If you have diabetes and your blood sugar is too high, your cells can’t function correctly, and you’ll start to feel uncomfortably sick.
The cells in your body need glucose, more commonly known as sugar, to survive and function. Our diets contain many sources of glucose, but it can’t reach our bodies’ cells without the help of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas.
Insulin is responsible for transporting glucose to your cells. When your body doesn’t have enough insulin or it is not active enough, both symptoms of diabetes, the sugar remains in the blood without reaching cells. That’s why diabetes and high blood sugar often go hand in hand.
What Causes High Blood Sugar?
Sugar accumulates in the blood either when there is not enough insulin to transport it or when the insulin that is available is not active.
Type 1 diabetes patients are incapable of making the insulin necessary to transport glucose to the cells.
Type 2 diabetes patients are insulin resistant. They often, but not always, have the insulin required by the body, but the insulin is ineffective.
Patients with diabetes are more prone to high blood sugar levels if they:
- Miss taking diabetes medication or insulin
- Eat too much food
- Don’t exercise enough to use available energy sources
- Take medicines that can interfere with blood sugar levels
Those who have diabetes must ward against high blood sugar levels by exercising regularly, monitoring their meals carefully, checking blood sugar often, and making sure medicine and insulin are administered on schedule. Some patients may need short-acting insulin such as Novolog Flexpen to combat the sudden onset of high blood sugar symptoms.
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| Diabetes diagram. Source: nih.gov |
Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
Having an excess of sugar in the blood causes the body to attempt to correct the problem, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms, including:
- Unusual thirst
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Blurry vision
- Rapid weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fainting
Some high blood sugar symptoms with diabetes are the result of the inability of the body to carry out normal functions due to a lack of usable glucose. Be aware of how your body reacts to your diet and exercise, and have fast-acting insulin available in the event of illness.
At What Point Is My Blood Sugar Too High?
Blood glucose or blood sugar levels are measured by mass concentration. In the United States, measurements are in milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. Blood sugar levels over 240mg/dL are too high. Blood sugar will slowly rise to high levels, so checking blood sugar often is key to preventing the onset of symptoms.
Doctors may need to occasionally adjust the dosage of diabetes medications if high blood sugar becomes a problem despite medical treatment. However, it is the responsibility of diabetes patients to use prescribed medications as directed, exercise, and eat healthy meals to control blood sugar.
