Experiencing excessive blood sugar every so often is a part of life should you dwell with diabetes.
Nevertheless, many individuals have no idea what excessive blood sugar really appears like, generally till glucose ranges are dangerously excessive.
This text will discover the indicators and signs of excessive blood sugar, what it appears like when it’s excessive, and what you are able to do to rapidly deliver it down.
What’s a excessive blood sugar stage?
What is taken into account excessive blood sugar will differ from individual to individual, however usually, any fasting blood sugar over 125 mg/dL is taken into account diabetic.
Most individuals with diabetes will start to really feel the signs of excessive blood sugar between 180-200 mg/dL.
Blood sugars over 200 mg/dL must be handled with insulin.
Any blood sugar over 250 mg/dL requires a urine check for ketones to rule out diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
DKA is a harmful acute complication of diabetes that may be deadly if not handled rapidly.
What are the signs of excessive blood sugar?
Signs additionally could differ from individual to individual.
Early signs of excessive blood sugar embody:
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Achy muscle tissue
- Slight adjustments to imaginative and prescient
Signs of extended excessive blood sugar embody:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blurry imaginative and prescient/adjustments to imaginative and prescient
- Fruity-smelling breath
- Confusion
- Weight reduction
- Flushed face
- Coma
If left untreated, extended excessive blood sugar can result in DKA, the place the physique turns into dehydrated, electrolytes turn out to be unbalanced, and the blood turns into acidic.
On this state, it may be very tough to decrease blood sugar ranges.
It requires emergency medical help to deliver blood sugars down slowly and safely to keep away from problems and demise.
What are the indicators that you could have persistent excessive blood sugar?
In different instances, individuals with diabetes could endure from persistent excessive blood sugar ranges.
You will have blood sugar ranges which can be exterior of the vary of regular, however not fairly excessive sufficient to be thought of a medical emergency.
Typically persistent, moderately-high blood sugar ranges would not have detectable signs.
This may be the case in prediabetes and even LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults), which has a slower onset.
Moreover, many individuals with kind 2 diabetes who should not but on insulin could wrestle for years with higher-than-normal blood sugar ranges.
This might not be detected in the event that they’re not steadily testing their blood sugar ranges.
Over the long run, reasonably excessive blood sugar ranges can result in diabetes problems akin to blindness, kidney failure, coronary heart illness, coronary heart assaults, and strokes.
It might even result in lower-leg amputations and untimely demise.
Maintain these indicators of persistent, moderately-high blood sugar ranges in thoughts:
- Swollen/bleeding gums
- Gradual-healing wounds
- Yeast infections
- Dry pores and skin/blisters
- Tingling and numbness within the palms and toes
Contact your physician if you’re at excessive threat for prediabetes or diabetes and have been fighting any of the aforementioned signs for 2 or extra weeks with out aid.
It’s possible you’ll need to be examined for diabetes, or you may even purchase a glucometer over-the-counter at your native pharmacy and check your blood sugar at house.
What does excessive blood sugar really feel like?
Excessive blood sugar could be described as having a full-body ache, an unquenchable thirst, and a splitting headache.
Typically signs can hit rapidly, whereas different signs could take longer to develop.
Some individuals develop dry eyes and simply really feel wrung out.
Individuals really feel the necessity to urinate steadily, which dehydrates them, and repeats the cycle of thirst and polyuria.
If that is left untreated for a number of weeks, individuals begin dropping pounds quickly, and their imaginative and prescient blurs.
Some individuals turn out to be extraordinarily fatigued and torpid, creating flu-like signs.
Many signs will start to dissipate as soon as blood sugar ranges come again right down to a standard vary.
Whereas your blood sugar stage is excessive, keep in mind to take insulin (should you’re prescribed it), and keep hydrated by ingesting loads of water to assist forestall dehydration.
Contact your physician in case your blood sugar doesn’t go beneath 250 mg/dL and you’ve got reasonable to excessive ranges of ketones for a number of hours or extra, regardless of remedy.
How will you deliver excessive blood sugar down rapidly?
Taking insulin is the quickest approach to deliver your blood sugar down if in case you have been identified with insulin-dependent diabetes. By no means take insulin if it’s not prescribed to you.
Moreover, should you’re experiencing insulin resistance and excessive blood sugar (as a result of hormonal adjustments or a fatty meal you’ve just lately eaten) be sure that to drink loads of water.
Lastly, getting a bit of train may help decrease blood sugars sooner. Even only a 15-20 minute stroll or bike trip may help.
Learn extra: Methods to Convey Excessive Blood Sugar Down Rapidly
Do all individuals really feel excessive blood sugar ranges?
No. Identical to not all individuals really feel low blood sugars (hypo-unawareness) both.
Your physique will turn out to be used to a blood sugar vary.
In case your blood sugars usually run larger, you might not really feel a 200 mg/dL blood sugar stage like somebody who frequently retains their blood sugars round 80 mg/dL.
That is why it’s so vital to check your blood sugar frequently with both a glucometer or a steady glucose monitor (CGM).
Attempt to observe and deal with excessive blood sugars earlier than they turn out to be insulin resistant and harmful.
Moreover, of people that have prediabetes, greater than 80% don’t even know they’ve the situation.
It is because blood sugar ranges are larger than regular, however not excessive sufficient to represent a diabetes analysis.
Oftentimes, reasonably excessive blood sugar ranges are tough to detect, even when they’re doing harm to the physique.
What are the indicators that my blood sugar is dangerously excessive?
At all times check your blood sugar with a glucometer should you suspect you could have dangerously excessive blood sugar.
In case your blood sugar is over 250 mg/dL, check for ketones.
When you have each excessive blood sugar and ketones, you should be additional vigilant about getting your blood sugar down so you don’t develop DKA.
Name your physician or 911 immediately if you’re vomiting, expertise blurry imaginative and prescient or adjustments to your imaginative and prescient, have fruity-smelling breath, or turn out to be confused and disoriented.
How lengthy does it take to really feel higher after a excessive blood sugar?
Most individuals really feel higher from acute excessive blood sugars inside a number of hours.
Typically individuals could be side-lined from excessive blood sugar for the higher a part of a day.
Nevertheless, signs often go away rapidly after blood sugar ranges come again right down to a standard vary.
In case your blood sugar has been excessive for a very long time (days or even weeks), and also you’re experiencing ketones, it could take you a large number longer to really feel higher—particularly should you’ve been hospitalized.
Throughout a hospital keep, medical doctors will rehydrate you and assist rebalance electrolytes.
It might take a number of weeks to recuperate from excessive blood sugar ranges that depart you hospitalized or in DKA.
Can ingesting plenty of water deliver down your blood sugar?
Ingesting water alone won’t deliver down blood sugar ranges.
If you happen to take insulin, solely insulin can deliver them down.
Nevertheless, should you’ve taken insulin, staying hydrated by ingesting water may help deliver down blood sugars sooner than should you’re dehydrated.
Dehydration can even result in insulin resistance, which may make bringing down blood sugar ranges a gradual and cussed course of.
Water can help in reducing blood sugar ranges within the following method: when your blood sugar is excessive, your physique will try to flush the surplus glucose out of your blood by your urine.
That’s the reason frequent urination is a standard symptom of excessive blood sugar.
Ingesting additional water can help your kidneys in serving to to flush out a number of the additional glucose from the blood into the urine.
