What Is Considered High Blood Sugar?

For diabetics, knowing what is considered high blood sugar and what is not, can be a real lifesaver.

The body naturally has glucose in the blood which gives the organs and cells energy to function. Blood sugar mainly comes from carbohydrates and the body needs insulin in order to maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range. Insulin helps cells absorb glucose from the blood and use it for energy or store it.

what is considered high blood sugarIf insulin doesn’t work properly or there’s not enough of it, blood sugar levels rise. Too much blood glucose is known as hyperglycemia, a condition that can cause various health problems.

In this article, we’ll explore what high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) feels like, why it happens and how you know if you have hyperglycemia.

So what is considered high blood sugar?

Anything over 120 mg/dl is what is considered high blood sugar and once blood sugar levels reach 140 mg/dl they begin to damage the body. There are several things you can do to help control your blood sugar. The first is to talk to your doctor. Use a blood glucose meter, these help by allowing you to check your blood sugar at any time.

What are the Symptoms of High Blood Sugar?

  • Headache and other pains and aches
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling tired or drowsy
  • Blurred vision
  • Dry mouth
  • Frequent urination
  • Slow healing of cuts, wounds, and bruises
  • Bloating

Low insulin and high blood sugar can lead to a build-up of ketones, or even lead to DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), a complication that required immediate medical attention.

If this happens, you may experience:

  • A rapid heartbeat
  • Fruity smell or taste
  • Disorientation
  • Confusion
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dehydration
  • Vomiting
  • Coma

Moreover, your blood sugar level may be over 250 ml/dL. Most people with diabetes typically experience the symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in the morning.

Effects of high blood sugar on the body.

High blood sugar can cause a wide range of symptoms. Here are some that you need to be aware of:

What is considered high blood sugar

  • Thirst and frequent urination: Excess sugar in the blood goes into the kidneys and the system works to get rid of it through the urine, causing frequent urination and increased thirst. People with high blood sugar tend to experience increased thirst, despite drinking the recommended amount of liquids.
  • Tingling and numbness: High blood sugar levels can also cause tingling, burning, or numbness in the feet, legs, and hands. This can be caused by diabetic neuropathy, a condition that arises after many years of consistently high blood sugar levels.
  • Weight loss: Unexplained or sudden weight loss can occur in people with high blood sugar levels because cells are not getting the nourishment (glucose) they need. As a result, the body burns stored fat and muscle for energy instead.

What is considered high blood sugar

Can High Blood Sugar be Dangerous?

When insulin levels are too low the sugar levels begin to rise and this can damage the body. The damage often associated with high blood sugar is heart damage, nerve damage, eye damage, and kidney damage. This kind of damage will impair diabetes later on in life so it is best to control your blood sugar.

Causes of High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar can be caused by various conditions, including:

  • Gestational diabetes occurs when high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance appear during pregnancy. If this happens, the mother should be closely monitored as high blood sugar levels during pregnancy can lead to various complications for the baby and the mother as well.
  • Type 1 diabetes is where the immune system launches an attack on insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, insulin production is reduced or stopped and blood glucose levels rise. People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes regulate their blood sugar level by taking insulin through a pen, insulin pump, or needle. According to the American Diabetes Association, only 5% of people with diabetes have type 1 Diabetes.
  • Type 2 diabetes is where the pancreas produces insulin but the body does not use it properly. In this case, the body is unable to use insulin to keep blood glucose levels steady (insulin resistance). If you have type 2 diabetes, you may need to make exercise or diet changes or take pills or insulin to help manage your blood sugar levels.
  • Cystic fibrosis: Studies suggest there may be a link between cystic fibrosis and diabetes
  • Medications: Certain steroids and beta-blockers can raise blood sugar levels.

Long-term complications of high blood sugar.

Consistently high blood sugar levels can damage the body’s systems and organs. This can lead to serious complications such as:

  • Kidney disease
  • Stroke
  • Heart attack
  • Damage to the eyes and loss of vision
  • Nerve damage leads to infections, sores, and wound healing problems

Risk factors

  • Type 1 Diabetes

Although researchers have not yet established exactly what causes high blood sugar levels and diabetes, there are certain factors that increase the risk.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, certain genes have been shown to have an impact. Moreover, infections and viruses may play a role. Studies also show that certain environmental or genetic factors may increase the risk of getting type 1 diabetes.

