Blood Sugar Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

Blood Sugar Levels Affecting Your Health

By Tracy Kerr-Walshe

Sugary sweets are all around and in more abundance than people know what to do with. And, this ample supply of tempting sweets has lead to a steady rise in the number of cases of high blood sugar levels, also known as hyperglycemia. This condition can be the first step in contracting diabetes and can also be a red flag warning of possible heart conditions.

Hyperglycemia means that there is a high level of sugar in the bloodstream. High blood sugar can occur even in healthy people after eating a meal or snack that has a very high sugar content, such as eating a large, sweet desert or drinking a large milkshake.

High Blood Sugar Levels Leads To High Blood Pressure

In the case of a healthy person, an increase of ingested sugar will raise the blood sugar levels somewhat. But, the body quickly goes to work to process the additional glucose and over the course of a couple hours, blood sugar levels return to the normal range and there is no cause for concern.

However, it is a different story for those who have diabetes, or for those who are borderline diabetic. Type one diabetics have defective pancreas function and do not produce sufficient insulin on their own to be able to move the sugar from the blood into the cells.

Type 2 Diabetes Due To High Blood Sugar Levels Over Long Periods

Those with type two diabetes have cells that have become insulin resistant because of high blood sugar levels over long periods of time. This means that the cells can no longer use the insulin to properly process the sugar that is in the body.

In both instances, the body is no longer able to move the sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells, so it stays in the blood and builds up, resulting in hyperglycemia.

Sugary Foods Adversely Affecting Your Health

High blood sugar can also happen even if you are not diabetic but suffer from other conditions that make it difficult for your body to process sugary foods. This can happen in instances of an inflamed pancreas (or pancreatitis) or when taking certain medications such as steroidals. These situations are temporary in most cases and the blood sugar levels will return to normal once the condition is resolved or the medication is no longer being taken.

Normally hyperglycemia does not have symptoms until it becomes fairly well advanced. At that stage, which is the point where the blood sugar increases to 300 mg/dL or more, symptoms may be evident. Common symptoms might include: dry mouth, frequent thirst or the desire to drink large quantities of liquids, blurred vision, increased urination or unexplained tiredness. A severe condition of hyperglycemia, with sugar levels of 600 mg/dL or higher, can induce a coma or even cause death.

Take A Blood Test To Find Out Your Blood Sugar Levels

The amount of sugar in your blood can be easily measured by taking a blood test, which should be done while fasting, meaning that it should be taken only after you have gone several hours without eating any food or drinking anything other than water.

A normal level of blood sugar when fasting is 70 to 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), while levels in the range of 100 to 125 mg/dL is considered slightly abnormal and is referred to as prediabetic, and a level of 126 mg/dL or above is an indication of diabetes. It is always best to repeat the blood test to confirm the diagnosis as blood sugar levels can vary depending on other factors.

It is a good idea to learn about your blood sugar levels and how they can impact your health, especially if you have a history of diabetes in your family. Making sure to have the level of sugar in your blood tested whenever you visit the doctor is a prudent precaution in this case.

This Article was about Blood Sugar.

About the Author:
Tracy Kerr-Walshe is an author of dieting articles including Effective Weight Loss, Full Body Detox, Juice Fasting.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

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