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How To Control High Blood Sugar




How To Recognize Blood Sugar Level

If left unattended, high blood sugar can lead to a diabetic coma, a fatal condition with frequent unconsciousness. Before it goes to an extreme level of developing a diabetic coma, you must identify the following high blood sugar level symptoms.

  • When you experience the urge to urinate frequently
  • An experience of increased thirst
  • Consistent fatigue
  • The feeling of nausea and vomiting
  • Stomach pain and fruit smelling breath
  • Rapid heartbeat and dry mouth

Can Oral Mediations Help A High Blood Sugar

While any oral medications you take to help manage your diabetes do improve your blood sugar levels, they are not something you would take an “extra dose” off to correct an occasional high blood sugar level. 


However, if you realize that you forgot to take your dose of a daily medication, this should be part of the process of bringing your high blood sugar down.

Some medications can be taken late, and some medications may need to wait until your next normally scheduled dose. Contact your healthcare team to determine if the diabetes medication you take can be taken late after missing your usual dose.

If you have been skipping this medication altogether — for days or weeks — it’s very likely a significant contributor to the reason your blood sugar is high. These medications are designed to improve your blood sugar levels in a variety of different ways. 

Talk to your healthcare team to better understand the medications you’ve been prescribed and the issues you’re having in taking them as directed. 


Take A Pass On The Bread Bowl

It’s obvious that sugary stuff leads to an increase in blood sugar, but starchy foods can do the same thing. Your body processes simple carbs quickly and turns them into sugar, and it needs a lot of insulin to absorb them. That means a bag of Doritos is as likely as a candy bar to cause a spike.

If you’re in the middle of a blood sugar spike, it’s best to curtail your carb intake. Check the glycemic index if you’re not sure about a food.

Surprisingly, popcorn and white potatoes are worse than ice cream, according to the index. If you stick to low-carb/low-glycemic-index foods, your blood sugar will return to normal much more quickly.

Ultimately, it’s best to limit your carb intake. A 2004 study found that a diet of 20 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 50 percent fat lowered fasting blood sugar and kept blood sugar from spiking after meals.


This was a very small study, but the results suggest that lower carb intake can lead to generally lower blood glucose. In general, most people with diabetes eat 40 to 45 percent of their calories in the form of carbohydrates. Choosing nutrient-rich sources of carbs is best.

Another promising study found that after two years on a low-carb diet, many participants with type 2 diabetes were able to manage their condition without medication or resolve it entirely.

The occasional baked potato isn’t a problem, but frequent trips to the drive-through are not a good idea. Find a few veggie-and-protein-heavy meals and make them your go-tos.

High Blood Sugar Causes


Sometimes the cause of a blood sugar spike is clear . But other times, the cause is a little more mysterious.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing sleep, skipping breakfast, not drinking enough water, or drinking coffee can cause blood sugar instability.

Even weirder, sometimes a sunburn can cause a spike! The pain of a burn causes stress, and high levels of stress can mess up your blood sugar. So bust out the sunscreen for the sake of your pancreas!

Other causes include eating high-sugar/high-carb foods, drinking alcohol, getting sick, and changing medication. A diet low in fiber and high in refined carbs or sugars and a sedentary lifestyle also make high blood sugar more likely.

So, what can you do when your blood sugar gets too high? Here are some natural ways to get your sugar back into a safe zone.


What To Know About Diabetic Macular Edema

What is the best way to control blood sugar level?

Fiber plays a preventative role, too. Studies have found that high-fiber diets can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 15 to 19 percent compared to low-fiber diets, according to a March 2018 study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine.

You’ll find fiber in plant foods such as , peas, and whole grains, according to the Mayo Clinic. Beans are another good source of fiber. People with type 2 diabetes who ate at least a cup of legumes daily for three months had lower blood glucose levels as measured by the test, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Beans also are an excellent source of folate, which is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a common diabetes complication, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Men should aim for 30 to 38 g of fiber per day, and women should eat 21 to 25 g per day, according to the Mayo Clinic.


