High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
When the sugar level in the blood is too high, you have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). If not addressed, it can be dangerous and primarily affects patients with diabetes.
Symptoms
High blood sugar symptoms typically appear gradually and may not appear until your blood sugar level reaches exceptionally high levels.
Common symptoms include:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Peeing a lot
- Feeling weak or tired
- Losing weight
- Blurred vision
Causes
The following are typical reasons for high blood sugar in people with diabetes:
- Feeling ill and uneasy
- Excessive consumption of sweet or fatty foods
- Being less active than normal
- Missed diabetic medication dosages
High blood sugar levels can also occur if your diabetes medication is not working properly, if you are taking certain medications (such as steroids), or if you recently underwent surgery.
Lowering blood sugar level
Trying to keep your blood sugar from rising too high is vital if you have diabetes.
Do
- As instructed by your doctor or care team and take any prescription medication for diabetes
- Avoid consuming excessive amounts of starchy or sugary meals
- Explore stress management techniques
- Regular exercise
- If you’re overweight, lose weight
- Pay attention to suggestions for how to handle your illness from your physician or care team
Don’t
Unless directed by your doctor or care team, don’t skip or change your diabetes medication’s dosage.
Test
Types of test and high blood sugar levels:
- HbA1c test – done to investigate your blood sugar level over the last two or three months; a high level can be forty-eight mmol/mol or over
- Fasting glucose test – done after not eating for a few hours; high level is seven mmol/L
- Home test – done at any time; over eleven mmol/L
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022