High blood sugar levels, also known as hyperglycemia, are a trademark of the medical condition diabetes. Blood sugar levels rise due to the body not being able to use insulin properly as an energy source, either as a result of a lack of insulin in type 1 diabetes or an inability to properly use insulin as a result of type 2 diabetes. In either case, it is important for diabetics or those who are prone to becoming diabetic to be able to recognize high blood sugar symptoms when they occur. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is the only way that diabetics can avoid the complications of diabetes, some of which can be quite severe.
At What Level Do High Blood Sugar Symptoms Appear
There is some debate as to what is actually considered to be high blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association and many doctors put this figure at any level above 180 mg/dL. The reason for this is that this is the level that many people begin observing the physical symptoms of high blood sugar levels, but there is some discord about the definition.
Many doctors believe that high blood sugar should be considered to be anything above 140 mg/dL. Physical symptoms are unlikely to be immediately apparent at this level, but it is believed that this is the level where elevated blood sugar levels begin causing damage to the body. Since the complications of prolonged high blood sugar levels are so severe, it remains an issue worth considering. Even if you are not diabetic, if you believe that you are suffering from high blood sugar symptoms, diabetes is a possibility, so it is important that you visit your doctor in order to be sure.
Early High Blood Sugar Symptoms
When you first start suffering from high blood sugar, the symptoms tend to be so mild that you do not notice them. In fact, some people report no physical high blood sugar symptoms at all and only find out that they don’t have a normal blood sugar level when they next visit their doctor. Some symptoms that you might observe are:
Symptoms of Prolonged High Blood Sugar
When you have extended periods of hyperglycemia, the damage that accumulates in the body becomes more severe. This leads to not only greater complications, but also to a greater visibility of symptoms, which include:
While depending on a blood glucose monitor is going to be the best way to keep your blood sugar levels normal, in the event of blood sugar spikes or drops, it is important to be able to recognize the symptoms of high and low blood sugar. These high blood sugar symptoms can be subtle, but staying in good health for a lifetime when you are diabetic takes an extra level of work and dedication. Staying vigilant is the only way to avoid blindness, kidney failure, and the other complications that diabetes is so well known for.
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