You can be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at any age, but it usually starts during early adulthood or childhood.

  • Type 2 Diabetes

Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes include:

  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Being overweight
  • Having certain genes
  • Being over 45 years old
  • Having a sibling or parent with type 2 diabetes
  • Having American Indian, African-American, Pacific Islander, Alaska Native, Hispanic, or Asian-American ethnicity.
  • Having high blood pressure or receiving treatment for it
  • Having high levels of triglycerides or low levels of HDL cholesterol.

What is considered High blood glucose levelsFocus on eating the correct diet for diabetics.

 The correct diet for a diabetic is low sugar items and items with high dietary fiber. This should be discussed with your doctor as he can give you the best information.

What is considered high blood sugar

Avoid foods that are high in fat and refrain from consuming alcohol, because alcohol stays in the bloodstream and its action mimics that of blood sugar. You’re going to need to cut down on the salt intake as well.

American Diabetes Association Diet Plan Food Recommendation

The following foods are considered to be most helpful for diabetics:

  • All kinds of beans – green and black beans, pinto beans, and navy beans. Beans are full of protein and energy. One-half cup of beans contains equal protein to that in an ounce of meat.
  • Berries – raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fibers.
  • Whole grains – avoid flours that are processed too much (pretty much all white flour falls into this overly-processed category) and instead go for the less processed forms like whole wheat and whole-grain options.

Tomatoes are good antioxidants and are very versatile since you can simply eat them as they are, peel or slice them, and even add them as toppings to your food. These are rich in iron, Vitamin C and E, and are good for your heart as well.

The bottom-line.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels alongside exercise and diet can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Other strategies that can help prevent high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) include:

  • taking the amount of insulin prescribed by your doctor if you have type 1 diabetes,
  • planning your exercise routine and food intake,
  • taking precautions to avoid infections,
  • minimizing stress by getting enough sleep
  • including other stress-reducing activities like yoga and meditation in your daily life.

Read about more of the complications that come with diabetes here!

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What are Normal Blood Sugar Levels?

Diabetes Testing Numbers

Diabetes testing numbers are very important for those people with diabetes.  In today’s world, more and more people are becoming diabetic largely due to the amount of sugar in the average American diet. Diabetes is a disease where the body’s organ known as the pancreas manufactures too little of a chemical known as insulin.

Insulin is used by the body to convert the glucose (sugar) in the blood into fuel that the body can use. When the insulin levels are low the sugar levels are high and this can cause a lot of damage to the body as at too high a level, sugar can become a poison killing the body slowly.

The damage associated with high blood sugar includes heart damage and the risk of getting heart disease, eye damage/blindness, nerve damage, and kidney damage. These factors make diabetes a deadly and very serious disease. So, what should an average person’s diabetes testing numbers be compared to that of a diabetic?

diabetes testing numbersWhat are Normal blood sugar levels for non-diabetics?

For most people who are non-diabetic healthy individuals, their blood glucose levels would vary during the day, depending on whether it is premeal, or two hours after eating.  Generally, premeal levels would be the lowest. For some, 60 mg/dL is normal, for others, 90 mg/dL is also normal.

Most people that don’t have diabetes would sit around :

Fasting – 72 – 99mg/dL (4.0 to 5.4 mmol/L)

2 hours after eating – Up to 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)

Normal blood sugar levelsWhat is a Good Blood Sugar Level for Diabetes Type 2?

Good blood sugar levels for the average person with diabetes should be between 60.8 mg/dl and 120.4 mg/dl ( 3.4 to 6.7mmol/L) depending on the time of day and amount in the last meal.

However, with diabetes type 2, your glucose levels can be anywhere from 120.8 to 200 mg/dl (6.7 to 11.1mmol/L)

diabetes testing numbers

At these levels, the body suffers damage. In order to keep the body from reaching these extremes, it must be monitored with a blood glucose meter. There are many different versions around nowadays, some are watches, and some require no needle finger pricks.

