Possible Causes for High Blood Glucose Levels

Everyone wants to take control of their health by monitoring it in any way they can. So you might weigh yourself and check your blood pressure or resting heart rate. But how closely do you monitor your blood glucose levels? People with diabetes are too familiar with their blood sugar levels, but others may not even give it much thought. However, unregulated blood glucose levels can be harmful and long-lasting. Hence, it is essential to keep that in check.

Blood sugar, also known as glucose, is a vital energy source for your body. Whether you recently received a type 2 diabetes diagnosis or have had the illness for a while, you know how unpredictable blood sugar levels can be. They can leave you feeling awful when they are too high or too low. For this reason, it is crucial to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

A variety of practices can lead to blood sugar fluctuations, which can lead to further health harm. Keeping a balance between the variables affecting blood sugar can be challenging. However, the solution to the problem appears simple with HealthifyPro, which enables you to monitor your blood glucose levels in real-time and gives you access to experienced coaches who are always willing to help.

It includes a continuous glucose monitor that syncs with your mobile and helps you understand the impact of foods, drinks and exercise on your blood glucose levels.

In addition, it empowers you to decide what foods are healthy for you to eat and what you shouldn’t. As a result, you are in charge of your health and prepared to combat the blood glucose spikes higher than normal for your body type. 

With this incredible technology, you will, after all, have some control over some of the factors that affect your readings, but there are few known causes of it.

Understanding Glucose

Glucose is necessary for human life as an energy source and for maintaining the body’s internal systems. It is a monosaccharide because it is the most basic type of carbohydrate, sugar. However, it’s not the only one. Galactose, ribose, and fructose are examples of additional monosaccharides.

The body’s preferred fuel (energy) sources in the form of carbohydrates are glucose and fat. Bread, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products all contain glucose.

To produce the energy that keeps you alive, you need food. Like so many other things, glucose is crucial, but it gets best used in moderation. It typically goes unnoticed when glucose levels are at their ideal range.

However, when they deviate from the advised limits, you’ll notice the harmful impact it has on daily activities, which can have long-lasting and detrimental effects on one’s health.

Blood Glucose Levels

Blood glucose level is the concentration of glucose in your blood. Your body makes and stores glucose (sugar obtained from your meals). It is the primary energy source for your body’s cells, and the bloodstream carries it to every cell.

Keeping your blood glucose levels under control is essential to managing diabetes. When you have diabetes, your body can’t produce insulin or can’t use it adequately.

That hampers your ability to transport blood sugar into your cells. By serving as a link, insulin enables the transfer of sugar from the blood into the cell. Blood sugar levels decrease due to the cell’s usage of sugar as energy. So, when your body fails to use it properly, it results in high blood sugar or glucose levels.

Furthermore, foods contain carbohydrates, which raise blood sugar levels after meals. If your body does not use enough glucose, it gets stored in your body and leads to chronic issues like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems.

Range of Blood Glucose

The WHO estimates a normal fasting blood glucose level should be between 70 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL. 

• You must bring changes in lifestyle and monitoring of glycemia when fasting blood glucose levels are between 100 and 125 mg/dL.
• You will have diabetes if your fasting blood glucose level is 126 mg/dL or greater on two or more occasions.
• A person with hypoglycemia, often known as low fasting blood glucose, has less than 70 mg/dL. 
• A higher risk of developing diabetes is present if there is an increased fasting blood glucose concentration, often known as hyperglycemia, with a value of more than 125 mg/dL.

Glucose Fluctuations

Diabetes, a condition which causes fluctuating blood sugar levels due to known and unknown factors, can result in high blood sugar levels (known as hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar levels (known as hypoglycemia). Unfortunately, despite best attempts, many diabetic patient’s blood sugar levels never seem to stay the same.

Blood sugar levels in non-diabetics fluctuate within a normal range due to various factors, including diet, food quantity, food type, the time between meals, and physical activity. Furthermore, it can also occur due to chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, infections, and other illnesses.

Extreme blood sugar fluctuations can result in a variety of emotional disturbances, including sadness, agitation, feeling angry, worry, fatigue easily, and uncontrollable rage.