How Can I Check My Blood Sugar

Use a blood sugar meter or a continuous glucose monitor to check your blood sugar. A blood sugar meter measures the amount of sugar in a small sample of blood, usually from your fingertip. A CGM uses a sensor inserted under the skin to measure your blood sugar every few minutes. If you use a CGM, you’ll still need to test daily with a blood sugar meter to make sure your CGM readings are accurate.

Things That Cause High Blood Sugar


High blood sugar can be caused by a variety of factors. The most common factors that contribute to high blood sugar include:

  • Overeating/eating large portion sizes
  • Using old, expired insulin
  • Injecting insulin incorrectly

“Most patients with high blood pressure don’t have a known cause. This is called essential hypertension or primary hypertension,” Dr. Raja adds.

What Causes Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar has many causes, including missing a meal, taking too much insulin, taking other diabetes medicines, exercising more than normal, and drinking alcohol. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low.


Signs of low blood sugar are different for everyone. Common symptoms include:

  • Shaking.
  • Dizziness.
  • Hunger.

Know what your individual symptoms are so you can catch low blood sugar early and treat it. If you think you may have low blood sugar, check it even if you don’t have symptoms. Low blood sugar can be dangerous and should be treated as soon as possible.

Eat Foods With A Low Gi

The glycemic index helps rank foods by how they affect blood sugar. Foods with a low GI release sugar slowly into your system, rather than flooding your blood with sugar all at once.


Aim for foods with a GI of 55 or less . 

“Having a healthy diet is a proven way of keeping blood sugar within reasonable limits,” Velikova says. “I recommend eating foods that the body absorbs slowly, with a low and medium glycemic index, such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and most fruits, including berries and apples.”

How Is It Determined If The Dawn Phenomenon Or Somogyi Effect Is Causing The High Blood Sugar Levels

Your doctor will likely ask you to check your blood sugar levels between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. for several nights in a row. If your blood sugar is consistently low during this time, the Somogyi effect is suspected. If the blood sugar is normal during this time period, the dawn phenomenon is more likely to be the cause.


Some additional clues that the Somogyi effect may be the cause include nightmares, restless sleep and overnight sweating as these are all signs of low blood sugar levels.

Think Long Term For Your Health

“There isn’t a magic diet for people with diabetes,” says Wylie-Rosett. “It’s about how your diet relates to metabolic factors like blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol,” she says. To suss out exactly what you need, many insurance plans cover medical nutrition therapy, which pairs you up with a registered dietitian to create the best plan for your unique needs. And remember, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a nutritious diet and staying active all go a long way in keeping your blood sugar under control.

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Dka

The symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis usually don’t develop all at once — they usually come on slowly over several hours. People who have DKA may:

  • feel really tired
  • feel really thirsty or pee way more than usual
  • have a dry mouth and signs of dehydration

These symptoms are caused by the high blood sugar levels that usually happen before someone develops DKA. If the person doesn’t get treatment, these signs of DKA can happen:

  • abdominal pain
  • unconsciousness

Morning Rituals Proven To Lower Morning Blood Sugar Naturally

Diabetes

Dr. Karen Reed Ph. D.


If you’re a diabetic, you may find that your blood sugar levels are at their peak in the morning. This is due to the fasting period overnight. It’s common for blood sugar tests to require a period of fasting beforehand to get the best natural levels.

You need to get your blood sugar levels down right away. The good news is you don’t necessarily need to rely on medication. While you will want to take medication in the way that your doctor has prescribed, you will still want to follow these seven-morning rituals. It is possible to reverse type II diabetes and focus on a healthier and more natural lifestyle.

Even if you’re not a diabetic, you will want to keep your morning blood sugar levels down. Here are the seven must-follow morning rituals that have proven to lower the blood sugar levels on a morning completely naturally.

