High blood sugar affects people who have been diagnosed with diabetes and it can often turn serious if left untreated or ignored.
According to an expert, there are some specific warning signs of an increased diabetes risk that you should be aware of. With the Scottish Government's most recent figures showing 304,375 Scots suffering from the condition, it's vital to spot early signs of high blood sugar levels.
High blood sugar - sometimes called hyperglycaemia - is when sugar levels in your blood are too high, and can cause the pancreas to overwork when releasing insulin to cope.
The pancreas overworking could make it less efficient and so could lead to type 2 diabetes. According to charity group the Diabetes and Wellness Foundation, 90 percent of cases in the UK are Type 2.
Nutritionist and fitness instructor Cassandra Barns, previously told the Mercury: "It's important to say that none of these individual signs mean you definitely have high blood sugar, but they are indications that it’s worth seeing your doctor, who will run some tests if necessary."
Here are the symptoms that may suggest your blood sugar levels are a little high, according to the expert.
Feeling tired
Cassandra said: "Of course, feeling tired can have many causes! But it can be an indication that your body is not efficiently taking glucose (sugar) into your cells to use for energy, meaning your blood sugar stays high.”
Feeling unusually thirsty
"When your blood sugar levels are high, water is pulled out of your cells into your bloodstream to dilute the sugar. So, you may feel very thirsty even if you’re drinking plenty of water… and may have to pee a lot."
Feeling very hungry – even if you’ve just eaten
"Just like tiredness signals, you’ll get hunger signals if glucose is staying in the blood and not being taken into your cells. Your body thinks it’s because you haven’t eaten!"
Thrush
"High blood sugar levels can change the bacterial balance in vaginal fluids and encourage the growth of candida, leading to thrush."
A 'spare tyre'
"Weight gain around the abdomen is an indication that your blood sugar levels could be high and is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes."
Symptoms of high blood sugar
According to the NHS, these are the symptoms of high blood sugar.
Symptoms of high blood sugar usually come on gradually and may only start when your blood sugar level gets very high.
Common symptoms include:
- feeling very thirsty
- peeing a lot
- feeling weak or tired
- blurred vision
- losing weight
Causes of high blood sugar
Common causes of high blood sugar in people with diabetes include:
- being unwell
- feeling stressed
- eating too much sugary or starchy food
- being less active than usual
- missing doses of diabetes medicine
You can also get high blood sugar if your diabetes medicine is not working well, you're taking certain medicines (such as steroids) or you recently had an operation.
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