The sugar levels in the blood indicate the amount of glucose in the blood, which is the leading energy source for most body cells.
High blood sugar or hyperglycemia can be caused by two factors, and can thus be of two types: type 1 diabetes, which is a result of the lack of glucose, and type 2 diabetes, which is caused by the inability of the body to properly use glucose.
If diabetes is left untreated, it severely damages overall health, as it affects the nerves, kidneys, blood vessels, and eyes.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is most often seen in people who have diabetes that isn’t well controlled. The symptoms of high blood sugar can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild high blood sugar
If your blood sugar levels are consistently higher than your target range (usually 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to 350 mg/dL in adults and 200 mg/dL to 240 mg/dL in children), you may have mild symptoms of high blood sugar. You may urinate more than usual if you are drinking plenty of liquids. Some people who have diabetes may not notice any symptoms when their blood sugar level is in this range. The main symptoms of high blood sugar are:
- Increased thirst.
- Increased urination.
- Weight loss.
- Increased appetite.
Young children are unable to recognize symptoms of high blood sugar. Parents need to do a home blood sugar test on their child whenever they suspect high blood sugar.
These are the most common ways in which the body signals that your blood sugar levels are elevated:
- Dry mouth
- Excessive thirst
- Constant hunger
- Stomach problems
- Nerve issues
- Itchy and dry skin
- Excessive weight gain
- Blurry vision
- Inability to focus
- Recurrent infections
- Slow healing of wounds and cuts
- Frequent urination or nighttime urination
Moreover, these are the main causes of sugar spikes in diabetics:
- Overeating, i.e. snacking between meals
- Physical inactivity
- Common colds
- The use of certain medications, like steroids
- Over-treating an episode of low blood sugar
- Missing a dose or taking a wrong dose of diabetes medications
In order to lower the sugar levels in the blood, you need to make some lifestyle and especially dietary changes, as our diet plays a vital role in the control of blood sugar levels.
Therefore, when it comes to foods, you need to be careful of their GI or the glycemic index. It ranks carbs in foods by the way they affect the levels of glucose in the blood.
Low GI foods are processed slowly and thus reduce the insulin levels and lead to weight loss. Their GI index varies from zero to fifty-four, and the ones above 50, up to 100, are considered moderate and high GI foods.