting enough exercise can help a person lose weight or maintain their currently healthy weight.

Symptoms Signs Causes Of Levels Of High Blood Sugar In The Blood

High blood sugar or hyperglycemia is an abnormally high blood sugar level in the blood. Hyperglycemia is a hallmark sign of diabetes and prediabetes.

Signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia include blurred vision, headaches, hunger, and …

The normal ranges for blood sugar levels in adults who do not have diabetes while fasting are 72-99 mg/dL. These ranges may increase to 80-130 mg/dL for those being treated for diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes should have

  • blood sugar levels of 80-130 mg/dL before eating a meal , and
  • less than 180 mg/dL about 1-2 hours after eating a meal

High blood sugar ranges for people who dont have diabetes begin at 140 mg/dL, while those being treated for diabetes have a high range beginning at 180 mg/dL.

High Calorie Foods May Or May Not Cause The Blood Sugar Level To Rise

Many people think that all high-calorie foods raise blood sugar level, but this is not always the case.

In general, foods that cause blood sugar level to rise the most are those that are high in carbohydrates, which are quickly converted into energy, such as rice, bread, fruits and sugar. Next are foods high in protein, such as meats, fish eggs, milk and dairy products, and oily foods. However, even though carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels, if you don’t eat them your diet will be unbalanced and you won’t feel satisfied after your meal, which can lead to excessive consumption of foods rich in protein and fat.

Food containing three major nutrients

Carbohydrates

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Youre Getting Yeast Infections More Often Than Usual

Hyperglycemia may lead you to get more frequent genital yeast infections. The culprit is often a type of yeast known as Candida albicans, per the ADA. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in females the symptoms can include: vaginal itching, redness or soreness pain during sexual intercourse pain or discomfort during urination and thick, abnormal vaginal discharge. While yeast infections are common in people who dont have diabetes, having more glucose in your blood puts you at higher risk of getting them. The yeast feeds off the glucose, and if your blood sugar is high theres more glucose in the urinary tract, explains Bandukwala. Uncircumcised men with hyperglycemia are also at risk, he says.

Were also seeing this happen a little more now with patients who take SGLT-2 inhibitors, which force the body to expel more glucose through the urine, the endocrinologist adds. The FDA has added a warning to the prescribing information for SGLT-2 inhibitors about a far more rare and potentially fatal genital condition, known as necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum, or Fourniers gangrene .

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome : When Hyperglycemia Becomes Severe For People With Type 2 Diabetes

Is a one

Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome is very rare, but you should be aware of it and know how to handle it if it occurs.

HHNS is when your blood glucose level goes way too highyou become extremely hyperglycemic. HHNS affects people with type 2 diabetes.

HHNS is most likely to occur when you’re sick, and elderly people are most likely to develop it.

It starts when your blood glucose level starts to climb: when that happens, your body will try to get rid of all the excess glucose through frequent urination. That dehydrates your body, and you’ll become very thirsty.

Unfortunately, when you’re sick, it’s sometimes more difficult to rehydrate your body. For example, it might be difficult to keep fluids down.

When you don’t rehydrate your body, the blood glucose level continues to climb, and it can eventually go so high that it could send you into a coma.

To avoid hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, you should keep close watch on your blood glucose level when you’re sick .

Talk to your health care professional about having a sick-day plan to follow that will help you avoid HHNS.

You should also be able to quickly recognize the signs and symptoms of HHNS, which include:

  • Extremely high blood glucose level

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Talk With Your Healthcare Provider

If you think you’ve been doing all you can to keep your blood sugar in control, but your readings are still high, it may be time to switch medications, if you are taking them. Diabetes is a progressive disease, and over time, the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin can stop making the hormone altogether.

Ultimately, your healthcare provider will look at the full picture and do additional testing to find out if there is a bigger problem.

Youre Developing Blisters Dryness Or Other Skin Changes

Small pieces of extra skin, called skin tags, may form in the creases of skin, especially if you have diabetes and youre trying to find ways to manage your weight, notes the ADA. Dark, thick areas of soft skin may form on the back of the neck or hands, armpits, face, or other areas. These can be a sign of insulin resistance, Zanini says. Blisters, infections, dryness, itchiness, discolorations, and abnormalities of the skin can all be warning signs of high blood sugar. Check with your doctor if these skin changes develop.

