High blood sugar levels (or hyperglycemia) are a symptom of diabetes mellitus. They are also a precursor to this disease, which can be life-limiting. When you ingest sugar or any food high on the Glycemic Index (GI), your blood sugar levels quickly increase. They peak within 45 minutes of eating. In a normal person, the blood sugar then begins to decrease. Within 2 hours, it’s back to normal levels. When you eat foods that are low on the GI, your blood sugar rises and stays level for an extended time before declining again.
In a diabetic person, the blood sugar levels cannot be managed by the body and do not lower. These constant high blood sugar levels place an enormous strain on the organs and cells of the body. After a prolonged period of not addressing high blood sugar levels, permanent damage is possible. That is why most diabetics have to use insulin. Our bodies produce insulin in the pancreas. A normal body produces enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. A diabetic’s pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. So, people with diabetes must supplement the insulin supply in their bodies.
Another way to manage and minimize the blood sugar levels is to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index. That way the body’s blood sugar levels are not on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. Therefore, most diabetics have to be careful about what they eat and drink. They avoid sugary drinks and foods rich in bad carbohydrates.
Studies suggest that many people have high blood sugar levels but aren’t even aware of it. They are a ticking time bomb because their bodies are becoming more and more damaged. If they aren’t aware of their condition, they won’t change their eating habits and seek help. If you display some of these symptoms, you may have high blood sugar levels. A simple blood test can determine this. It may not yet be diabetes, and dietary changes and exercise will be treatment enough.
1. Fatigue
Extreme fatigue can be a symptom of high blood sugar levels. When you have too much glucose (sugar) in your blood, you will feel tired. Blood that contains a lot of sugar moves more slowly than blood with normal sugar levels. The circulation of blood around the body slows down. When this happens, organs and cells are not getting the oxygen that they need from the blood. This is what causes them long-term harm if high blood sugar levels are not treated.
The fatigue brought on by high blood sugar levels is also related to inflammation. The high sugar levels cause inflammation of the blood vessels. Research shows that when blood vessels are inflamed, monocytes are released into the brain. Monocytes are immune cells. They cause fatigue.
Fatigue may also be caused by low blood sugar levels. If there is not enough sugar in the blood, the body is not receiving enough energy. This will result in feelings of listlessness and exhaustion. The fatigue brought on by high blood sugar levels will be accompanied by dizziness and irritability. No amount of sleep will make it go away. Your quality of life is affected by the fatigue as you can no longer do the things you want to.
Sometimes, just getting out of bed and getting ready for work can leave you exhausted. The fatigue may be brought on by poor sleep quality. Studies show that up to 31% of type 1 diabetes patients report poor quality sleep. With type 2 diabetes, the number goes up to 42%. A fatigue survey conducted on people with diabetes and those without was interesting. There were more of the 37 diabetic subjects who complained of fatigue than the 31 non-diabetic subjects.
2. Blurred vision
If you experience an onset of blurred vision, it could be because you have high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels that do not decrease cause the eye’s lens to swell up. This change to the lens affects your ability to see. Left untreated, the permanent swelling of the lens can do permanent damage and affect your eyesight. Diabetic retinopathy describes the eye conditions caused by diabetes. The two most common are macular edema and proliferative retinopathy.
Macular edema is caused by the swelling of the macula from leaking fluids. The macula is found in the center of the retina. It is vital for 20/20 vision and the ability to distinguish and see color. Since the macula is affected, your sharp central vision and color vision will be affected. You’ll have blurred, wavy vision and the way you see color will change.
Proliferative retinopathy is caused by leaky blood vessels. They leak fluid into the center of the eye. Your night vision is affected, and you’ll get spots or floaters obstructing your vision. Blurry vision can also indicate that you have proliferative retinopathy. Another cause of blurred vision that can be brought on by high blood sugar levels is glaucoma. The National Eye Institute suggests that adults with diabetes are twice as likely to get glaucoma than non-diabetics.
Glaucoma is a condition that occurs when the pressure in the eye causes damage to the optic nerve. In addition to blurred vision, glaucoma is characterized by tunnel vision, pain, reddening of the eyes, and seeing a halo effect around lights. High blood sugar levels may also be indicated by the development of cataracts. Diabetes brings forward the onset of cataracts. Cataracts cause blurry vision, faded colors, double vision in the affected eye, and sensitivity to light.
