Hyperglycemia
There are many factors that go into the absolute value of your blood sugar. How much you eat, what kinds of food you eat, and how much you exercise, are only a few.
When the blood sugar goes up in a normal person, the Islet cells in the pancreas puts out insulin to lower the blood sugar to normal values. When food is taken in, it will make the blood sugar go back up. The idea is to keep the blood sugar level within a specific range, usually 80-180 mg/dL.
As a diabetic, you have a more difficult time controlling your blood sugar, because either not enough insulin is made or because the cells have become resistant to insulin, leaving sugar inside the bloodstream that can rise to dangerous levels.
This is why you must use exercise, diet, and use prescribed medications to bring the
blood sugar into a normal range. Even with these modifications, the blood sugar is difficult to control, leaving one in a hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic state. Neither of these states is sustainable or comfortable.
When the blood sugar goes above 200 mg/dL or so, you can become hyperglycemic. Levels above 300 mg/dL are considered very hyperglycemic and you can begin to develop symptoms. The high blood sugar affects all the organs of the body and you may notice symptoms.
Symptoms of Hyperglycemia
These symptoms develop rather gradually so that you may not notice them until the blood sugar is elevated for several days or weeks. They include:
- Increased thirst
- Blurry vision
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue and general weakness
- Headaches
As time goes on with blood sugars continually elevated, you might notice these symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breath that smells fruity
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Dry mouth
- Increasing confusion
- Pain in the abdomen
- Diabetic coma
Before these symptoms get out of hand and cause organ damage, you should seek medical advice or at least check your blood sugar on a home glucose monitor. Your blood sugar needs to be normalized, likely through the use of insulin or other medications.