This document discusses hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. It defines hyperglycemia and describes its symptoms, causes, and risks. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision and fatigue. The document provides tips to avoid hyperglycemia such as eating the right foods, regularly checking blood sugar levels, following the doctor's instructions for medications, and staying active. When to seek medical attention is also outlined.

2. Is It Hyperglycemia? Learning the
Warning Signs and What You Can Do
Take action now. Learn these warning signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and effective
ways to deal with them.
Hyperglycemia or simply high blood sugar is a common problem in both type 1 and type 2
diabetics. While a temporary increase in blood sugar may not cause any significant health
problem, long-term elevation surely does many damages to your brain, kidneys, and arteries.
In this article, you will learn the signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and measures to prevent
and control them.
What is Hyperglycemia? Know the Basics
Hyperglycemia is a medical term that refers to a condition when you have too much sugar in
your bloodstream.
The blood sugar level is a reliable indicator of disease status in diabetic patients. In fact, the
blood sugar level fluctuates throughout the day and night. That said, diabetics tend to have
abnormally high levels compared to healthy people at any time of the day.
The two types of glycemia are:
1. Fasting hyperglycemia.
This occurs when blood sugar is higher than 130 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) after an 8-hour
period of not eating or drinking.
2. Postprandial or after-meal hyperglycemia.
This occurs when blood sugar is higher than 180 mg/dL 2 hours after your meal. Keep in mind
that non-diabetics rarely have blood sugar levels over 140 mg/dL after a meal, provided they
have not eaten a really large meal.
How to Recognize Hyperglycemia: What are the Symptoms?
Unfortunately, hyperglycemia can go unnoticed until a major problem surfaces. Moreover, the
early symptoms may not seem serious for many people.
The common symptoms that you might have if sugar has just started to build up in the blood
include:

3. ● Dry mouth
● Increased thirst
● Frequent bathroom visits
● Urination during the night
● Blurry vision
● Dry, itchy skin
● Fatigue or drowsiness
● Weight loss
● Increased appetite
In contrast, when hyperglycemia persists for longer durations, you can have one or more of the
following symptoms.
● Labored breathing
● Dizziness upon standing
● Unexplained and rapid weight loss
● Increased drowsiness
● Mental confusion
● Loss of consciousness or coma
Ongoing hyperglycemia, when left untreated, may have other non-specific and apparently
unrelated symptoms. These include:
● Vaginal and skin infections
● Delayed wound healing
● Worsening vision problems
● Nerve damage that can cause altered sensations in feet
● Chronic constipation or diarrhea
● Damage to your eyes, blood vessels, or kidneys
When to Seek Medical Attention
Talk to your doctor right away if you experience:
● Severe vomiting
● Confusion
● Sleepiness
● Shortness of breath
● Dehydration
● Blood sugar levels that are persistently above 160 mg/dL (for longer than a week)
● Glucose levels higher than 300 mg/dL
● Ketones in the urine

4. Note that diabetic ketoacidosis or diabetic coma is considered a medical emergency. Call 911
for emergency help.
Causes and Risk Factors of Hyperglycemia
If you are a diabetic, the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, a hormone that transports
sugar molecules from the blood to the cells.
In some cases, the cells may become inefficient to use the available insulin. In any case, the
blood sugar rises especially if you take sugary foods, stay inactive, and do not take the
prescribed medications for diabetes.
In an otherwise healthy person, the extra sugar is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.
However, in diabetics, due to insufficient insulin or increased insulin resistance, the sugar
molecules cannot go to the cells and accumulate in the bloodstream.
The Risk Factors of Hyperglycemia
● Failure to comply with prescribed medications such as oral hypoglycemic pills and
insulin injection
● Improper use of insulin injection
● Use of expired insulin
● Taking large quantities of foods that contain high amounts of simple sugars such as
processed foods
● Living a sedentary life devoid of any physical activity
● An occurrence of an infectious disease
● Use of medications that raise blood sugar such as steroids
● A major injury or surgery
● Severe emotional stress
When you have an injury or are going through a phase of severe emotional stress, the blood
sugar can rise. This happens because of the stress hormones that help combat stress but also
cause a release of sugar into the bloodstream. Generally, this tends to go away once the illness
or source of stress is gone.
However, if you have diabetes, you might need to take medication extra medications to keep the
blood sugar levels in control.
Tips to Avoid and Deal with Hyperglycemia
Avoiding hyperglycemia is critically important to prevent diabetes-related complications. Here
are some tips to consider.

5. ● Eat the right foods at right times. What you eat and when you eat determine if you will
have safe blood sugar levels when taking insulin or a diabetes pill. Talk to your doctor or
a nutritionist to plan a diabetes meal that is relevant to your individual condition.
● Regularly check your blood sugar. A blood sugar report gives you an overview of
diabetes status and the risk of complications. For best results, experts recommend
weekly or daily blood sugar checks. In addition, make sure to record the findings so that
they will help the doctor determine further treatment changes.
● Follow your doctor’s instructions about the use of medications. Take medications only as
directed.
● Stay active. However, you should always consult your doctor if you are planning to follow
any specific exercise regimen. Remember, this is very important.
● Consult your doctor right away if your blood glucose is greater than 150 mg/dl for more
than 1 week or if you have 2 consecutive readings greater than 300 mg/dl.
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