High blood sugar is one of the hidden dangers affecting millions of Americans. Just how bad is it? Get this: half of the country has either high blood sugar or diabetes! Hyperglycemia (the fancy name for high blood sugar) is associated with diabetes. Therefore, realizing that you have high blood sugar can help you diagnose and possibly even prevent diabetes.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that it can be really tough for the average person to recognize that they have hyperglycemia. That’s where we come in! Below, you’ll find a roundup of the biggest hidden signs that your body’s blood sugar is dangerously high. Keep reading to discover the insights that might just save your life!
Increased blood pressure
Growing up, most people don’t have to worry about their blood pressure. But as you approach middle age, it’s quite common for your doctor to give you a high blood pressure diagnosis. How high is high, incidentally? While some doctors have slightly differing opinions, it’s generally a blood pressure higher than 120/80 mmHg. Once you get the diagnosis, chances are that you’ll just get a prescription for blood pressure medication (like lisinopril) and call it a day. But one diagnosis may secretly lead to another!
You see, high blood pressure has previously been linked to high blood sugar. This is especially notable for those with diabetes, as they are twice as likely to have high blood pressure. Obviously, it’s important to treat your high blood pressure right away and to never forget taking your medication. Otherwise, your body may be at risk of heart disease, stroke, damaged organs, and more.
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Frequent urination
Some of the signs that you have high blood sugar are frustrating because they could be signs of something else entirely. For example, one of the signs is frequent urination, but that is something many people experience, especially as they get older. Take it from someone middle-aged: you get to a point where it feels like you have to pee every time you get up. And, obviously, you will have to urinate more if you are drinking more, whether that means grabbing some drinks at the local bar or just drinking a ton of water each day in the name of health.
However, if you aren’t that old and haven’t been drinking additional fluids, you should treat having to frequently pee as a warning sign of high blood sugar. Why is that? Basically, when your body is processing having too much sugar inside it, it often becomes too much for your kidneys, resulting in the need to pee. This could disrupt your sleep schedule, making your health even worse. If this persists, it’s worth seeing your doctor; in the worst case, frequent urination can also be a sign of diabetes.
Always being thirsty
Do you find yourself always craving a tall glass of water? Or maybe you mow through half a 12-pack of soda before the cans have even had time to cool? As with frequent urination, there are many possible causes of this. Maybe ingesting some spicy food has left you trying to get that hot taste out of your mouth. Maybe you are nervous and like having a drink in your hand as a kind of drinkable fidget. Heck, maybe you’re just trying to deal with these crazy summer temperatures we’ve been having!
Unfortunately, if this behavior persists and you can’t think of logical reasons you are thirsty all the time, chances are you have high blood sugar. How does this work? Basically, when your body has too much sugar in it, your muscles and various tissues get dehydrated. Your body then takes fluids from other parts and uses them to dilute the blood. At the same time, your body sends a signal to your brain to keep drinking so you can keep those fluids flowing!
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Alternating between hungry and sleepy
Do you find yourself hungry and tired all the time? Again, there could always be some temporary causes that are easy to explain. If you’ve been stressed at work, you could be so locked in at the office that you forget to eat. Or maybe you aren’t getting enough sleep, so you alternate between midnight snacking and trying to catch a few more z’s. But if there is no real explanation and these symptoms keep up, the most likely culprit is high blood sugar.
When you have high blood sugar, the glucose from food can’t properly convert to energy because of the insulin resistance in your body. This can make you feel tired, weak, and (somewhat unfairly) hungry. Incidentally, this is the same reason that some people experience a major blood sugar crash from time to time and need to eat more food ASAP!