The body constantly maintains the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream in balance. In the event that this cannot be done, a failure occurs in its operation. When contacting the clinic, a person takes a blood test for sugar. It is the values of this indicator that serve as the main determinant of the patient's he alth status. With an initial increase in blood sugar, an individual may not pay attention to them, but at the same time, changes are already beginning in the body. To maintain he alth, it is necessary to know the signs of the disease and the causes that lead to it in order to consult a doctor in time and stop the disease.
Why is high blood sugar dangerous?
Foods that a person consumes daily are broken down in the body into proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And the latter, in turn, on glucose and fructose. The level of sugar in the blood is the amount of glucose in it. This componentnecessary for our body, as it serves as food for cells. And in order for this to happen, glucose must enter the cell with the help of insulin. In case of its excess (hyperglycemia) and lack of insulin, the cells starve.
It turns out that the symptoms of excess and lack of glucose in the blood are the same. Energy reserves serve as a certain reserve and are stored in the liver, and, if necessary, are consumed. It occurs when a person experiences increased muscle activity, arousal, fear, or severe pain. Why is high blood sugar dangerous? With prolonged hyperglycemia with a fairly large amount of sugar in the blood, which the body does not have time to spend, the pancreas fails, and glucose is excreted in the urine. As a result, metabolic processes are disrupted and toxic substances are released, which can lead to poisoning of the body.
Blood sugar level
Regardless of gender, the normal blood sugar level by modern standards is in the range of 3.3-5.5 mmol/l when the biomaterial is taken from a finger on an empty stomach. When taking blood from a vein, values of 4–6.1 mmol / l will be the norm. The result changes with stress, after poor sleep or fast walking. The value of the indicator exceeding 5.5 mmol / l indicates the possibility of diabetes. In this case, it is necessary to pass a number of tests. Pregnant women can also have high blood sugar. This is explained by the need for a certain amount of glucose for the development of the fetus. Slightly higher sugar levelsobserved in people over 60 years of age. Children, on the contrary, have an indicator slightly below the norm.
Causes leading to high blood sugar
Medical statistics show that most of the adult population with hyperglycemia suffers from type 2 diabetes. Additional factors of this disease are non-compliance with the daily regimen (not enough time is allotted for proper sleep), constant stressful situations at work, lack of physical activity, and obesity. The main causes of high blood sugar leading to illness are:
- Diabetes. The disease is associated with disorders in the endocrine system due to a lack of insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.
- Inflammatory processes in the pancreas.
- Chronic liver disease.
- Unbalanced diet. It occurs when the diet contains a large amount of carbohydrates that can be quickly absorbed, and a small intake of plant foods.
- Constant nervous tension and stress conditions.
- Past severe infectious diseases.
- Intensive medical treatment.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
Symptoms of high blood sugar
High blood glucose is characterized by the following symptoms:
- constant thirst;
- dry mouth, including at night;
- dramatic weight loss or gain;
- need for frequenturination;
- chronic fatigue;
- headaches;
- dryness of the dermis and mucous membranes;
- vision deterioration;
- cardiac arrhythmia;
- weakened immune system;
- poor wound healing;
- noisy breathing.
Acute form of hyperglycemia leads to severe fluid loss, impaired consciousness, and sometimes coma. If several signs are detected at the same time, you should visit the clinic and undergo an examination with tests for high blood sugar.
Why should I diet?
There is a diet number 9, which is made specifically for people with high blood sugar. Its purpose is to normalize the glucose content, obtaining nutrients, vitamins and trace elements. With strict adherence to it immediately after the detection of the disease, there is a high chance to suspend the development of pathology. In the diet, it is necessary to limit the use of foods with a significant amount of carbohydrates. In this case, the supply of glucose will be reduced and less insulin will be required. There will be a decrease in blood sugar levels, which will contribute to the normal functioning of the whole organism.
Recommended high sugar diet
Proper nutrition helps reduce the risk of exacerbation of the disease and improve well-being. To follow the diet, you must adhere to the following principles:
- It is desirable to eat foods that have a low calorie content. Fast-digesting carbohydrates should be excluded from the diet. Include in the menumore fruits, vegetables and coarse grain products.
- Reduce your intake of animal fats.
- Preference in nutrition with high blood sugar to give foods containing protein.
- Limit your s alt intake. It is advisable to replace table s alt with sea s alt. This is especially true for patients with hypertension.
- Monitor your daily water intake. You need to drink up to 2 liters.
- Eat whole foods containing vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
- Exclude all sweets from the diet.
