Highs & Lows
The medical term for high blood glucose is hyperglycemia. High blood glucose can do damage to your body over time, endangering your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, circulation, and feet.
Very high blood glucose levels can also place you at immediate risk for serious conditions, especially if you have Type 1 diabetes. If your blood glucose remains above 300 mg/dL for 2 consecutive readings or if your blood glucose is >180 mg/dL for more than 1 week, call your doctor.
What causes high blood glucose?
- Eating too much
- Sickness or stress
- Lack of physical activity
- Not taking your diabetes medication or insulin
High blood glucose may make you thirsty and cause you to urinate more, as your body tries to get rid of the extra glucose. Be sure to drink plenty of water when your blood glucose is high.
Checking for Ketones
If your blood glucose is high (normally >300 mg/dL) or if you are sick, you may need to check your urine for ketones. Having ketones in the urine is a sign that your body is using fat for energy instead of glucose, because not enough insulin is available to use the glucose for energy. Your doctor can advise you on when you should check for ketones.
It is also important for people with Type 1 diabetes to treat hyperglycemia as soon as it is detected. High blood glucose, if not treated, may result in diabetic ketoacidosis. This is a very serious condition that results from ketones building up in the blood. Contact your doctor or the emergency room immediately if you have high blood glucose readings and shortness of breath, breath that smells fruity, dry mouth, or nausea and vomiting.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, very high glucose levels may result in dehydration (loss of water) and a serious condition that presents without ketones.
Preventing High Blood Glucose
Work with your health care team to create a diabetes care plan that is best for you. Exercise, medication, meal planning, and monitoring will help you keep your blood glucose levels at your goal and prevent high blood glucose levels.
Low Blood Glucose
The medical term for low blood glucose is hypoglycemia, which occurs when your blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia may result from skipping meals, exercising, too much medication or insulin, or from drinking alcohol. It is important to recognize the warning signs of hypoglycemia so you can treat it before it gets worse. If your blood glucose falls below 70 mg/dL and you have more than one unexplained hypoglycemic episode in 1 week, call your doctor.
Symptoms or warning signs of hypoglycemia include:
- Shakiness
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Hunger
- Inability to concentrate
- Fast or pounding heart
- Headache
- Visual disturbances (double vision)
- Confusion or abnormal behavior
- Paleness
If your blood glucose drops very low, then you may become confused, act strangely, or even pass out. It is important to know that your warning signs may be different from those of someone else that has diabetes. You may even have low blood glucose levels without any warning signs, especially if you have had diabetes for a long time or are taking certain heart medications that hide these warning signs. The best way to prevent hypoglycemia is through frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose. If you do experience hypoglycemia, you should treat it by eating a quick-acting sugar source equal to 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Here are some good choices:
- 3-4 glucose tablets
- 1 serving of glucose gel
- 6 pieces of hard candy
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
- 1/2 cup of orange or apple juice
- 1/2 cup of regular soda
- 1 cup of low-fat milk
If you are taking the medications Glyset or Precose, you should use glucose tablets or milk to treat hypoglycemia. Candy, soda, or sugar won't work in this instance.
After you eat a quick-acting sugar source, you should check your blood glucose about 15 minutes later if possible. If your blood glucose is still less than 70 mg/dL, then you should have another sugar source. In all cases, if your next meal is more than 2 hours away, it is best to have a more substantial snack such as 1/2 sandwich or peanut butter/cheese crackers to prevent your glucose from dropping too low again. You should teach your co-workers, family members, and friends the warning signs of hypoglycemia and how to treat it, just in case you are unable to treat yourself.
