Hyperglycemia: Meaning, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

Blood sugar is the primary source of energy for your body. From dried fruits to grains and fruits, we eat every kind of food source that gives us glucose for normal functioning. But for some people, there comes a stage when there’s too much glucose in their body. This condition is recognised as hyperglycemia. High blood sugar or Hyperglycemia happens when the body cannot regulate the blood sugar levels on its own. So to answer your question of what exactly hyperglycemia is and how you can manage it, stay till the end of the blog.

What Is Hyperglycemia?

Hyperglycemia is a condition caused when you have high blood sugar levels. These levels are much higher than normal and often experienced by patients who already have diabetes. If you are diagnosed with hyperglycemia meaning your body does not respond to insulin like normally it should.

For our body to generate energy we need glucose. When we eat glucose-rich foods, our stomach breaks it down into parts that can absorbed and utilized by the body. Glucose is absorbed by our intestines and then gets circulated in our bloodstream. In this process, insulin acts as the catalyst to move glucose from your bloodstream to cells, thus providing you energy to function. However, in hyperglycemia, your body either gets low on insulin or cannot regulate insulin properly.

Uncontrolled hyperglycemia, meaning persistent high levels of sugar in your body can lead to many health complications like kidney issues, vision problems and others.

Causes of Hyperglycemia

It is important to know what is hyperglycemia, but it’s equally important to crack down the causes of hyperglycemia. The primary reason for this condition is the lack of insulin in your body. It commonly affects people with diabetes but can occur in non-diabetic people as well. Let’s decode what causes hyperglycemia generally.

Insulin resistance

One of the most common causes of hyperglycemia is insulin resistance. In this complex condition, your body is not as sensitive to insulin as it should be. The pancreas is responsible for developing insulin that regulates your blood sugar level. When it's unable to function properly or the cells in your muscles, livers and fats don’t respond to the hormone like usual, it causes hyperglycemia.

Pancreas issues

Pancreatic issues are another cause of hyperglycemia. The pancreas produces insulin. If due to certain factors, your pancreas is damaged it would alter the amount of insulin produced in your body. Thus causing hyperglycemia. Other severe conditions like chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer may also lead to hyperglycemia.

Temporary causes of Hyperglycemia

Certain lifestyle factors also cause Hyperglycemia meaning one’s daily habits can alter the extent of the condition. When you are stressed your body releases epinephrine and cortisol causing blood sugar to rise. Experiencing excessive mental or physical stress can become one of the causes of hyperglycemia. Other lifestyle changes like intake of alcohol, medications, dehydration, and excessive eating habits may also lead to hyperglycemia.

Causes of Hyperglycemia in people with diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes who often miss their medications or do not take insulin on time may experience hyperglycemia. Whereas, in people with type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance becomes the primary cause of hyperglycemia as their cells don’t respond to insulin as they should. Some diabetic medications consisting, of thiazide diuretics, corticosteroids, and beta-blockers may also increase the risk of hyperglycemia in diabetic people.

Hyperglycemia Symptoms

Managing hyperglycemia meaning high blood sugar level can be a tedious task. However, understanding its symptoms earlier can help resist the condition much better. Some early hyperglycemia symptoms include:

• Excessive hunger
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Episodes of headaches
• Blurred vision
• Feeling fatigued
• Wounds or scraps healing slowly

Signs of long-term hyperglycemia, meaning prolonged high glucose levels may also include:

• Frequent skin or vaginal yeast infections
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Hyperglycemia Treatment

Injected insulin is one of the primary ways to treat hyperglycemia. Uncontrolled hyperglycemia meaning persistent high blood sugar can cause many severe health complications like nerve damage and kidney issues. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment are always favourable to help cope with this condition better.

Drink more water

Drinking more water is essential for rehydration from frequent urination your body faces. Keeping yourself hydrated can also help when your body keeps flushing excess sugar out through the kidneys to manage the blood sugar levels.

Caution

Being a diabetic person, taking extreme care of yourself, positively impacts your hyperglycemia treatment. Timely medication, healthy eating, and lifestyle habits help you better in hyperglycemia management.

Change your eating habits

Avoiding sugary diets, and eating carbohydrates and other glucose-rich foods in moderation helps restrict excess sugar from entering your body. Eating a healthy well balanced nutritious diet will escalate your hyperglycemia treatment.

Switch medications

Taking the right kind of medications is crucial in hyperglycemia treatment. Doctors may advise certain glucose-lowering medications that help balance your blood sugar levels. You can also discover our selection of three60+ products like Gluco Check Powder that are clinically proven and beneficial in helping you manage diabetic cravings.

Conclusion

Hyperglycemia, meaning an excessive rise in blood glucose levels, is a condition that can be easily triggered in diabetic people with negligence. With proper diagnosis and treatment, this condition can be managed easily. If not addressed, hyperglycemia can lead to serious health problems such as diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic conditions.

From choosing the right lifestyle habits to medications, these factors can help improve your condition faster.

FAQs

1) How to control sugar levels immediately?

Injecting insulin is the fastest way to lower blood sugar levels. Many type 1 diabetic people take insulin shots regularly to control their sugar levels.

2) Can drinking water lower blood sugar?

Drinking loads of water will allow you to rehydrate your body and flush excessive glucose through the kidneys to lower sugar levels.

3) How do you treat hyperglycemia?

Hyperglycemia treatment often involves taking insulin medication, monitoring your blood sugar levels, eating and maintaining a healthy weight.