Signs of Hyperglycemia: 5 Symptoms of Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) to Look Out For by Dr. Vikki Petersen
We all know that one family member or friend who seems to always be craving their favorite sugary drink or snack. While having a craving for soda or sweet tea is normal, one that is constant should raise the alarm for a much more serious health issue.
Hyperglycemia means an elevation of blood sugar often caused by the Standard American Diet (SAD) and a sedentary lifestyle. The cause is either insufficient production of insulin by your pancreas (type 1 diabetes) or inefficient ability of insulin to perform its normal functions, which is called insulin resistance and is found in type 2 diabetes. A highly elevated level of blood sugar can become life threatening, resulting in coma.
Symptoms of Hyperglycemia
What are some common symptoms that are associated with high blood sugar? Here's the top five symptoms to look out for when it comes to hyperglycemia:
- Fruity smelling breath. This is not something you can detect on yourself, but if a friend or family member displays very sweet breath, have them check into it, especially if they display other symptoms. This could very well be due to elevated blood sugar levels that need to be brought under control.
- Fatigue and weakness. The state of excess sugar is a toxic situation for your body and one that puts it on high alert. The body’s energy goes toward trying to handle the toxic levels of sugar, leaving you tired and feeling weak. If you or someone you know experiences regular fatigue, consider checking blood sugar levels.
- Headache or brain fog. Your brain and nervous system uses glucose as fuel but it needs to be in the correct amount. Both too much blood sugar and too little (hypoglycemia) can cause headache and brain fog. With the amount of sugars present in processed foods and sweet treats, it’s good to check if your blood sugar levels are too high if you experience frequent headaches.
- Blurred vision and later blindness. Excess blood sugar damages the vessels of your retina, creating clouding of your vision and eventually permanent damage as blindness. This of course is advanced stages of untreated high blood sugar, meaning if you check on a regular basis and control blood sugar levels, you can prevent damage before it happens.
- Increased thirst and urination. Your body is very clever and it increases your thirst as a means of trying to dilute the excess sugar and excrete it from your body with more frequent urination. If you have the ability to check your urine you will see elevated glucose in it.
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