Ensure You Understand Your Body

You must estimate the level at which your blood sugar may rise, especially when you respond to a specific food or other intake. Any fluctuation in your blood sugar level can easily be identified by monitoring reactions or symptoms discussed above in response to intakes. Watch out for what you eat and make necessary changes to your diet if it affects your blood sugar level. If you want to keep the blood sugar steady, avoid foods like sugary sodas, bakery goods, processed foods, and white rice. Instead, focus on vegetables and foods with high fibers like beans and whole grains.

Is Hyperglycaemia Serious

The aim of diabetes treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as near to normal as possible. But if you have diabetes, no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to experience hyperglycaemia at some point.

It’s important to be able to recognise and treat hyperglycaemia, as it can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

Occasional mild episodes aren’t usually a cause for concern and can be treated quite easily or may return to normal on their own. However, hyperglycaemia can be potentially dangerous if blood sugar levels become very high or stay high for long periods.

Very high blood sugar levels can cause life-threatening complications, such as:

  • diabetic ketoacidosis  – a condition caused by the body needing to break down fat as a source of energy, which can lead to a diabetic coma; this tends to affect people with type 1 diabetes
  • hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state  – severe  caused by the body trying to get rid of excess sugar; this tends to affect people with type 2 diabetes

Regularly having high blood sugar levels for long periods of time can result in permanent damage to parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels.

If you experience hyperglycaemia regularly, speak to your doctor or diabetes care team. You may need to change your treatment or lifestyle to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

Manage Your Stress Levels

Stress can affect blood sugar levels, be it from physical or mental fatigue, worries, problems at work, etc.

Relaxation and meditation reduce stress and lower blood sugar levels on top of providing many benefits for your body and mind.

Practice exercises and relaxation methods like:

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Mindfulness

The above suggestions are very helpful in lowering sugar levels, as well as improving overall health.

Make sure to check out:

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Add More Electrolytes Into Your Diet

Electrolyte imbalance often occurs with high blood glucose. As your body tries to remove the extra sugar in your blood, it will increase water use. With more frequent urination, your body loses water and electrolytes. Electrolytes need to be maintained in balance for your body to function. Including more natural sources of electrolytes in your diet can help to prevent any further imbalance.

Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in electrolytes, and contain other health benefits like fiber. The recommends that adults eat at least 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern.

Stick To Your Medication And Insulin Regimen

Skipping a dose of medication or insulin can be harmful to your body and increase your blood sugar levels.

It’s important to stick to your treatment plan and follow your doctor’s instructions for taking your medication.

Summary

Healthful lifestyle habits can help people manage their blood sugar levels over the long term, such as eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, staying hydrated, and getting good sleep.

What Is A Normal Blood Sugar Reading

A normal blood sugar reading for the A1C test is 5.7%. Your doctor will diagnose you with prediabetes if your A1C is between 5.7% and 6.4%, or with diabetes if your A1C is 6.5% or higher.

If you take the random blood sugar test, you will be diagnosed with diabetes if your blood sugar level is 200 milligrams per deciliter or higher.

Dr. Raja says, “A normal fasting blood sugar reading should be <200 mg/dL.”

A normal blood sugar reading for the fasting test is less than 100 mg/dL. A reading between 100 and 125 mg/dL may be diagnosed as prediabetes, and a reading of 126 mg/dL or higher may be diagnosed as diabetes.

If you take the oral glucose tolerance test, a normal reading is anything lower than 140 mg/dL. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL is prediabetes, and a reading of 200 mg/dL or higher is diabetes.

High Blood Sugar Levels

Hyperglycemia is when blood glucose levels are high; it’s the result of a lack of or an insufficient amount of insulin.

  • The first step is to check your glucose levels with a glucose meter.
  • If your levels are higher than 180 mg/dl, you should be treated by a doctor right away, as this can lead to serious health issues.