Check HERE for the top 5 companies developing non-invasive glucose monitors in 2022.

random blood sugar levelsWhat are random blood sugar levels?

A random blood glucose test is where a small amount of blood is taken and added to a blood testing strip and tested at any given time of the day. This type of random blood testing is really quite essential for a diabetic, as it can indicate how well they are managing the disease.

Non-diabetic random blood levels – would be below 200 mg/dL (11.1mmol/L)

Diabetes random blood levels – would be above 200 mg/dL (11.1mmol/L)

Normal blood sugar levelsWhat are Blood sugar levels 2 hours postprandial?

To start with, postprandial means after lunch or dinner. So the “PPG concentrations” are referring to the Plasma glucose concentrations after eating.

Non-diabetic 2 hours after eating – should be below 140mg/dL  (7.8mmol/L)

Diabetic 2 hours after eating –  should be below 180 mg/dl (10.mmol/L)

Fasting blood glucose levelsWhat are Fasting blood sugar levels

A fasting blood sugar level is taken after you have fasted (not eaten) overnight. It is important that you have had nothing to eat or drink, apart from water, for approximately 8 hours. This particular test will help your doctor, or health care professional to determine whether you have diabetes or not.

Normal Result – Fasting Blood glucose test – less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L)

Prediabetes Result – Fasting blood glucose – 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L)

Diabetes Result – Fasting blood sugar test – 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests.

Normal blood sugar levelsNormal blood sugar levels During pregnancydiabetes testing numbers

If you have diabetes and you are pregnant, you need to be very strict with checking your blood sugar levels. Your doctor or obstetrician will ask you to monitor prior to meals, 1 or 2 hours after meals, and then also additional times such as prior to going to bed and even overnight.

You will need to keep good records of these results to give your team a better understanding of your sugar levels, so you can adjust your insulin levels accordingly.

Recommended level target during pregnancy – Fasting 4.0–5.5 mmol/L

Recommended level target during pregnancy – 2 hours after meal 5.5–7.0 mmol/L

So How Can we all Lower our Blood glucose Level Naturally?

  • Ensure you always monitor your blood sugar levels
  • Drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated
  • Try and control your stress levels  – perhaps do some meditation or yoga.
  • Make healthy food choices – control your carb intake and choose low-GI foods.
  • Cut down on your meal portions
  • Increase your fiber intake
  • Very importantly, regular exercise. This will assist with weight loss as well as increase your insulin sensitivity.

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More on Normal Random Blood Sugar Levels HERE!

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Top 7 Side Effects of High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia is a condition that occurs as a result of a buildup of too much glucose in the blood. Although this is more often a concern for people with diabetes it can also occur in people suffering from other conditions as well as perfectly healthy individuals.

The main goal of a diabetes treatment plan is blood sugar control. Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar can affect both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. There are 2 main kinds of high blood sugar:

  • Fasting hyperglycemia

This is a condition that occurs when blood sugar levels exceed 130 mg/dL after not drinking or eating for a period of at least 8 hours.

  • After-meal or postprandial hyperglycemia mg/dL

side effects of high blood sugarThis is when blood glucose levels exceed hours after eating. For people without diabetes, their blood sugar levels rarely exceed mg/dL after meals, unless they are really large.

Ongoing or frequent high blood glucose levels can cause damage to blood vessels, nerves, and organs. Hyperglycemia can also lead to other potentially life-threatening conditions. For instance, people with type 1 diabetes are particularly prone to ketoacidosis, as a result of excess acids in the bloodstream.

When it comes to type 2 diabetes patients or people who are at risk for it, hyperglycemia can lead to hyperglycemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome (HHNS), a condition where the body’s ability to process sugar is significantly impaired. It’s mainly characterized by frequent urination at first and less frequent later on. As the condition progresses, urine tends to become darker and patients may become severely dehydrated. Symptoms of high blood sugar should be treated immediately to help prevent serious complications.

