Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar)

What is Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar?

You have hyperglycemia or high blood sugar when your blood sugar level has risen and stayed well above normal. Blood sugar levels are considered to be above normal when they rise above 120 mg/dL before meals or above 180 mg/dL after meals. This happens to everyone with diabetes at certain times. However, if this happens often, it is a problem that needs attention.

Symptoms of Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)

The tricky thing about hyperglycemia is that you can feel just fine even though your blood sugar is too high. When symptoms of hyperglycemia are present, they may be mild or come on so slowly you don’t notice them. So it’s especially important to test your blood sugar regularly and to watch for the following symptoms:

• more hunger or thirst than usual
• frequent urination, especially at night
• dry or itchy skin
• feeling tired or sleepy
• blurred vision
• frequent infections
• slow healing of cuts or sores

What causes hyperglycemia or high blood sugar?

The most common causes of hyperglycemia are:

• food, especially those foods that convert quickly to glucose
• emotional stress
• physical stress
• getting less exercise than usual
• not taking enough diabetes medicine
• not taking the right diabetes medicine
• extra sugar made by the liver
• going low at night, and the liver releasing stored glucose to compensate thus sending you high in the morning

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