A dear family member was recently found to have hyperglycemia, the most shocking thing about this situation is that everyone knows how much she doesn't like to take in sugars and how she avoids them, we were left rather speechless as to why someone who doesn't take sugar could have a case of hyperglycemia. So, I decided to read the works done on the topic by experts and see what they've got to say, and certainly, I will be sharing my acquired knowledge with you through this post.
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Excessive sugar in the blood is termed "hyperglycemia", an affected person may feel thirsty, lose weight, have blurred vision, slow healing sores and cuts, skin infection, and urinate more than usual. It happens when your body has very little insulin and when the body is unable to use insulin appropriately. Let's pick them one after another;
High blood sugar in the urine and kidneys can lead to increased thirst even after sufficient liquid has been consumed.
Blurred vision: NIDDK which is the National Institute of Diabetes and Diseases says high blood sugar could lead to swelling in the part of the eye that helps focus, resulting in temporary blurry vision.
High blood sugar can result in unexplained and sudden weight loss, this happens because the body's cells are not getting the required glucose, so the body would rather burn muscle and fat for energy instead.
High blood sugar can cause burning, numbness, and tingling in the feet and legs.
The presence of hyperglycemia on most occasions means diabetes has been present, people who have diabetes experience frequent episodes of hyperglycemia. Untreated cases of hyperglycemia may result in nerve damage, and damage to the tissues, organs, and even blood vessels. A severe case of hyperglycemia may result in an acute life-threatening complication known as ''Diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA)".
High blood sugar in people with diabetes is usually caused by, getting stressed, being less active than usual, missing doses of diabetes medicine, consuming excessive starchy or sugary food, and feeling unwell.
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High blood sugar happens due to lack of insulin or insulin resistance, this usually leads to diabetes, and people who have diabetes must take medications like; oral diabetes medication or synthetic insulin, accompanied with other lifestyle changes to help keep blood level in range.
Insulin resistance also known as impaired insulin sensitivity happens when the cells in the fat, liver, and muscles fail to respond to insulin. When the cells in the body fail to respond to insulin appropriately, the body requires more insulin to regulate blood sugar. In a case where the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, we would have hyperglycemia as a result.
Here are common causes of insulin resistance;
A diet that is highly processed, saturated fats, and high-carbohydrate foods.
Scientists believe obesity, especially excess fat tissues found in your belly and around your organs is a primary cause of insulin resistance.
Lack of physical activity.
Some medications.
Some hormonal conditions could also result in insulin resistance; acromegaly, Cushing syndrome, and pregnancy are very good examples. During pregnancy, the placenta releases hormones that cause insulin resistance, for some people this may lead to gestational diabetes.
Other cases of insulin resistance may also be inherited genetically; Donohue syndrome, Alstrom syndrome, Myotonic dystrophy, Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome, and Werner syndrome.
Several types of diabetes may result in high blood sugar situation. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin. As a result of this, the body would lack insulin, and the level of blood sugar would rise.
People who have type 1 diabetes need to take insulin through a pen, needle, or an insulin pump to keep their blood sugar level within a targeted range.
Diabetes-related ketoacidosis is a dangerous effect of not treating hyperglycemia on time with symptoms including; dehydration, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid heartbeat, fruit-like smelling breath, disorientation and confusion, loss of consciousness, and deep labored breathing. Bearing in mind this is a case of medical emergency that requires the affected patient to go to the hospital immediately as it may result in death or coma.
In the case of type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin but is unable to use it properly. The pancreas would try to make more of the hormone but usually cannot make sufficient amount to keep the blood sugar levels steady, this is a case of insulin resistance. This is the more reason why people with type 2 diabetes may require pills, dietary changes, insulin, or exercise to help manage their blood sugar levels.
Gestational diabetes happens when insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels come up during pregnancy. This should be closely monitored during pregnancy, as it may result in complications for the pregnant person and their baby, usually, this form of diabetes would go away after delivery.
The consumption of certain steroids and beta-blockers may also lead to high blood sugar.
Managing a case of hyperglycemia when diabetes is present is usually very difficult, but by following the instructions of your doctor and adjusting to certain dietary changes, the situation should be managed. It is however important to note that, diabetes or hyperglycemia is not a death sentence, the situation can be managed through regular exercise, dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and regularly monitoring one's blood sugar.
For Further Studies.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperglycemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373631
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9815-hyperglycemia-high-blood-sugar
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-hyperglycemia
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313138#fa-qs
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
