Monitoring your blood sugar levels is crucial, as is recognizing high blood sugar symptoms. These symptoms are identifiable and should be treated promptly, as untreated high blood sugar can harm your health. Symptoms vary, but here are the most common ones to watch out for.
Hyperglycemia occurs when the body can’t produce enough insulin or use it properly. Insulin helps glucose from food enter cells for energy. Without enough insulin, glucose can’t enter the bloodstream. Prolonged hyperglycemia can permanently damage organs like the kidneys, blood vessels, nerves, and eyes.
Main Causes of High Blood Sugar Levels
- Lack of physical activity
- Fatigue
- Common cold
- Dehydration
- Overeating
- Excessive steroid use
High blood sugar doesn’t always mean diabetes, but it can be a symptom. People with diabetes might not show many symptoms, but these indicate high blood sugar:
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Thirst
- Impotence
- Trouble concentrating
- Slow wound healing
- Recurring infections
- Digestive issues
- Increased appetite
- Nerve problems
- Dry and itchy skin
- Excess belly fat and weight gain
How to Monitor Blood Sugar Levels
Controlling blood sugar requires knowing what to eat. Avoid foods with a high glycemic index (GI). The GI scale shows how carbs in foods can raise blood sugar. Higher numbers mean higher blood sugar risk. Foods with a GI of 0-54 are low GI.
Low GI Foods (safe to consume moderately)
- 1 egg: 6
- A cup of broccoli: 10
- A cup of hummus: 6
- A cup of nuts: 15
- A cup of cashew nuts: 22
- A cup of cherries: 22
- A cup of yogurt: 23
- Medium-sized onion: 10
- Medium-sized apple: 38
- 1 Turkey sausage: 28
- A cup of spaghetti: 42
- A cup of green grapes: 46
- A cup of peas: 54
- 220 gr. of tomato juice: 38
- 220 gr. of pineapple juice: 46
- 1 carrot: 47
- 1 orange: 48
- 1 grapefruit: 50
- 1 banana: 52
Foods with a GI of 55-69
- A cup of brown rice: 55
- 1 serving of mac’n’cheese: 64
- A tablespoon of honey: 55
- A cup of oatmeal: 55
- A cup of white rice: 64
High GI Foods to Avoid
- 2 cups of popcorn: 70
- Rice cake: 76
- A slice of white bread: 70
- 1 doughnut: 76
- Medium-sized baked potato: 85
- 1 portion of cornflakes: 92
- 50 gr. of glucose: 100
Your diet impacts your overall health. If you have hyperglycemia symptoms, change your habits before serious problems arise.