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar Levels

Blood Sugar Balance: How to control high blood sugar levels

Signs of high blood sugar levels include:

  • Peeing a lot: The kidneys respond by flushing out the extra glucose in urine. People with high blood sugar need to pee more often and in larger amounts.
  • Drinking a lot: Someone losing so much fluid from peeing that often can get very thirsty.
  • Losing weight even though your appetite has stayed the same: If there isn’t enough insulin to help the body use glucose, the body breaks down muscle and stored fat instead in an attempt to provide fuel to hungry cells.
  • Feeling tired: Because the body can’t use glucose for energy properly, a person may feel unusually tired.
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What Are Risk Factors For Hyperglycemia

Major risk factors for hyperglycemia are:

  • You have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
  • You are African American, Native American, Hispanic or Asian American.
  • You are overweight.
  • You have high blood pressure or cholesterol.
  • You have polycystic ovarian syndrome .
  • You have a history of gestational diabetes.

Diabetic Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Syndrome

Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome is a potentially life threatening condition involving extremely high blood sugar levels.

When your blood sugar gets too high, the try to compensate by removing some of the excess glucose through urination.

If you don’t drink enough fluids to replace the fluid you’re losing, your blood sugar levels spike. Your blood also becomes more concentrated. This can also occur if you drink too many sugary beverages.

This condition is called hyperosmolarity. Blood that’s too concentrated begins to draw water out of other organs, including the .

Any illness that makes you or reduces your activity can lead to HHS. It’s commonly a result of unmanaged or undiagnosed diabetes. An illness or infection can trigger HHS.

Failure to monitor and manage blood glucose levels can also lead to HHS.

Symptoms may develop slowly and increase over a period of days or weeks. Possible symptoms include:

  • fluids given through your veins to prevent or reverse dehydration
  • insulin to lower and stabilize your blood sugar levels
  • potassium, phosphate, or sodium replacement if necessary to help return your cells to their normal function

Treatment will also address any complications from HHS, such as shock or coma.

Factors that can increase your risk of complications with HHS include:

  • advanced age
  • severity of dehydration when you’re treated
  • the presence of other illnesses when you’re diagnosed

The best way to prevent HHS is to monitor your diabetes carefully and manage it.

How Can I Pay For Tests And Diabetes Supplies

Medicareexternal icon, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans pay for the A1C test and fasting blood sugar test as well as some diabetes supplies. Check your plan or ask your health care team for help finding low-cost or free supplies, and see How to Save Money on Diabetes Care for more resources.

Stay Hydrated As Much As You Can:

You should be drinking maximum amount of water and should be keeping the body hydrated for sure throughout the day. It will hence keep your blood sugar levels within healthy limits. It would also be helping your kidneys flush out the excess blood sugar through the medium of urine. On the whole, it regularly re-hydrates the blood, lowers blood sugar levels and also reduces diabetes risk.

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Losing weight helps control blood sugar levels. Being overweight is linked to increased incidents of diabetes and greater occurrences of insulin resistance.

show that reducing weight by even only 7 percent can reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

It is important to note that a person does not need to achieve ideal body weight to benefit from losing 10–20 pounds and keeping it off. Doing so will also improve , reduce the risk of complications, and improve a person’s general sense of well-being.

Eating a healthful diet full of fruits and vegetables and getting enough exercise can help a person lose weight or maintain their currently healthy weight.

Dont Forget Safety First

Always remember to stretch before and after exercising to avoid injuries. You can find some good warm up and cool down exercises .

Because exercise lowers blood sugar to varying degrees, it’s a good idea to check your levels before, during and after exercising to see how your body reacts to different activities. Be sure to carry some form of fast-acting carbohydrate with you in case you have to treat low blood sugar quickly.

If you do the same exercises regularly, you’ll eventually become in tune with your own blood sugar patterns and can plan accordingly. Find more tips for safely exercising with diabetes.

Making exercise a regular part of your life will have a positive impact on your health—and your blood sugar levels. It’s one of the best things you can do to manage and live well with diabetes.