The HealthifyMe Note

It’s crucial to keep your blood sugar levels within your target range as much as you can, and one of the best ways to do this is with a continuous glucose monitor by HealthifyPro. This device can warn us if our glucose level rises beyond the suggested level and syncs with your phone to help avoid or delay long-term, major health problems, including heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. In addition, you can enhance your energy and mood by staying inside the desired range.

High Blood Glucose Level or Hyperglycemia

Both persons with and without diabetes may experience hyperglycemia, which happens when your blood sugar (glucose) level exceeds the recommended range.

Your blood sugar can increase when you consume too many calories or forget to take your medications. Additionally, it may increase if you experience an injury, a disease, surgery, or an infection. Your blood sugar can increase even under emotional stress.

Usually, it develops gradually over a few hours to days. However, skipping an insulin dose might result in a sharp increase in blood sugar levels.

Your body will adapt to a blood sugar level if it remains above the target range for weeks. You might not be experiencing as many signs of elevated blood sugar.

You probably will have enough time to treat high blood sugar so that you can avoid a high blood sugar emergency unless you don’t constantly monitor your blood sugar or recognise the symptoms of high blood sugar.

Diabetic Hyperglycemia: Causes

The type of diabetes you have (whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes) affects the cause of hyperglycemia.

According to a study, type 1 diabetes results from genetic, environmental, and immunologic factors. As a result, your pancreas loses its ability to make insulin, resulting in insulin insufficiency. In those with type 2 diabetes, not enough insulin is produced by the pancreas to keep blood sugar levels stable. As a result, both illnesses can cause blood glucose levels to rise, known as hyperglycemia.

Although your diabetes medication will keep your blood sugar levels healthy, blood sugar spikes could occur if you don’t take your medicine as directed. Poor dietary habits, inactivity, or an infection can also be a reason.

Non-Diabetic Hyperglycemia: Causes

Numerous reasons can lead to high blood sugar in people without diabetes. For instance, several diseases lead to blood sugar level spikes. These include Cushing’s syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Your body may release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline if you have an illness. An excess of these hormones can hamper the correct functioning of your body’s ability to utilise insulin. Your blood glucose level therefore rises. Obesity and inactivity are two other variables that might cause hyperglycemia without diabetes. If your family has a history of diabetes, you may also experience blood sugar spikes.

Signs and Symptoms

High blood sugar symptoms typically develop gradually and may not appear until the level is high. Typical signs include:

• Feeling extremely thirsty
• Urinating frequently
• Being weak or exhausted.
• Gaining weight
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Breathing difficulty

Possible Causes of Blood Sugar Levels

It can be challenging to keep your blood glucose levels down for various reasons, but they are manageable if the causes are understood and taken care of. A few of the causes are as follows:

Stress

Today, stress is primarily a result of job or family obligations. Unfortunately, many cases are chronic rather than acute. Even the glucose levels may remain elevated due to this chronic stress response. Stress, whether it’s emotional or physical, may be harmful to the body in many different ways. A rise in blood sugar is one of the health impacts it could have. The body produces more cortisol, the primary stress hormone when it gets subjected to high amounts of chronic stress. 

According to a study, the body secretes less insulin when serum cortisol levels are high. Also, insulin aids in bringing sugar from the bloodstream into cells to fuel them. As a result, more sugar lingers in the bloodstream, and blood sugar levels become imbalanced without the normal insulin release. Additionally, the effects can change depending on the type of diabetes a person has. Stress-related behaviours, such as emotional overeating of refined carbohydrates or foods with a lot of added sugar, can result in high blood sugar levels.

Obesity

According to a study, obesity is a primary factor in type 2 diabetes, clinically demonstrated by hyperglycemia or having too much glucose (sugar) circulating in the bloodstream. Diabetes also worsens quickly in people who are obese. 

The pancreas is responsible for controlling your blood’s amount of glucose. The hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas and transfers glucose out of the blood, makes the pancreas try harder to carry glucose from the blood into cells. 

The release of fatty acids by fat cells, or adipocytes, into the circulation decreases glucose uptake by cells. It can be an explanation for this.

Large Meals With a Lot of Carbohydrates

Eating a large meal high in fats and carbohydrates takes longer to digest. As a result, it might lead to a sustained rise in spiking blood sugar levels. Compared to the recommended 2-3 hours, you frequently observe that the glycemic reactions to these meals take five or more hours to return to normal. 