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How Is Hyperglycemia Diagnosed

If you have diabetes and notice a sudden change in your blood sugar levels during your home monitoring, you should alert your doctor of your symptoms. The increase in blood sugar may affect your treatment plan.

Regardless of whether you have diabetes, if you begin experiencing any symptoms of hyperglycemia, you should speak to your doctor. Before going to your appointment, you should note what symptoms youre experiencing. You should also consider these questions:

  • Has your diet changed?
  • Have you had enough water to drink?
  • Are you under a lot of stress?
  • Were you just in the hospital for surgery?
  • Were you involved in an accident?

Once at your doctors appointment, your doctor will discuss all of your concerns. Theyll perform a brief physical exam and discuss your family history. Your doctor will also discuss your target blood sugar level.

If youre age 59 or younger, a safe blood sugar range is generally between 80 and 120 milligrams per deciliter . This is also the projected range for people who dont have any underlying medical conditions.

People who are age 60 or older and those who have other medical conditions or concerns may have levels between 100 and 140 mg/dL.

Your doctor may conduct an A1C test to determine what your average blood sugar level has been in recent months. This is done by measuring the amount of blood sugar attached to the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin in your red blood cells.

What You Can Do Now

What Is a Normal Blood Sugar Level? â Dr.Berg

Your doctor will provide you with clear steps to follow aimed at lowering your blood sugar levels. Its important that you take their recommendations to heart and make any necessary lifestyle changes to improve your health. If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to serious, and sometimes life-threatening, complications.

Your doctor may recommend that you buy a blood glucose meter to use at home. This is a simple and effective way to monitor your blood sugar and act quickly if your levels have spiked to an unsafe level. Being aware of your levels can empower you to take charge of your condition and live a healthy lifestyle.

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Tips For Avoiding High And Low Blood Sugars

Walking the tightrope of a life with diabetes is not easy.

We need to strive every day to make sure that we dont let our blood sugars go too high or too low, and that can be exhausting.

Here are some strategies to help keep your blood sugar in balance:

  • Eat similar foods and meals that have predictable carbohydrate counts
  • Cook food at home, so you know all of the ingredients in your meal
  • Keep to a routine, and eat at the same times every day
  • Get enough sleep!
  • Double-check your insulin doses to make sure youre not taking too much, nor too little
  • If youve counted carbohydrates for a meal and dosed insulin for those carbohydrates, eat everything

How Do I Prevent Hyperglycemia

  • Exercise to help lower blood sugar. Work with your healthcare provider to make a daily activity plan.
  • Follow your meal plan if you have one. Learn how carbohydrates impact your blood sugar, and work with your diabetes care team to find the best meal plan for you.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Limit drinking alcohol. Alcohol can raise blood sugar levels, but can also cause dangerously low blood sugar levels. Work with your provider to determine how much is safe to drink.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 02/11/2020.

References

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Problems Caused By High Blood Sugar

It’s not usually a serious problem if your blood sugar is sometimes slightly high for a short time.

But high blood sugar can cause serious problems if it stays high for a long time or gets to a very high level.

It can lead to:

If you have high blood sugar, your doctor or care team may ask you to test your blood or pee to check for ketones. A high level of ketones is a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis.

What Is Considered High Blood Sugar

Proven Tips &  Strategies To Bring High Blood Sugar Down (Quickly ...

Blood sugar levels are considered high in people with diabetes once theyre more than the recommended 120 mg/dL, however, having a blood sugar of 145 mg/dL usually wont cause any problems .

For most people, high blood sugars become symptomatic once the blood sugar level reaches between 180-200 mg/dL.

Blood sugars above 200 mg/dL need to be treated immediately with insulin , and any blood sugar over 250 mg/dL requires that you do a urine test for ketones, to make sure youre not spiraling into diabetic ketoacidosis .

This is when the bodys blood turns acidic due to prolonged, dangerously high blood sugar levels and ketones in the blood. This can be fatal if not treated immediately.

This can occur when one is sick or battling an infection, due to a pump infusion site failure or even if you forgot to take your insulin for a few days.

Unfortunately, about 25% of newly diagnosed people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed when they are already in DKA.

If you are experiencing a blood sugar higher than 250 mg/dL along with moderate to high ketones for several hours and cannot get your blood sugar down, contact your doctor immediately and seek emergency medical attention.

