Symptoms Treatments And Prevention
Hyperglycemia means;high glucose in the blood . Your body needs glucose to properly function. Your cells rely on glucose for energy. Hyperglycemia is a defining characteristic of diabeteswhen the blood glucose level is too high because the body isn’t properly using or doesn’t make the hormone insulin.
Eating too many processed foods may cause your blood sugar to rise.
How Are High Blood Sugar Levels Treated
Treating high blood sugar levels involves fixing what caused them in the first place. Your diabetes health care team will give you specific advice on how to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. But here are some ways to manage the common causes of high blood sugar levels:
| Reason for High Blood Sugar Level | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Not getting enough insulin or other diabetes medicine |
|
| Not following the meal plan |
|
| Not getting enough exercise |
|
| Illness or stress |
|
| Use of other medicines that can increase blood sugar |
|
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Easy Ways To Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally
High blood sugar occurs when your body doesnt make enough or effectively use insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose and helps it enter your cells for energy.
High blood sugar is associated with diabetes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 13% of U.S. adults live with diabetes, and 34.5% have prediabetes (
This means close to 50% of all U.S. adults have diabetes or prediabetes.
Here are 15 easy ways to lower blood sugar levels naturally:
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What Foods Should You Eat To Reduce Blood Sugar Level
Some good sources of quercetin, a plant polyphenol from flavonoid group, used for reducing blood sugar level are- cinnamon, citrus fruit, cold water fish, fiber-rich foods, legumes, green tea, nuts, spinach, kale and collard greens.
There could be severe consequences of a high blood sugar level and can cause permanent damage to liver, pancreas and a rise in triglycerides which has chances of increasing cardiovascular damage and a probable heart attack.
You must keep in mind that whenever your blood sugar level gets treated, you will be at a lower risk of health.
How Is High Blood Sugar Diagnosed
There are different kinds of blood tests that can diagnose hyperglycemia. These include:
Random blood glucose: this test reflects the blood sugar level at a given point in time. Normal values are generally between 70 and 125 mg/dL, as discussed earlier.
Fasting blood glucose: this is a measurement of blood sugar level taken in the early morning prior to eating or drinking anything since the night before. Normal fasting blood glucose levels are less than 100 mg/dL. Levels above 100 mg/dL up to 125 mg/dL suggest prediabetes, while levels of 126 mg/dL or above are diagnostic of diabetes.
Oral glucose tolerance test: this is a test that measures blood glucose levels at given time points after a dose of sugar is consumed. This test is most commonly used to diagnose gestational diabetes.
Glycohemoglobin A1c: is a measurement of glucose that is bound to red blood cells and provides an indication about blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months.
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Correcting High Blood Sugar Levels With Insulin
If you take insulin, one way to reduce blood sugar is to inject insulin.
However, be careful as insulin can take 4 hours or longer to be fully absorbed, so you need to make sure you take into account how much insulin you may already have in your body that is yet to be absorbed by the blood. Insulin that is yet to be absorbed by the blood is called active insulin.
If you decide to correct with insulin, watch you dont over correct as this can lead to hypoglycemia and can be dangerous, particularly so before bed.
How To Prevent High Blood Sugar
The best way to treat high blood sugar is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Not only does this help to avoid a potential emergency, but it also reduces the likelihood of experiencing diabetic complications. Patients with diabetes can prevent high blood sugar by taking some of the following measures:
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When To See A Doctor
According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. They recommend calling a doctor if you have two readings in a row of 300 or more.
See your doctor if you have consistently high blood sugar levels. Symptoms of this include:
- increased thirst
- high levels of sugar in urine
Ask your doctor how often to check your blood sugar and about your ideal blood sugar levels.
If you dont currently see a doctor who specializes in diabetes, known as an endocrinologist, you can find one by searching the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists website.
You can find a certified diabetes educator by visiting the American Diabetes Associations website and searching by zip code.
Summary
Talk to your doctor if you have consistently high blood sugar readings or symptoms of chronic hyperglycemia.
Checking your blood sugar and then treating hyperglycemia early will help prevent any complications.
