High blood sugar levels can severely damage our organs, blood vessels, and nerves. Even if you don’t have diabetes, hyperglycemia can seriously affect your body. What makes this condition dangerous is its hidden symptoms. Without adequate treatment, your blood sugar levels are unlikely to go down.
One of the reasons why people suffer from high blood sugar is because they are uneducated about the seriousness of it and the signs that our body gives.
So, to keep your body healthy and your blood sugar levels down, keep an eye on the following signs of high blood sugar.
Constantly Thirsty: The main reason why high blood sugar causes you to be thirsty is polyuria. When your blood sugar level is high, your kidneys cannot keep up. So, they produce more urine to eliminate the excess glucose they cannot absorb. This causes you to become dehydrated.
Increased Eating Habits: If you find that your eating habits are increasing, you might have high blood sugar levels. The reason why high blood sugar levels can cause increased eating is because glucose is unable to enter the cells. It could be because of a lack of insulin or possibly insulin resistance. When this happens, your body cannot convert the food you eat into energy. So, if your body feels it doesn’t have enough energy, it will require more food to try and produce glucose.
Constant Urination: This sign is directly linked to constant thirst. Your kidneys are unable to keep up with the excess sugar, so the only way they can get rid of it is through urination. Keep an eye on your trips to the bathroom. If you find you are going every hour, you could have high blood sugar levels. But this could also mean you have a more serious health issue. The best advice is to talk to your doctor.
Chronic Fatigue: You might think that having high blood sugar means you have a lot of energy. The total opposite can happen, though. When you have high blood sugar, you urinate more and become thirsty because your kidneys cannot absorb the glucose and create energy. With no energy, your body will become weak and tired.
Frequent Headaches and Blurry Vision: High blood sugar levels can cause fluid leaking in your eye, leading to swelling of the eye lenses. You may not be able to see things as clearly as you used to. This happens because the fluid leakage changes the shape of your lens, damaging your focus and resulting in blurry vision. Increased blood sugar levels are also associated with headaches that may interfere with daily activities, including work and driving.
Tingling and Numbness in Hands and Feet: Increased blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage, also referred to as diabetic neuropathy. Some of the most subtle warning symptoms of high blood sugar include a sensation of numbness or tingling in your hands or feet. In addition, some people experience pain in their limbs that worsens during the night. While neuropathy is typically associated with long-term diabetes diagnoses, these symptoms can occur in anyone with high blood sugar.
Skin Changes: Outwardly signs of high blood sugar to look out for include certain skin changes and abnormalities, such as infections, dryness, blisters, itchiness, and discolorations. High blood sugar levels and insulin resistance can cause the formation of thick, dark areas of soft skin on the back of your hands, neck, face, or armpits.
Swollen or Bleeding Gums: Gum disease is a common complication of uncontrolled blood sugar levels and diabetes. When your saliva contains more glucose than usual, it can feed the bacteria in your mouth that combine with food and form plaque. This leads to gum disease, which starts with inflamed gums and can progress to the point of tooth loss.
The higher the level your blood sugar reaches, the stronger your hunger and food cravings might get. Without sufficient insulin, your brain cannot put the sugar in your body to use. As your brain requires constant delivery of sugar to fuel its functions, it is likely to trigger hunger and cravings that prompt you to eat.
However, the more you eat, the higher your blood sugar levels may get without insulin or other medication to regulate them. This puts you in a vicious cycle where your body signals encourage unhealthy behavior.
If you need to have a meal or a snack when your blood sugar is high, make sure you opt for low-carb foods and drink plenty of water. Consuming low-carb foods is essential during blood sugar increases because they are unlikely to add fuel to the fire and worsen your situation.
People struggling with high blood sugar or diabetes are often vulnerable to dehydration, as increased levels of blood sugar cause lower levels of hydration. Therefore, drinking water is an essential form of self-care for people struggling with this issue.
If you have high blood sugar, you need more water to help your kidneys get rid of the excess sugar levels by urinating. Furthermore, water contains no components that can further raise blood sugar, such as glucose, fat, or carbohydrates.