Causes of High Blood Sugar

Factors that may trigger an increase in your blood sugar levels include:

  • Forgetting or skipping your glucose-lowering medicine (oral medication or insulin)
  • Eating too many carbohydrates
  • Infections and illness
  • Stress
  • Sedentary lifestyle (exercising less than usual or becoming inactive)
  • Strenuous physical activity when your insulin levels are significantly low and blood glucose levels are high

Signs, Symptoms, and Side Effects of High Blood Sugar

People with diabetes may be familiar with the effects of high blood sugar on the body. However, for people who have undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes, knowing the signs and side effects of high blood sugar can prompt them to seek medical attention and get a diagnosis in a timely manner to help prevent complications of diabetes. Here are some of the main signs and side effects of high blood sugar:

  1. Fatigue

side effects of high blood sugarFeeling constantly tired is one of the early signs of high blood sugar levels.

Mild fatigue can also occur with even the normal or mild blood glucose fluctuations in perfectly healthy individuals or people with prediabetes particularly when they consume large amounts of carbohydrates.

Although there’s nothing wrong with eating carbs, if they always affect you in a specific way that is troubling, such as feeling incredibly sleepy after meals, you may want to seek medical attention.

  1. Frequent urination

In a bid to get rid of excess sugar in the blood, the kidneys pull water with sugar in it and you end up urinating more frequently than usual.

  1. Increased thirst

When you pee more, your body tends to become dehydrated faster and you may feel thirstier. Moreover, if you consume larger amounts of liquids, you get the urge to visit the bathroom more frequently.

  1. Headaches

In addition to worsening your fatigue as earlier discussed, dehydration can also trigger headaches. Although headaches can point to a variety of different causes, it is worth getting checked out if it’s coupled with other signs or if it’s something new.

  1. Blurred vision

does high blood sugar make you feel sickExcess sugar can get trapped in the lens of your eyes, causing blurred vision. However, this is usually temporary, unlike the eye damage that occurs in the long term with conditions such as diabetes.

  1. Confusion, nausea, vomiting, and more

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, these seemingly unrelated symptoms are signs of a life-threatening condition known as DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis).

Other symptoms of DKA can include difficulty paying attention, flushed or dry skin, or fruity-smelling breath.

This usually occurs in type 1 diabetes patients and it can be the first sign that they’re unwell. DKA can also occur in type 2 diabetes, but in a milder degree.

  1. Recurrent infections

Consistent high blood sugar levels can impair the immune system’s ability to fight off infections making them more serious, recurrent, or lingering. Moreover, the excess sugar in the urine can help feed bacteria that cause infections making you more susceptible to UTIs.

Other symptoms of high blood sugar include slow-healing wounds and sores, tingling hands and feet, and dental issues. If you have noticed one or more of these signs enough for it to affect your life and raise a red flag, it’s a sign that you should seek medical attention. Experts like primary health care providers can help determine if hyperglycemia due to prediabetes or diabetes is the cause of the symptoms.

Read about diabetes patches for continuous blood glucose monitoring HERE!

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What are High Blood Sugar Numbers?

The question of “what is high blood sugar numbers?” is a valid one. A person who has diabetes, heart problems, hypoglycemia or some other medical condition should carefully monitor his or her blood sugar level. If a person’s blood sugar level is more or less than what it should be, this could cause serious heart problems.

What is an Average Blood Sugar Range?

Medical website lifeclinic.com notes that the average person should have a blood sugar level ranging from 70 mg/dl to 120 mg/dl most of the time. Blood sugar up to 140 mg/dl is acceptable right before bedtime. However, each person is different and some people do have a different “safe range” than the one noted above. This range can vary for reasons such as age, family history, eating patterns, daily sugar intake and even ethnic background.

Consulting a medical professional is the only way for a person to establish his or her safe blood sugar average.

What are High Blood Sugar Levels for the Morning?

high blood sugar numbersThe question of what’s considered high numbers for blood sugar in the morning, is difficult to answer across the board for everyone, but generally speaking a person should never have more than 200 mg/dl at this time.

