One may have high blood sugar or hyperglycemia if one feels unusually thirsty or urinate more frequently. While the muscles and liver produce some sugar, the majority comes from consuming foods and beverages containing carbohydrates. The human body needs insulin to keep blood sugar levels within range. If one’s body does not have ample insulin, the blood sugar builds up, leading to serious health problems. This guide provides information on the causes, symptoms, and available treatments.

Causes
Some common causes include:

Insufficient self-administration of insulin could be a factor if one has type 1 diabetes.

The available insulin’s effectiveness may be compromised in the case of type 2 diabetes.

Deviating from one’s planned meal plan or exercise routine might contribute to the issue.

Stress arising from an illness, like a cold or flu, could be a contributing factor.

Acute emotional stress, such as experiencing trauma or work-related stress, can also increase one’s blood sugar.

The dawn phenomenon, which involves a hormonal surge produced by the body around 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., could be a potential cause.

Signs and symptoms
Usually, hyperglycemia has no noticeable symptoms until blood sugar levels go beyond 180 to 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 10 to 11.1 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Symptoms of hyperglycemia develop slowly over several days or even weeks. However, if high blood sugar levels are left untreated for a long time, the symptoms can become more severe. Nevertheless, a few individuals with type 2 diabetes for an extended period may not display any symptoms, even with high blood sugar levels.

Some early warning signs associated with high blood sugar levels are as follows:

Experiencing frequent urination
An increase in thirst
Blurred vision
Feeling weak or experiencing unusual fatigue

Later signs and symptoms
Not receiving timely high blood sugar treatments may result in ketones or toxic acid build-up in the urine and blood. This condition is known as ketoacidosis and causes symptoms as follows:

Breath emitting a fruity odor
Dry mouth
Experiencing abdominal pain
Nausea and vomiting
Shortness of breath
Confusion
Loss of consciousness

Treatment
If one has high blood sugar levels or diabetes, it’s important to test the blood sugar regularly and consult a doctor. The doctor may ask for multiple readings and provide the following recommendations for managing blood sugar levels:

Increase water intake
Water helps remove excess sugar from the blood via urine. It also avoids dehydration.

Exercise regularly
Working out helps lower blood sugar levels. However, it may even spike blood sugar levels under some conditions. So, it is best to consult a doctor before starting any exercise.

Exercise caution
When one’s blood sugar levels are high, and one has type 1 diabetes, it is important to examine one’s urine for ketones. People with ketones must avoid exercising. Similarly, if one’s blood sugar levels are high and one has type 2 diabetes, one must also ensure that one does not have any ketones in the urine and is well-hydrated. In this case, the doctor might allow a person to work out but exercise caution.

Changing eating habits
It is important to eat the right kinds of foods. One may have to meet a nutritionist and make changes to one’s meal plan to manage blood sugar levels.