High blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, can be a significant health concern, particularly for individuals with diabetes. Recognizing the symptoms of elevated blood sugar is crucial for managing and preventing serious complications. Here are 14 signs that may indicate your blood sugar levels are extremely high:
1. Frequent Urination
One of the earliest signs of high blood sugar is increased urination. When glucose levels are high, the kidneys work overtime to filter and excrete the excess, leading to more frequent trips to the bathroom.
2. Excessive Thirst
As your body loses more fluids through urination, you may experience intense thirst. This is your body’s way of trying to replenish the lost fluids.
3. Dry Mouth
High blood sugar can cause dehydration, which often leads to a dry mouth and a sticky feeling inside the mouth.
4. Fatigue
When your body can’t effectively use glucose for energy, it can leave you feeling unusually tired and sluggish, despite getting adequate rest.
5. Blurred Vision
Excess glucose can affect the lenses of your eyes, causing them to swell and leading to blurry vision. Persistent high blood sugar can even result in long-term eye damage.
6. Headaches
High blood sugar levels can lead to headaches, often due to dehydration or fluctuations in glucose levels affecting brain function.
7. Unexplained Weight Loss
Despite eating normally or even more than usual, high blood sugar can cause weight loss. This occurs because your body starts breaking down muscle and fat for energy when it can’t use glucose properly.
8. Increased Hunger
Your body may feel constantly hungry because the cells aren’t getting the energy they need from glucose. This can lead to eating more without feeling satisfied.
9. Slow-Healing Sores or Cuts
High blood sugar can impair circulation and affect your body’s ability to heal wounds, making sores or cuts heal more slowly than usual.
10. Frequent Infections
Elevated glucose levels can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections, such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and skin infections.
11. Numbness or Tingling in Hands and Feet
Nerve damage, or neuropathy, caused by prolonged high blood sugar can lead to a tingling or numb sensation in your extremities, particularly in your hands and feet.
12. Red, Swollen, or Tender Gums
High blood sugar can also affect your oral health, leading to gum disease. Symptoms include red, swollen, or tender gums, and even bleeding gums when you brush or floss.
13. Difficulty Concentrating
Fluctuating glucose levels can impact brain function, making it harder to concentrate or causing confusion. This can affect daily tasks and overall cognitive performance.
14. Dark Patches of Skin
Acanthosis nigricans, characterized by dark, velvety patches of skin, usually in folds and creases, can be a sign of insulin resistance and high blood sugar.
