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.
11. Slow healing of cuts and wounds
Cuts and wounds that don’t heal are signs that something is wrong with your health. The body’s self-healing processes are an indicator of your overall health. Within minutes of sustaining a cut or wound, the body acts immediately to begin healing it. When your body doesn’t respond this way, you need to establish the underlying cause. It could be a suppressed immune system, chronic blood circulation condition, or iron-deficiency anemia.
Wound healing is characterized by four distinct stages. The bleeding stage takes place when the wound occurs. Your body sends clotting agents to the site of the wound to stop the bleeding. During the inflammatory phase is when a scab is formed to protect the wound from the outside. The wound must be protected from infection. The proliferative stage follows. This is when the body is healing the damaged cells. In the final stage, called remodeling, the skin is healed, and the scab falls off as protection is no longer needed.
If you see these symptoms after a cut or wound, your body could be experiencing problems with self-healing. They include swelling around the wound site, excessive fluids leaking from the wound that is an unusual color and may smell rotten. The site of the wound will feel hot all the time, and you will experience increased pain at or around the wound site.
When cuts and wounds don’t heal, it can be a sign of sustained high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can cause a condition called neuropathy. This is nerve damage caused by too much glucose in the blood. This causes blood circulation problems. The healing processes are slowed down if the body cannot deliver what is required for healing to the site of the wound.
12. You may have recurrent infections
The immune system is vital for the body’s defense against bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and parasites the body encounters. If the immune system is deficient, it affects the body’s ability to fight off infections. A compromised immune system is a sign of several disorders.
There are primary immunodeficiency disorders that you can be born with such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Secondary immunodeficiency disorders occur when the body is attacked by an outside factor like a chemical or infection. Causes of a secondary immunodeficiency disorder are chemotherapy, radiation, malnutrition, and diabetes (which relates to high blood sugar levels). Examples of secondary immunodeficiency disorders are AIDS, immune system cancers such as leukemia, viral hepatitis, and multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells).
If you get conjunctivitis (pinkeye), colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, yeast infections, or sinus infections that don’t respond to treatment, something is wrong. Even if they respond to treatment but recur as soon as you stop taking medication, it is a sign your immune system is compromised. If you suspect that your immune system is not coping and may be deficient, see your doctor. Your doctor will take a full medical history, do a physical exam, test your white blood cell and T cell counts, and check your immunoglobin levels.
High blood sugar levels affect how your immune system works. The inflammation in the cells from too much glucose in the blood prevents oxygen and the necessary defense cells from reaching the infection. Since the soldiers can’t reach the battlefield, the enemy has time to take hold and spread its control. In wounds, this can lead to fungal infections such as gangrene taking hold, resulting in amputations.
13. Your skin may be drier than usual and itchy
Itching is a common diabetes symptom, and diabetes is associated with high blood sugar levels. People with diabetes are more likely to experience itching skin than those who don’t have it. If you have high blood sugar levels or suspect you might, do not ignore your itchy skin. Left untreated, high blood sugar levels are dangerous, and the damage done to your skin from the itching could be serious.
Damaged nerve fibers at the skin’s surface caused by too much glucose in the blood could cause itchy skin. This condition is called neuropathy. It’s possible that the itching is signaling that nerve damage is not yet done but is about to happen. When neuropathy starts, the body releases cytokines. These inflammatory substances cause itching of the skin. This indicates the risk of imminent nerve damage and requires the intervention of a doctor. Itchy skin can also be the result of eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, or athlete’s foot.
Look out for itching in the lower extremities as a sign of neuropathy. The itching may be experienced all over the body. It makes clothes uncomfortable, is constant, and can keep you awake at night. Scratching your skin until it bleeds places you at further risk if your high blood sugar levels have compromised your immune system. The skin won’t heal and will be susceptible to infection.
Treat itchy skin with lotions straight after bathing. Make sure that you are not allergic or sensitive to the products you are using as this will cause itching. If itchy skin is the result of high blood sugar levels, management of the condition through diet or medications will ease the itching.
14. You may experience numbness or pain in your extremities
Poor circulation affects your hands and fingers more than any other body parts. When you have too much sugar in your blood, it thickens and moves more slowly. That, coupled with the damage that high blood sugar levels cause to the blood vessels, compromises your circulatory system. Blood vessels narrow from the inflammation which makes it even harder for the thickened blood to move.
Blood is not moving to and from the hands and feet as normal anymore. You’ll experience symptoms such as cold or numb hands and feet, brittle nails, dry or cracked skin, and hair loss on the feet. For paler skinned people, you will notice a blue tint to your hands and feet.
The consequences of numbness in the extremities due to high blood sugar levels can be dire. You could get a small cut or scratch on your foot and not even be aware of it. The fact that your immune system may be deficient due to the high blood sugar levels means that healing will be delayed or won’t occur at all. The lack of circulation makes it difficult for the immune system to even respond to the injury.
An infection may take hold. Fungal infections can lead to gangrene. So, can necrosis, which is the premature death of the cells due to a lack of blood. If gangrene is not treated early, it can result in amputation to prevent it from spreading. In addition to various other health benefits, exercise lowers the blood sugar levels. This allows blood to move more easily to the extremities. The fact that your heart rate increases during exercise stimulate your circulation system as well.
15. You may experience impotence or infertility
Men with high blood sugar levels often experience erectile dysfunction. This is a very sensitive subject, which most men won’t broach. But if you have developed this problem, you need to see your doctor for advice. High blood sugar levels thicken the blood and damage the blood vessels. This can affect the blood supply to the penis and affect the ability to obtain and sustain an erection. This can be frustrating for the man and his partner. It can lead to depression and other mood disorders.
Seeing a doctor is important. He/she will investigate the underlying causes of your erectile dysfunction. It can be related to high blood sugar levels, but heart disease, high blood pressure, or elevated cholesterol levels are also causes. If you have high blood sugar levels, maintain a healthy diet and exercise program to lower your blood sugar levels and prevent nerve damage. Counseling to address the stress and anxiety that comes with erectile dysfunction is also recommended. If necessary, your doctor will prescribe medicine for you.
For women, high blood sugar levels can affect their chances of falling pregnant. High sugar levels affect hormone levels in the body. Any disruption to the delicate balance of hormones in the body can prevent pregnancy. After prolonged high blood sugar levels, the body may develop insulin resistance. This will affect her body’s ability to ovulate. It also affects the ability of the egg to attach to the uterus after fertilization. Women with high blood sugar levels are also vulnerable to yeast infections which can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.
For women planning to fall pregnant, it is vital to make sure your blood sugar levels are not high. If they are, you need to take steps to keep them under control to improve your chances of falling pregnant.