- Nutrition with high blood sugar to make fractional. It is desirable to take food in small portions up to six times a day.
- Eat carbohydrate-containing foods every day, but no more than 120 g.
Increase in blood sugar during pregnancy
Pregnant women after registration are under the supervision of a doctor and periodically take a blood test for sugar. During this period, various malfunctions in the body can be observed, the pancreas is no exception. When high blood sugar is detected in pregnant women, so-called gestational diabetes occurs. After childbirth, it can pass without a trace or remain for life. Pregnancy diabetes affects women who:
- have their first baby at age 35;
- have a hereditary predisposition;
- gave birth to overweight babies;
- had a miscarriage;
- took a course of hormonal drugs;
- are overweight.
Signs of high blood sugar in women in a delicate position are dryness and a metallic taste in the mouth, polyuria and fatigue. Before donating blood for sugar, a woman should remember that the test is taken on an empty stomach, in a calm state, after a good night's sleep. Walking before donating blood can also affect the result. In case of malaise and feeling unwell, it is necessary to warn the doctor.
Sugar is considered normal if its value is in the range of 4–5.2 mmol/L. At elevated values, additional examinations are prescribed - if the diagnosis is confirmed, a course of therapy is carried out. Why is high blood sugar dangerous in a pregnant woman? If the disease develops in the first months of pregnancy, the fetus often has many defects that are incompatible with life. It ends with early miscarriages. Late manifestation of diabetes in a woman in labor or the impossibility of its stabilization leads to damage to various organs in the fetus. A woman may experience impaired kidney function, increased blood pressure, and possible complications during childbirth. During pregnancy, you should regularly monitor your blood sugar and be under the supervision of a doctor.
Increased blood sugar in the morning
There are several reasons for high blood sugar in the morning. This can be fixed, it is only necessary to determine which of them provoked the problem:
- Dawn Syndrome. Every morning from four to six o'clock there can be a rise in sugar. At this time, hormones are activated,stimulating the synthesis of glucose in the liver, which enters the bloodstream and leads to an increase in sugar. He althy people cope with this situation, as enough insulin is produced to compensate for glucose.
- Somoji Syndrome. At night, there is a sharp drop in sugar associated with an overdose of insulin. After such stress, the body takes glucose from reserves and morning performance increases.
High blood sugar in the morning is not necessarily associated with diabetes. It can also occur in perfectly he althy people in the following situations:
- heavy physical activity;
- intense prolonged mental activity;
- threat to life, severe fright and fear;
- serious stress condition.
Blood sugar concentration in all these cases returns to normal after the exposure factor is removed without medical attention. In addition, there are a number of serious diseases that increase sugar. These include burns, myocardial infarction, stroke, liver disease, and brain injury. In these cases, you need to see a doctor to get the appropriate treatment and solve the problem with high blood sugar in the morning.
What foods can I eat?
To replenish carbohydrates in the body with high blood sugar, it is advisable to use cereals. However, instant oatmeal and semolina should be excluded from the diet. The main components of the diet include buckwheat, pearl barley, wheat, wholecereal oatmeal, as well as pumpkin-rice porridge. They contain a sufficient amount of trace elements, vitamins and complex carbohydrates. What can be done with high blood sugar? It is also important not to forget about vegetables - this is one of the main elements in the diet, which has a low calorie content. Zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, tomatoes and cabbage are perfect for baking in the oven, boiling and stewing.
Using lettuce and celery greens will improve cell function, avocado will help produce additional insulin. With the use of raw vegetables, the body receives a lot of fiber, vegetable fats and proteins. Particular attention should be paid to Jerusalem artichoke. It is consumed both raw and after heat treatment. They can replace potatoes and use for cooking side dishes for fish or meat. For a diet with high blood sugar, it is advisable to use meat with a minimum amount of fat: rabbit, chicken and veal. You should eat more fish, especially salmon species, containing proteins and essential fatty acids. It is advisable to choose sweet and sour fruits and berries: lemons, oranges, pears, apples, grapefruits, strawberries, strawberries. Nuts are great for snacking. And decoctions of currants, chokeberries and wild roses can be used instead of tea. Dairy products are also indispensable: cottage cheese, curdled milk, kefir, fermented baked milk.
What foods are banned?
