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Symptoms of High Glucose

When it comes down to it with every passing day the number of people who need to be concerned with the symptoms of high glucose is increasing each and every day. Many people are familiar with the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer, but not so many people are aware of the fact that the numbers of people actually suffering long term health effects from these diseases is actually on a slight decline. On the other hand, the numbers of new cases of diabetes is increasing every day, and so symptoms of high glucose are more of a concern than ever before.

Symptoms of high glucose can be many and varied, but all are a direct result of the fact that those who have high glucose have some dysfunction that either prohibits the pancreas from producing insulin or stops the cells of the body from responding to insulin as they should. Glucose, which the body produces from the carbohydrates that we take in as food, is important because it is the fuel that powers every cell of the body. In order for the glucose to power the cells it must pass through the cell wall, and this can only happen in the presence of insulin, which makes the cell wall allow the glucose to pass through. When the insulin is not produced or the cells don’t react to it properly the glucose levels in the bloodstream climb.

Symptoms of high glucose include a feeling of intense fatigue and lethargy, general malaise, weakness, rapid heart rate and respirations, and in severe cases coma and death. Usually the symptoms to watch for are, increases thirst, increased hunger, and increased urination. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, especially if they have a family history of diabetes, it is probably a good idea to set an appointment with a physician for a fasting blood glucose test to determine if the symptoms indicate high glucose and the onset of diabetes. The key to managing diabetes is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible, and the only way to do that is to be familiar with the symptoms of high glucose.

Glucose Level after Eating

The glucose level after eating should be the chief concern of anyone with diabetes, and should be one of the most important tests associated with the disease.

In the world of medicine, the things that are considered normal are generally what are to be desired, however, upon close examination of the usual manner of establishing a fasting glucose to determine baseline blood glucose levels there is something decidedly abnormal in the test itself.

Normally the fasting blood glucose test is used to diagnose diabetes, but the manner in which the test is administered makes it abnormal when attempting to ascertain the glucose level after eating.

When a patient, or their physician thinks they may have some sort of glucose related abnormality the physician usually instructs the patient to fast from anything but water from midnight of the night before the fasting glucose test is to me administered. The patient arrives at the physician’s office and is given a solution containing a known amount of glucose to drink. The patient’s blood glucose level is then checked at intervals after the solution is taken to determine how well the body is metabolizing the glucose.

This is odd because in most cases the optimum amount of time that must pass between the last food intake is a full 8 hours, yet very few people go a full 8 hours without eating in their normal day to day life. Perhaps a better way to determine how well the body metabolizes glucose is to take the blood glucose reading around two hours after a meal. In a normal person the blood glucose level 2 hours after a meal should be no more than 140, and that normal glucose level after eating should be the target of the diabetic patient, regardless of what their “fasting” glucose level is.

Normal Fasting Blood Glucose Level

When it comes to determining the normal fasting blood glucose level the numbers are sometimes subject to the individual. In most cases, however, a normal fasting blood glucose level is considered to be between 60 and 100 mg/dl. This is not a hard and fast rule however, as at times blood glucose levels can be influenced by age, weight, and even underlying health problems. The number one concern is that if you or someone you know suddenly develops increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination, and/or if there is a family history of diabetes it is probably time for a trip to the doctor to test for a normal fasting blood glucose level.

How Bad Are High Blood Sugar Numbers?

How bad are high blood sugar numbers? For many people this question never comes up because their body metabolizes glucose correctly and high blood sugar isn’t a concern. This is easily understandable as most people never bother to care about things that don’t directly affect them. The concerning thing is that the number of diabetics diagnosed every day is growing and many of them choose not to be concerned about high blood sugar numbers despite the negative health effects that high blood sugar numbers can and will cause.

Blood sugar, or glucose, is used by every cell in the body as fuel. When we eat sugars or carbohydrates the body metabolizes them into glucose which circulates in the blood stream. As the body needs the glucose for fuel the brain signals the pancreas to release insulin, which is a hormone that is responsible for allowing the blood glucose to enter the cells and be used as fuel. In diabetics either the pancreas has ceased to produce insulin, or the cells of the body have become resistant to the action of insulin. While it may not sound too bad to have an extra amount of fuel circulating in the blood, the fact is that high blood sugar numbers mean that the glucose has built up to the point that it can begin to cause damage to the bodies systems.

Those with high blood sugar numbers must follow their prescribed treatment regimen as closely as possible in the effort to maintain their blood sugar numbers as close to normal as possible. High blood sugar numbers that are left untreated can cause heart problems, kidney damage, liver damage, damage to the walls of blood vessels, glaucoma, blindness, coma, and even death. In order to live a long, healthy and normal life the diabetic should always strive to keep high blood sugar numbers from happening.