In Control Of Blood Sugar

There you have it, you cool cats and kittens, that’s how to reduce blood sugar level immediately. Insulin is specifically designed to lower blood sugar; that is what will do the trick.

If you’re insulin-dependent, then insulin is the best medicine. Don’t fret, take insulin, be prepared to check ketones and then crack on with the day.

And in other cases, the four alternative methods to lower blood sugar will also help. Otherwise, bear them in mind, because they are still good tips for avoiding high blood sugar in the first place!

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What Causes Hyperglycemia In People With Diabetes

4 Ways To Control High Blood Sugar With Diet

  • The dose of insulin or oral diabetes medication that you are taking is not the most helpful dose for your needs.
  • Your body isn’t using your natural insulin effectively .
  • The amount of carbohydrates you are eating or drinking is not balanced with the amount of insulin your body is able to make or the amount of insulin you inject.
  • You are less active than usual.
  • Physical stress is affecting you.
  • Emotional stress is affecting you.
  • You are taking steroids for another condition.
  • The dawn phenomenon is affecting you.

Other possible causes

Avoiding High Blood Sugar And Dka

No matter how well they take care of themselves, people with diabetes will sometimes have high blood sugar levels. But the best way to avoid problems is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to your desired range as possible, which means following your diabetes management plan. Checking your blood sugar levels several times a day will let you know when your blood sugar level is high. Then you can treat it and help prevent DKA from happening.

High blood sugar levels don’t always cause symptoms, and a person who isn’t testing regularly might be having blood sugar levels high enough to damage the body without even realizing it. Doctors may use the HbA1c test to find out if someone has been having high blood sugar levels over time, even if the person has not had obvious symptoms.

Here are some other tips for avoiding high blood sugar levels and preventing DKA:

  • Try to eat all your meals and snacks on time and not skip any.
  • Take the right amount of insulin.
  • Check your blood sugar levels regularly and your ketone levels when your diabetes management plan recommends it.
  • Stick to your diabetes management plan.

Increase Your Fiber Intake In Your Diet

The fiber in your diet is crucial in controlling your blood sugar level because they help the body slow down carbohydrates into sugars. They also slow down the rate at which the body absorbs the broken-down sugars into the bloodstream. Consider eating foods rich in soluble fibers to help control blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes.

How Can High Blood Sugar Levels In The Morning Be Controlled

Once you and your doctor determine how your blood sugar levels are behaving at night, he or she can advise you about the changes you need to make to better control them. Options that your doctor may discuss depend on the cause of the morning high blood sugars.

For dawn phenomenon:

  • Changing the timing or type of your diabetes medications
  • Eating a lighter breakfast
  • Increasing your morning dose of diabetes medication
  • If you take insulin, switching to an insulin pump and programming it to release additional insulin in the morning

For Somogyi effect:

Treatment For High Ketone Levels

Treating high ketone levels can immediately help you avoid hospitalization for DKA. Work with your doctor to decide what you need to do to help manage moderate ketone levels. If you’re unable to treat at home or if your levels continue to rise, you’ll need to receive medical treatment. Treatments can include:

How To Prevent Hyperglycaemia

There are simple ways to reduce your risk of severe or prolonged hyperglycaemia:

  • Be careful what you eat – be particularly aware of how snacking and eating sugary foods or carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level.
  • Stick to your treatment plan – remember to take your insulin or other diabetes medications as recommended by your care team.
  • Be as active as possible – getting regular exercise can help stop your blood sugar level rising, but you should check with your doctor first if you’re taking diabetes medication, as some medicines can lead to hypoglycaemia if you exercise too much
  • Take extra care when you’re ill – your care team can provide you with some “sick day rules” that outline what you can do to keep your blood sugar level under control during an illness.
  • Monitor your blood sugar level – your care team may suggest using a device to check your level at home, so you can spot an increase early and take steps to stop it.


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