High blood sugar (or hyperglycemia) is often a precursor of type 2 diabetes. It means there’s now excessive glucose in the blood, and this can cause serious health complications and damage to the vessels that supply blood to vital organs, increasing the risk of heart disease. (All these happen if one fails to take action early.)
Hence, high blood sugar levels are highly feared by many. But the truth is, some people already have hyperglycemia without knowing it.
When is blood sugar said to be high?
Blood sugar is considered high when it’s over 130mg/dL before a meal or 180 mg/dL within 1-2 hours after eating. However, many people won’t feel any symptoms until it gets to around 250
mg/dL.
What are the symptoms of high blood sugar?
So, how do you know you have high blood sugar? What are some of the things to watch out for?
You feel tired quickly.
Fatigue is a notable sign of high blood sugar. It is often influenced by frequent urination.
You’re extra thirsty and have to urinate more often.
This problem results because there’s now too much glucose in your blood and the kidney is working hard to get it out. This sign is very common but not very obvious.
You’re hungrier but losing weight.
If you see yourself losing weight even though you’re eating more because you feel hungry more often, your blood sugar most likely has gotten out of control.
Your vision becomes blurry.
High blood sugar can cause the lenses to swell, leading to blurry vision and frequent headaches.
Your gums are swollen or bleeding.
Gum disease is a notable complication of hyperglycemia and diabetes. It also makes the condition more tricky to control since the body has to release more glucose into the blood to combat the gum infection. Visit this reputable restorative dentist in harrisburg immediately to sort out gum diseases.
You have tingling and numb feet and hands.
The nerve damage is what causes this symptom. For some people, their hands and feet start to hurt for no reason.
You have more frequent yeast infections.
Hyperglycemia can cause a yeast infection, leading to painful sex, vaginal itching, pain, and discomfort when urinating.
Your injuries and sores don’t heal as quickly as they used to. As a result, such injuries become more prone to infection, the reason why diabetic patients usually have their legs amputated.
What you can do
Notably, high blood sugar levels result when you consume too many calories than your body needs. The body, therefore, has to convert these calories to fat and store it, leading to weight gain.
And the more weight you gain, the more resistant your body becomes to insulin (which controls blood sugar). That causes your blood sugar to rise uncontrollably.
Therefore, the best way to prevent/combat high blood sugar is to consume fewer calories by controlling your sugar intake. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite sweet foods. You can always use natural baking sweetener in your cake, coffee, and other delicacies as a refined sugar substitute. Such natural sweeteners contain zero calories as they are produced by naturally fermenting sugarcane.
Bottom Line
Preventing diabetes and high blood sugar lies significantly in the food and lifestyle choices you make.
Avoid high-calorie foods, consume a more healthy diet, live a physically active lifestyle to burn fat, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.