People with high blood sugar know that maintaining their balance is important. It could even be compared to piloting a plane. In order for the plane to stay in the air and experience the fun, the plane should be controlled. Same goes with blood sugar levels. In keeping your blood sugar steady, you are keeping yourself free from the risk of being lousy and unhealthy.
What is high blood sugar?
The amount of glucose in the blood is your blood glucose level. Basically, the glucose found in your body comes from the food you eat. As it enters the body, it is formed and stored. Glucose is considered to be the main source of energy for the cells in your body. With this, all the cells in the body carry glucose in it.
High blood sugar levels are also called hyperglycemia. This medical condition happens when the body can’t respond to insulin properly or it can’t produce insulin. For the body to be able to use energy, it should have glucose in the blood. But as you know, too much of anything is not good. When the body overproduces glucose, there would be hyperglycemia.
High blood sugar for a long period of time poses a great health threat, especially if it is not treated. The blood vessels that supply blood to the vital organs can be seriously damaged. This will often result to heart diseases, kidney disease, stroke, vision problems, and nerve problems especially with people having diabetes.
High blood sugar symptoms
In itself, having high sugar in the blood is a symptom of diabetes. But if you have hyperglycemia, there may be mild to no symptoms at all. However, the following are some of the most common things to look at if you suspect you have hyperglycemia:
a. Dry mouth; dry and itchy skin
b. Frequent urination
c. Thirst
d. Fatigue and drowsiness
e. Weight loss
f. Increased appetite
High blood sugar causes
Basically, a person will have high sugar level in the blood because of the following reasons:
a. You skipped your insulin or oral glucose-lowering medicine.
b. You ate too much carbohydrates.
c. There is an infection.
d. There is increased stress.
e. You have undergone strenuous physical activity
The effects in short term doesn’t damage organ in the body but the long term can. Long term complications are expected to be seen especially if you have gone untreated. It could result to nerve damage, arteriosclerosis and kidney failure.
When your nerve is damaged, channeling electric signals to the brain to initiate movement would be affected. High blood sugar could also harden your arteries causing it to lose flexibility. Malfunctioning kidneys is also expected when you fail to treat your high sugar levels in the blood. With this, the important function of the kidney of filtering wastes and other toxins will be impaired. Aside from these three long term complications, hyperglycemia is also linked to other health problems like stroke, erectile dysfunction and pregnancy complication.
The good thing about hyperglycemia is that you can undergo a special diet to make sure that your blood sugar is maintained. Food that you could take in your diet could include lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Moreover, 25 percent of your total daily calories should include good fats likes canola and olive oils. Aside from lowering your blood sugar, this diet could also promote good health. You should also research on food with low glycemic index to make sure that you are maintaining your normal blood sugar level while avoiding the risk of high blood sugar.