Fried foods, cheesy pasta, pizza, and other fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods are examples of such meals. The fat in these meals slows down the digestion and absorption of the glucose, resulting in a protracted period during which the glucose gets digested slowly.

Eating Trends

Whether better or worse, snacking, or eating small amounts of food frequently throughout the day, is one common eating behaviour. Although this has a certain allure, since consumption is so frequent, even if the food is relatively low in carbohydrates, this causes an increase in blood sugar.

A Late-Night Meal

The extra calories from late-night snacking can cause weight gain. Additionally, if you nibble after dinner, especially on carbohydrate-rich items, you risk waking up the following day with elevated blood sugar.

Eating heavy meals at night, especially with high sugar content, can result in more significant and prolonged blood glucose reactions since our bodies absorb food and carbohydrates best throughout the day. The glucose spikes may occasionally last into the morning, depending on the person’s metabolism.

Dehydration

Can a lack of fluids result in high blood sugar? Yes. Lack of water might cause hyperglycemia because your blood sugar gets more concentrated, as per research. Even greater dehydration can arise from having high blood sugar, which can make you urinate more frequently.

To stay hydrated and healthy throughout the day, people with diabetes should be extremely watchful about drinking lots of water or other calorie-free beverages. The amount of water you should drink depends on your age and stage of life.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Even if not diabetic, individuals who tend to be sedentary are more likely to have high blood glucose levels based on how much time they spend watching television. That is because long durations of sitting can alter the body’s metabolism and increase insulin resistance, resulting in Type 2 diabetes. Also, when muscles get used to aerobic or weight exercise, their ability to absorb glucose, which they utilise as fuel, increases. 

When exercise comes with moderate weight loss, the risk of acquiring diabetes mellitus gets reduced. Studies also suggest that exercise training enables better glucose management, whether aerobic, resistance or a combination of the two.

Excessive Caffeine

Most people can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. However, those who have diabetes may experience low or high blood sugar due to caffeine’s potential to influence how insulin functions. 

According to research, those with diabetes who consume too much caffeine may have an increase in blood sugar levels. To determine how caffeine affects you, all you can do is keep an eye on your blood glucose levels. If you frequently have blood sugar swings and drink a lot of caffeinated beverages, you might want to explore reducing your intake to see if your glucose control improves.

Lack of Sleep

Sleepless nights can affect your blood sugar, mood, and energy levels. In persons with type 2 diabetes, sleep deprivation may impair insulin sensitivity and glucose management.

In addition, lack of sleep causes the body to experience chronic stress; any time you experience additional stress, your blood sugar will rise.

A study examining the quantity and quality of sleep concluded that sleep deprivation raises blood sugar levels even in otherwise healthy people.

Female Hormones

Hormonal changes during a woman’s premenstrual phase might cause her blood sugars to deviate slightly, which is bad enough without cramping, bloating, and mood swings.

However, suppose you observe your blood sugar levels persistently high in the week leading up to your period. In that case, they usually return to normal once or shortly after menstruation starts.

Certain Medications

Blood sugar levels can get manipulated by prescription and over-the-counter drugs you use to treat conditions other than diabetes. Steroids are one example, which according to a study, can drastically raise blood sugar.

The HealthifyMe Note

For our bodies to remain in good shape and be healthy, blood sugar levels must be optimal. It may be due to various causes, including dehydration, stress, lack of sleep, and bad food, but managing these issues can be a balancing act. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor blood glucose levels routinely and avoid or make the necessary modifications as advised by professionals to maintain a healthy blood glucose level, ultimately making you healthy.

Conclusion

Maintaining healthy glucose levels is crucial for maintaining a body’s optimal functioning. Your quality of life and general health depend on managing your blood sugar levels proactively and intentionally.

Staying within your target range can help you feel your best and accomplish whatever you want to do in life. Avoiding too-high or too-low blood sugar levels will help prevent negative symptoms and health concerns.

But for some, this isn’t sufficient. Diabetes patients struggle to maintain stable, healthy glucose levels. A therapy regimen may be beneficial. Since diabetes raises the risk of glucose-related medical problems and consequences, people with the condition should also constantly check their glucose levels.