It is interesting to note that even healthy people can expect to have high morning blood sugar numbers.

The reason for this is that your body produces extra blood sugar between three and eight in the morning. At the same time, hormones are released that lower your sensitivity to the high blood sugar level.

The fact that the body makes extra blood sugar for the morning is not bad; in fact, it helps to prepare the body for the day. However, if your blood sugar number is too high, it could indicate that he or she has out of control diabetes and/or needs to make some dietary changes.

High Blood Sugar Level Effects on the Heart and Lungs

high blood sugar levelAlong with the question of “What is high blood sugar numbers” you should also ask the question, “How does high blood sugar affect my heart?” Too much sugar in the blood will cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

This can rehigh blood sugar levelsult in heart palpitations, an inflammation of the membranes around the heart or even cardiac arrest. Research has determined that having overly high blood sugar for an extended period of time can and does impair lung function. It can make it more difficult for a person to breathe and can exacerbate a lung condition known as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

What Happens if you Ignore High Blood Sugar Numbers?

If you leave high blood sugar untreated, it can cause the body to start shutting down, organs to start being overworked and a person’s body to go into shock. If a person starts having high blood sugar numbers and leave them untreated or does not administer the proper amounts of insulin when needed the person can start showing symptoms such as :

  • rapid heartbeat,
  • stroke,
  • dizziness
  • and even can go into a diabetic coma.

Generally a high blood sugar number is considered high if the number falls over 150-177 range, but due to body mass, age and heredity the numbers can vary from person to person.

How Often Should I Monitor Blood Sugar Readings?

When a person is first diagnosed as being a diabetic they are asked to monitor their blood glucose readings very closely normally 2-3 times a day because this will allow the doctor and patient to determine what a high blood sugar number as well as a low number for that specific patient.

If the patient’s blood glucose numbers fall within those categories then they need to contact their doctor or seek treatment immediately, don’t let the symptoms go untreated for long periods of time because if so you could be doing more damage to your body than you realize.

Read about normal sugar levels for diabetics and non-diabetics HERE!

Final Thoughts on Blood Sugar Numbers

So the answer to the question “what is high blood sugar numbers?”  is that any number over 120 mg/dl – 140 mg/dl is too high. However, a person who has just woken up should not be alarmed to find that he or she has very high blood sugar.

As with any medical diagnosis always listen to your doctor and follow his or her instructions, although it may be difficult, their advice can help save your life.

More on what is considered high blood sugar HERE

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Healthy foods for diabetics

Healthy Foods For Diabetics

What are healthy foods for diabetics? For diabetics eating right isn’t a choice but is part of their lives. Without the proper food and health concern the diabetic’s body will suffer damage and their life will be short and very miserable. Diabetes is a very serious non-communicable disease that is currently spreading over the United States and the entire world.

Today’s sugary stuffed filled food and sweet dessert foods and the ability for diabetics to live longer lives and reproduce is only gasoline to the already massive firestorm. Diabetes is a non-communicable permanently damaging disease where the person’s body is not getting the required amounts of vital chemical called insulin. This absolutely necessary chemical/hormone called insulin hormones are produced by the main pancreas organ.

For some unknown medical reasons the pancreas organ will stop or slow in construction of this chemical/hormone. This chemical/hormone is used by the body’s endocrine systems to transform the blood sugar (blood glucose) in the blood into fuel that the cells are able to use. Without the proper amounts of this necessary blood sugar changing chemical/hormone the blood glucose levels in the blood stream begin to rise to extremely high levels.

Once they reach a certain high level the body organs begins to suffer cell damage to most systems. The major cell damage most commonly associated with high levels is severe nerve cell damage, heart cell damage, kidney cell damage, and severe eye cell damage. But this can all be avoided if the diabetic can drop their high blood sugar amounts and keep it at that lower blood sugar level. So what is healthy foods for diabetics?

Healthy foods for diabetes goes by one main rule. Avoid anything that is white. Breads and potatoes are examples of this rule. These foods are stuffed with complex sugar and will drive your blood sugar level skyward. So talk to your doctor about healthy foods for diabetics.

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