How to recognize high blood sugar signs

The are millions of people suffering from high blood sugar all over the world. Abnormally high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, is one of the signs of diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious condition that requires careful management due to its potential health complications.

When left untreated or poorly managed, diabetes can lead to a range of issues, including heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision problems.

There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1, where the body does not produce insulin, and Type 2, where the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to it.

Both types require different management strategies, including medication, dietary changes, and regular exercise.

It’s important to monitor blood sugar levels regularly and adhere to a treatment plan to prevent complications. Early detection and proactive management can significantly improve the quality of life for those with diabetes.

While diabetes can be challenging, many people manage it successfully with the right approach and support.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in 2021, approximately 38.4 million people in the United States had diabetes, accounting for about 11.6% of the population. This includes both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, with 29.7 million people having been diagnosed with diabetes.

Luckily, there are many telltale signs that will tell you if you have extremely elevated sugar levels. You better watch out for these signals your body is sending you:

1. Chronic fatigue — While sugar or glucose in our body should be the ones responsible for giving us energy, this doesn’t happen when you have extremely high sugar levels.

Fatigue is one of the signs of a high blood sugar level. — Pexels

When you have elevated blood sugar levels that aren’t normal, your body is unable to get the sugar to function — therefore, without an adequate energy source in your body, you feel tired most of the time.

2. Excessive urination — When your bodily sugar levels are quite high, your body works twice as hard to filter and flush out the additional amount of sugar in your body — and the kidneys try to flush out the excess sugar through your urine.

3. Unusual thirst — When water from your body is excreted through urination when you have high blood sugar, naturally, you would feel abnormally thirsty — as in a lot more times than usual.

Your body will tell you that you need more water to replace the ones being used to flush the sugar out of your body.

Unusual thirst is another sign for hyperglycemia. — Pexels

4. Slow healing of wounds — Having an elevated sugar level affects the blood vessels that transmit the blood and oxygen the body needs. In order for wounds to heal properly (and quickly), an adequate amount of blood, oxygen, as well as nutrients need to be sent by our body to the area of the wound.

Since blood vessels are affected by high blood sugar levels, they are unable to send the needed components for the wounds to heal in due time.

5. Trouble concentrating — Having trouble concentrating goes hand in hand with feeling tired all the time. Glucose powers the mind just like it powers the body. And, when your body can’t make use of the excess sugar in your system to power your mind, you just can’t focus.

6. Blurry vision — The lens of the eyes swells as a result of fluids getting in and out of it when you have increased sugar levels, according to Medical News Today. While the blurry vision might just be temporary, it could be a warning sign of diabetes.

People with diabetes sometimes have blurry visions. — Pexels

7. Skin problems that don’t go away — Since having a high blood sugar level affects the blood vessels, it affects the blood vessels connected to our skin, too, leading to various skin problems from dry, itchy skin to shin spots. Shin spots are round, patchy, brown, or reddish spots found on the shin area.

8. Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet — Extremely high sugar levels in the blood can cause nerve damage also known as diabetic neuropathy. The tingling or numbness that can be felt is an effect of diabetic neuropathy.

9. Abnormal hunger — The tiredness that comes with high blood sugar levels happens because of the absence of an energy source — because of this, your body would, as expected, tell you that you need more energy through your stomach.

People with diabetes are sometimes hungry. — Pexels

10. Unexplained weight changes — High blood sugar levels can either make you lose weight or gain weight fast. You might lose weight fast because since your body isn’t making use of the huge amount of sugar in your system when it needs to burn fuel to give you energy, it turns to burn your fats to give you power instead.

On the other hand, you might gain weight, too. When your body has high blood sugar, your pancreas creates more insulin to keep up with it and help your cells absorb the sugar.

However, the thing with insulin is that it urges your body to keep the extra sugar in your blood as fat, too; so the result is being overweight.

When you feel that something isn’t right with your health, most of the time, your body will send you signals. Don’t ignore them and have a physician give you a check-up right away.

(Note: This article is for informational purposes only and not to be treated as an expert opinion. If you’re dealing with any of these signs & symptoms or know someone who does, it’s important to always consult with your doctor or a specialist.)