Health problems can arise when someone has high blood sugar regularly and without treatment.
Examples of complications include:
- nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, that may affect sensations in the feet and hands
- diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the blood vessels in the eyes that affects vision
- increased risks for kidney problems
- increased risks for heart problems
Taking steps to keep your blood sugar at target levels can help to minimize the likelihood that these complications will occur.
Natural Cocoa Can Be Of Use
Researchers have found that certain compounds found in cocoa can actually help the body release more insulin and respond better to high blood sugar.;Its about the polyphenols epicatechin and catechin, which change the glucose metabolism in the intestine and stimulate insulin production in the pancreas.;A 2017 study suggests that prolonged long-term cocoa consumption can affect insulin resistance more than single doses of cocoa products.
Dark chocolate with at least 85% cocoa contains very little added sugar.;However, people with diabetes should limit their chocolate intake to one or two small squares of dark chocolate per day.;A good idea for diabetics, for example, is this chocolate spread: Mix a pack of cream cheese with one to two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and season with one to two teaspoons of;erythritol; the sugar-free treat is ready!
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Consider Talking To Your Doctor
If you think you’ve been doing all you can to keep blood sugar in control, but still have high blood sugar readings, it might be time to switch medication. Diabetes is a progressive disease, and over time, the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin can stop making the hormone. “So, even if your numbers have held steady for years, that could change if the beta cells change, which is usually a gradual change but can be sudden,” says Rice. “That change doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, it’s just the nature of the disease. The beta cells can only put out so much insulin, and over time they start to put out less.” Your doctor will look at the big picture and do additional testing to find out if there is a bigger problem.
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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.
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When Should I Check My Blood Sugar
How often you check your blood sugar depends on the type of diabetes;you have and if you take any diabetes medicines.
Typical times to check your blood sugar include:
- When you first wake up, before you eat or drink anything.
- Before a meal.
- Two hours after a meal.
- At bedtime.
If you have type 1 diabetes, have type 2 diabetes;and take insulin, or often have low blood sugar, your doctor may want you to check your blood sugar more often, such as before and after youre physically active.
How Are Ketones Tested
Testing your blood or urine to measure your ketone levels can all be done at home. At-home testing kits are available for both types of tests, although urine testing continues to be more common. Urine tests are available without a prescription at most drugstores, or you can buy them online.
You should test your urine or blood for ketones when any of the following occurs:
- Your blood sugar is higher than 240 mg/dL.
- You have symptoms of DKA.
- You feel sick or nauseated, regardless of your blood sugar reading.
To perform a urine test, you urinate into a clean container and dip the test strip into the urine. For a child who isnt potty-trained, a parent can usually press the stick to their childs wet diaper to test for ketones.
Urine testing strips contain special chemicals that change colors when they react with ketones. You can interpret the test results by comparing the test strip to the color chart on the package. When you have ketones present in your urine, its called ketonuria.
An at-home meter is available to test for blood ketones. This is performed in a similar way to a finger-stick glucose test. You prick your finger with a needle and place a small drop of blood onto the testing area.
Doctors often recommend that people whove just received a diabetes diagnosis test their ketones twice daily.
While individual testing may vary, in general, results for ketone testing are labeled in the following way:
| normal/negative |
- swelling in your brain
- diabetic coma
- death
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Foods And Drinks You Must Avoid To Ensure Better Control Over Increased Blood Sugar
According to a widely quoted dictum, Health is wealth and obviously our health has to be our priority. Many other peoples lives and expectations are linked with our good health. Keeping the same in mind, here is the complete array of things you need to eradicate from your plate to have better control over the disease.
1.Refined carbohydrates The prime reason for rising up of blood sugar levels is carbohydrates. Further, refined carbohydrates have a very high glycemic index favoring lifting up of blood sugar too far above than safer limits.
The amount of sugar an average person consumes in a day is reported to be 25g in women and 38g in men. However, the appropriate amount recommends for people with Hyperglycemia is 22g for women and 34g for men.