3. Headaches
Headaches are common among people with high blood sugar. They are not described as a migraine or severe in nature. They take several days to develop and can last for a while. This is one of the earliest signs that something is wrong with your blood sugar levels. It’s not the sugar that causes a headache as such. It’s the changes in the sugar levels that does it. As the condition worsens and no treatment is used to intervene, the headache will become worse. It is thought that rising sugar levels affect the levels of hormones in the body. The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine will fluctuate. This has the potential to bring about the onset of a headache.
A headache is a warning that your blood sugar levels are out of sync. The more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more frequently you’ll experience headaches. If the fluctuations are extreme, the intensity of a headache may worsen. Although it may seem like the last thing you want to do, you need to exercise. If you exercise and the headache eases, it’s very likely that it was triggered by blood sugar levels.
Treatment of headaches such as those brought on by high blood sugar typically includes over-the-counter medicines such as Ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen. Other triggers such as caffeine and stress should be avoided too. It’s important to remember that not all headaches are triggered by blood sugar levels.
Other factors such as a lack of sleep, alcohol, poor posture, allergic reactions, and hormone changes can also cause headaches. If you experience frequent headaches, it is a good idea to go to the doctor to establish the cause. It is likely that your blood sugar levels will be tested to eliminate them as the cause.
4. More frequent trips to the bathroom
You may need to urinate more often than usual. This is a common sign of high blood sugar levels. Because your body doesn’t process the sugar in the blood, it builds up and finds its way to your kidneys. There, your kidneys work under pressure to filter and then absorb this excess sugar. Your kidneys will in all likelihood not be able to keep up the pace. Then the excess sugar gets into your urine. As it goes into the urine, it takes with it other fluids. This results in the bladder being filled with more fluid than usual, prompting your need for more bathroom breaks. This symptom of high blood sugar levels is called polyuria.
In classic cases of polyuria, you may pass as much as 3 liters of urine in a 24-hour period. The average adult passes 1-2 liters of urine in that time. If you start experiencing what you think is polyuria, get your blood sugar levels tested as soon as you can. While there are other causes of polyuria, it is associated with raised blood sugar levels and diabetes.
Left undiagnosed, high blood sugar levels can lead to a diabetic coma and death. Take the symptoms of polyuria seriously. Because high blood sugar levels are so dangerous, your doctor will want to eliminate them first before he/she looks at any other causes. Even people who know they have diabetes and are taking insulin can develop polyuria. It is an indication that their medication is not working, and their blood sugar levels are not coming down.
Polyuria could be an indicator of kidney disease, liver failure, or Cushing’s syndrome. If you have chronic diarrhea, it can also occur. Taking diuretic medicines or drinking a lot of coffee can also lead to polyuria.
5. Insatiable thirst
Excessive thirst is called polydipsia. It is also an indicator that your blood sugar levels may be too high. As a result of polydipsia, people experience polyuria, as the water they drink must be expelled from the body. Once the urine has been expelled from the body, it must protect itself from dehydration. So, you will feel the need to drink fluids. The more trips you take to the bathroom, the more fluids you’ll want to drink.
On the face of it, drinking a lot of water may sound like a good idea. After all, we’re told that water is good for us. And it is. But like most things, too much water can be a bad thing. It upsets the delicate chemical balance in your body. If you’re drinking normal amounts of water, excess water is eliminated from the body as urine. But if you’re drinking too much, it dilutes the blood. This can lead to you having too little sodium in your blood and too much water inside and around the cells of the body. This is called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia brings with it headaches, muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue, and seizures. Left untreated, hyponatremia gets worse. It can result in a coma or death.
Drinking too much water also dilutes the electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals in your body. Because it’s being expelled from the body, it takes those nutrients with it. This depletes the levels you have in your body. A lack of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals can lead to a multitude of problems, a lot of them related to the immune system and digestive processes.
If you find yourself wanting to drink water all the time and drinking far more than usual, consult your doctor. Your body is trying to tell you something, such as your blood sugar levels are too high.