High blood sugar or hyperglycemia is a health condition that occurs when a person’s blood sugar rises above the normal level. It is an alarming condition and state of health both among diabetics and non-diabetics. Hyperglycemia presents the possibility of diabetes among those not yet afflicted with the disease and the risks of certain complications among people who have diabetes to begin with.
Development and causes
Hyperglycemia is unlike low blood sugar, which develops randomly and rapidly. High blood sugar is usually a very slow condition and it can takes hours or days before the symptoms manifest. Some of the earliest symptoms of this condition are thirst, tiredness, frequent urination, and dehydration. Left untreated, hyperglycemia can damage blood vessels and in the long run, cause eye, heart, nerves, and kidney diseases. Hyperglycemia is also known to lead to comatose and in some severe cases, death.
Prevention better than cure
Treating high sugar in its early stages can save your life, which is why it is important that you recognize its symptoms before it leads to an emergency. If you suspect that your blood sugar is exceeding the normal limits, it is best to measure your glucose just to be sure.
There are a number of things you can do if your glucose test confirms that your blood sugar level is above normal. The first one is to drink lots of water or any decaffeinated and sugar free beverages to counteract the effects of dehydration. Another is to continually monitor your blood sugar level and report to your doctor if it continues to remain above normal. Your doctor can advise you on what to do next -possibly to adjust your medications or change these altogether.
The extreme and its consequences
Extreme high blood sugar is known to cause two other life threatening conditions: Hypersosmolar hyperglycemic non-ketotic syndrome or HHNS and Ketoacidosis. HHNS, which is common among older people, is characterized by severe dehydration and can lead to seizures, comatose, and death. Some of the warning signs that you have HHNS are as follows: extreme thirst that gradually disappears, dryness in your mouth, warm and dry skin that doesn’t sweat, high fever, loss of vision, sleepiness, confusion, hallucinations, and weakness. If you observe any or all of these symptoms and you have diabetes, immediately test your blood sugar, drink as much fluids as you can, and call your doctor right away.
Ketoacidosis, one the other hand, is a condition characterized by alarmingly high levels of ketones. Ketones are acids found in the blood and appear in the urine if your body is not getting enough insulin. The appearance of ketones in the urine is an indication that your diabetes is getting out of control.
Some indications that you have ketoacidosis are a frequent urination, extremely high blood sugar levels, constant feeling of tiredness, dry and flushed skin, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, lack of concentration, and developing a fruity odor on your breath. Should you observe any of these symptoms in your body, you test your blood sugar immediately and check your urine for ketones. Call your doctor if your blood glucose is very high, your urine tests show a high level of ketones, you have a combination of the two, or if you have vomited more at least thrice in four hours.
Preparing your family and friends
You don’t have to deal with hyperglycemia alone. You can always ask the help of your family members or friends and teach them ways to handle the situation should you have a high blood sugar emergency. The least you can do is teach your home buddies how to recognize the symptoms of hyperglycemia and what they can do to help you out of it.
Jerrold Tanner is concerned about the growing number of people developing Diabetes and other blood sugar diseases. For more great tips and advice on high blood sugar, visit http://www.bloodsugartips.com.
