High blood sugar
High blood sugar (also called hyperglycemia) is when there is too much sugar in your blood. Over time, it can cause serious health problems. High blood sugar can happen if you:
- Skip a dose of insulin or diabetes pills
- Eat more than usual
- Are less active than usual
- Are under stress or sick
If your blood sugar is too high, you may:
- Feel very thirsty or hungry
- Need to pass urine more than usual
- Feel like your mouth and skin are dry
- Have blurry vision
- Feel sleepy
If your blood sugar gets too high, ask:
- Did I miss my insulin dose or my diabetes pills?
- Did I eat more than usual?
- Did I forget to do my daily physical activity?
- Am I feeling sick?
- Am I under stress?
High blood sugar and DKA
High blood sugar can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. DKA is a buildup of ketones in the blood. Ketones are produced when the body uses fat for energy instead of sugar. This can happen when you don’t have enough insulin and sugar is not getting into your cells to be used for energy.
DKA is mainly a problem for people with type 1 diabetes. But people with type 2 diabetes can get it too. Regular checks of your urine or blood for ketones can help prevent this serious problem. Ketones in your urine or blood are a sign that your insulin level is too low.
What to do about high blood sugar
If you have signs or symptoms of high blood sugar, check your blood sugar level. Check your ketones too. If your blood sugar is high and you don’t have ketones, you can help lower your blood sugar if you:
- Follow your meal plan
- Do some exercise (follow your exercise plan)
- Take your medicine as directed
Call your diabetes care team if:
- Your blood sugar level has been above your goal for three days and you don’t know why
- You have ketones
“Every time I have to take exams in school, my blood sugar gets crazy. Even if I am careful about what I eat and take my insulin, it gets really high. My doctor explained that stress can make blood sugar go up. He told me to try to relax as much as I could, and he taught me to take deep breaths before an exam. Sometimes my body acts like it has a mind of its own!” — MF, age 15 years