A diet for patients suffering from high blood sugar is quite capable of bringing the body back to normal, provided itregular compliance. At the same time, sugar can rise sharply due to minor flaws in nutrition. This can be caused by fast food, various sweets and sugar. Also, foods that increase blood sugar include:
- baked goods made from premium flour;
- fruits with easily digestible carbohydrates - grapes, figs, watermelon, bananas, dates;
- soups based on fatty broth;
- spicy and smoked foods;
- sauces - mayonnaise, ketchup;
- caviar.
Potatoes are not completely excluded from the diet, but you should rarely use them. What can not be done with high blood sugar? You should not eat oatmeal porridge, semolina and white polished rice. Porridges made from them contain a lot of carbohydrates and a small amount of nutrients. Undesirable foods with high sugar will be fatty meats, various pickles and all vegetables cooked in a marinade. These products put additional stress on the digestive organs and the heart, leading to an increase in blood pressure.
Honey for high blood sugar
Any variety of natural honey contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fructose and other useful substances that are needed for the life of the body. At the same time, this product is rich in glucose, which is extremely contraindicated for people with excess blood sugar. Endocrinologists disagreed as to whether diabetics can consume honey. Some of them believe that it is possible, and cite the followingreasons:
- High content of vitamin C supports the body's defenses.
- With a lack of B vitamins, which are found in large quantities in the product, the work of many organs is disrupted.
- The fructose in honey is converted into glycogen by the liver and does not require insulin.
Experts who do not approve of the use of honey, explain their position as follows. This product:
- high in calories;
- increases the load on the liver;
- often 80% sugars.
All doctors agree that honey is a useful product and is used to treat many diseases. But due to disagreements, it is better to consult with your doctor to solve the problem. He will prescribe a diet based on the specific needs of the patient.
How to lower blood sugar?
Treatment for hyperglycemia consists of temporarily reducing elevated blood sugar while treating the underlying disease that caused the condition. If blood sugar is high, what should I do? The work of the pancreas, which produces insulin to maintain blood sugar normally, can be impaired as a result of alcohol abuse or poor diet. The doctor prescribes the appropriate diet to the patient and adjusts the diet.
Often insufficient insulin is produced due to emotional overload. In this case, the patient is advised to rest and adjust the nervous system - as a result, sugar returns to normal. Atdiagnosing type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed in tablets. Type 1 diabetes is treated with long-term insulin injections given under the skin. All medicines are selected by the doctor strictly individually in composition and dosage. In addition to drug therapy, diet and feasible physical activity help with high blood sugar.
Diabetes mellitus in children
The disease in children manifests itself in a severe form - type 1 diabetes. If any signs signaling an illness appear, you should immediately visit a doctor and take tests for blood sugar. In children, this disease is asymptomatic for a long period, so the diagnosis is made already with a severe form of its development. By this time, the vessels of the eyes, mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nervous system, skin are damaged, and sometimes a coma develops. The symptoms of high blood sugar in children are the same as in adults:
- constant dry mouth, intense thirst;
- fatigue;
- constant feeling of hunger;
- excessive and frequent urination;
- weight loss with good appetite.
Diabetes in children develops more rapidly than in adults. They may experience sudden drops in blood sugar, and the indicator is difficult to recover. Weakened children are more likely to suffer from infectious diseases, which worsen their general condition even more. Many parents have a question: when does a child have an increasedblood sugar what to do? Urgently contact an endocrinologist or your doctor. He will prescribe a urine and blood test and make the correct diagnosis. With a low level of glucose, hypoglycemic drugs, a special diet and hardening are prescribed. In more severe cases, the child is hospitalized with lifelong insulin therapy.
Prevention of hyperglycemia
High blood glucose is a disease that affects the entire body. But it can be prevented if you follow the simple rules of prevention:
- Proper nutrition. You should reduce the calorie content of food and remove foods that increase blood sugar from the menu. The diet should consist of a sufficient amount of proteins and complex carbohydrates. It is necessary to increase the consumption of plant foods and make food fractional.
- Daily exercise. It has a beneficial effect on metabolism, promotes weight loss. Doctors recommend walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, playing football more.
- Keep your peace of mind. Stressful situations should be avoided as much as possible, communicate more with friends, be outdoors in your free time, do your favorite hobby.
- He althy and full sleep. Sleep disturbance at night leads to the fact that the production of your own insulin is reduced.
- Rejection of bad habits. Smoking and alcohol abuse are not allowed.
It is important not to forget to periodically consume multivitamins and minerals, because they have an importantimportance for metabolism. All people annually need to undergo a medical examination and examine the blood for sugar content. And for those who are at risk and have signs of high blood sugar - once every six months. Prevention is the best way to prevent disease.