People with diabetes are at heightened risk of falling into a diabetic coma from high blood sugar once their blood sugar levels reach 600 mg/dL or higher.

This is a true medical emergency, is extremely dangerous, and can be life-threatening. If you are in this situation, you should call 911.

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What Else Can I Do To Help Manage My Blood Sugar Levels

Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity can all help. Other tips include:

  • Keep track of your blood sugar levels to see what makes them go up or down.
  • Eat at regular times, and dont skip meals.
  • Choose foods lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt.
  • Track your food, drink, and physical activity.
  • Drink water instead of juice or soda.
  • Limit alcoholic drinks.
  • For a sweet treat, choose fruit.
  • Control your food portions .

Foods To Balance Sugar Levels

Some foods can help promote stable blood sugar levels, while others can make them less stable. By having a balanced diet, and avoiding foods rich in sugar, simple carbohydrates, and excess saturated fats, a person can control their blood sugar and insulin levels. Eliminate simple carbohydrate foods that you cannot balance in your meals.

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One in 10 people over the age of 40 in the UK are now living with Type 2 diabetes, which is a condtion that causes too much sugar in your blood. However, there is one common vegetable that can lower blood sugar levels by 50 per cent and could see potential use in treating patients with diabetes.

People with Type 2 diabetes are not able to produce sufficient insulin from their pancreas to regulate blood sugar, which means that their blood sugar can reach dangerously high levels.

However, findings from 2015, presented at The Endocrine Societys 97th annual meeting in San Diego, revealed that the extract of an onion bulb can strongly lower high blood sugar and total cholesterol levels when given alongside antidiabetic drug metformin.

Lead study author Anthony Ojieh of Delta State University in Abraka, Nigeria, said at the time: Onion is cheap and available and has been used as a nutritional supplement. It has the potential for use in treating patients with diabetes.

What Is A Normal Blood Sugar Level

What is a normal blood sugar level

According to the American Diabetes Association, a normal fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL.

A fasting blood sugar reading of 100-125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes, and a reading above 125 indicates diabetes.

Fasting Blood Sugar
100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl Prediabetes
126 mg/dl or higher Diabetes

If you test your blood sugar two hours after eating or drinking something containing sugar instead , the numbers to look for are:

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl Prediabetes

You can learn more in the in-depth article: What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels?

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The Ups And Downs Of Blood Sugar

Everyone experiences moderate fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. **The normal blood glucose range in healthy individuals is between 70 and 125 mg/dl.

** During times of prolonged physical activity, the glucose level can dip below 50 mg/dl. After carbohydrate-rich meals, it can soar to over 180. That’s normal, according to Dr. Edward Horton of the Joslin Diabetes Center. However, when blood sugar levels remain low or high, symptoms start to appear.

  • Everyone experiences moderate fluctuations in their blood sugar levels.
  • During times of prolonged physical activity, the glucose level can dip below 50 mg/dl.

What Causes High Blood Sugar Levels

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

  • the medicines you take (
  • the food that you eat
  • the amount of exercise you get
  • 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
    • 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.

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    High Blood Sugar Levels Symptoms

    High blood sugar levels or also known as hyperglycemia can occur if you donât take enough insulin, you miss a meal, or you exercise too little. High blood sugar levels can also be caused by stress, illness, or some medications.

    Signs and symptoms that your blood sugar might be on the high side include:

    • Increased urination

    Itâs important to treat high blood sugar levels quickly to avoid more serious problems. You can treat high blood sugar levels by drinking water and taking your diabetes medication or insulin.

    Itâs important to check your blood sugar levels right away and keep doing that every hour until your sugar levels are back in the normal blood sugar range.

    Manage Your Carb Intake

    What Is Normal Blood Sugar?

    Your carb intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels .

    Your body breaks carbs down into sugars, mainly glucose. Then, insulin helps your body use and store it for energy.

    When you eat too many carbs or have insulin-function problems, this process fails, and blood glucose levels can rise.

    Thats why the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes manage their carb intake by counting carbs and being aware of how many they need .

    Some studies find that this can help you plan your meals appropriately, further improving blood sugar management (

    Foods that are high in fiber include:

    The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. Thats about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories .

    Summary

    Eating plenty of fiber can aid blood sugar management. Soluble dietary fiber appears to be more effective than insoluble fiber for this purpose.

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