2. Bottled juices bottled juices are one of the worst things to consume when your blood sugar is high as can be seen from the index of the packets that all the packeted juices are exhaustively rich in glycemic index and calories which will worsen your health for sure.
3.Caffeinated coffees Researches unleash that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee can decrease the bodys ability towards insulin sensitivity and result in lifting up of blood sugar levels.
5. Trans fats Trans Fatty acids or trans unsaturated fatty acids, commonly called trans fats comes with several negative health impacts.
Trans fats are a part of peanut butter, flavored yogurt, junk foods, and packaged snacks.
First Check Your Ketones
In people with type 1 diabetes, high blood sugars can put you at risk of developing ketones. Blood sugar levels over 250 mg/dL with too little insulin can quickly turn into diabetic ketoacidosis if it continues to rise.
Test your urine for ketones, and contact your doctor or visit an urgent care facility if you measure with moderate to large ketones. When large ketones are present, correcting a high blood sugar with insulin via pump or injection wont be effective. Instead, youll likely need intravenous fluids for a few hours to restabilize.;
If you only have moderate ketones or less, you may be able to correct with insulin at home but youll likely need a larger dose than normal. Contact your healthcare team if you test positive for ketones and are unsure of how to safely manage the situation.
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Dos And Donts To Follow For A Healthy Lifestyle
- Never skip meals as it can result in obesity. Whenever you remain without eating anything for longer hours, your body uses the glucose already stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. This provokes the liver to release more glucose into the bloodstream.
- Dont cut off necessary sleep. The appropriate time you should allow for sleeping is 7 to 8 hours to prevent unnecessary blood sugar spikes.
- Be cautious with your sleeping hours, even sleeping more than required makes you overweight and cause more problems.
- Eat more foods with low glycemic index and must involve apples, pineapple, citrus fruits, strawberries for high fiber intake
- Regular exercise is the key to maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Weightlifting, walking, running, cycling, dancing or even short term intense workouts, all can help you to fight high blood sugar.
How To Lower Blood Sugar Immediately
Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.
If you have high blood sugar, a condition also known as hyperglycemia, theres too much sugar in your blood and not enough insulin in your body to lower it.;In people with diabetes, hyperglycemia can be caused by things like eating too many carbohydrates, lack of physical activity, stress from an illness or infection, nondiabetes medications , or skipping or not taking enough glucose-lowering medication.
Hyperglycemia requires immediate treatment to prevent serious complications, including nerve, tissue, and organ damage; diabetic ketoacidosis ; and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome . While taking rapid-acting insulin is the quickest way to lower your blood sugar, there are other ways like exercising and staying hydrated that can help. In cases of an emergency, contact your doctor immediately.;
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Do Not Become Discouraged
Remember type 2 diabetes is a journey and a learning process. It is not a destination or a death sentence. For some individuals diabetes has been reversed, for others it stops in its tracks.;
Every blood glucose reading is just another piece of data that you can use as helpful information in solving the puzzle of your condition. Remember, you arent in this alone! ;There are all kinds of resources and support available for you, this site being one of them.
Knowing your blood sugar levels is extremely important. Download our blood sugar charts to help eliminate any confusion. They contain both mg/dl and mmol/l, along with appropriate A1C levels.
Its a great resource to have on hand, plus there are some tips on how to deal with high readings.
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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.
Studies 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 1020 pounds and keeping it off. Doing so will also improve cholesterol, reduce the risk of complications, and improve a persons 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.
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What Should My Blood Sugar Level Be
When youâre first diagnosed with diabetes, your diabetes care team;will usually tell you what your blood;sugar level is and what you should aim to get it down to.
You may be advised to use a testing device to monitor your blood sugar level regularly at home.
Or you may have an appointment with a nurse or doctor every few months to see what your average blood sugar level is. This is known as your;HbA1c level.
Target blood;sugar levels differ for everyone, but generally speaking:
- if you monitor yourself at home with a self-testing kit; a normal target is 4 to 7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5 to 9mmol/l 2 hours after a meal
- if your;HbA1c level is;tested every few months; a normal HbA1c target is below 48mmol/mol