High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, has many different symptoms. Doctors all agree that symptoms vary from individual to individual. One person may have one or two symptoms, while another has every single symptom. Here are a list of the common symptoms followed by other symptoms I have noticed while taking care of my type 2 diabetic husband and my two type 1 diabetic children.
Dry Mouth and Thirst. This is the most common symptom of high blood sugar. It is the one symptom that every diabetic person experiences. The one that usually leads them to seek medical attention. The thirst and dry mouth is so bad that a person can drink a gallon of water and still be thirsty, whether it is hot or cold outside. My daughter has been known to drink up to four cans of diet pop and several glasses of ice water within an hour and still be thirsty when her blood sugar is high. Also, a diabetic person might drink a whole glass of water or a can of diet soda in one or two drinks.
Frequent urination. This is another common symptom of high blood sugar, however, when mixed with the dry mouth and thirst, most people believe that frequent urination is due to the fact that they are drinking so much. Makes sense that you will need to go to the bathroom more when you drink more. What people need to keep in mind is this…..if these two symptoms come on all of the sudden, it usually means you have high blood sugar.
Fatigue. While all of us have gone through times when we are more tired than others, this can also be a symptom of high blood sugar. A person who starts becoming very tired, very fast needs to ask themselves certain questions. Have I been exercising more lately than usual? Have I been not sleeping or stressed out a lot? If the answer is no and you are a normally active person who suddenly gets tired, this is a warning. If you have been sleeping the same, normal hours you always have but find yourself dropping off within minutes of sitting down, you need to check your blood sugar.
Slow Healing of Wounds. Have a cut, burn or scrape that hasn’t healed up after a few weeks? Are you a usually quick healer who finds themselves with a cut that doesn’t seem to heal for no apparent reason? If so, it may be time to see a doctor. It takes diabetics two to three times longer to heal than a person who doesn’t have high blood sugar.
Sudden Weight Loss. Have your eating and drinking habits stayed the same, yet your scale is showing that you have lost 5 or more pounds within a week? Are you still exercising as much as you have in the past but your pants are starting to get loose? Weight loss for no apparent reason is not only another sign of high blood sugar but a worrisome one as well. The weight loss could be due to ketoacidosis, a dangerous and potentially life threatening condition. Ketoacidosis means dangerously high levels of ketones. And what exactly are ketones?
Ketones are acids that build up in the blood when your blood sugar is at a high level. Ketones appear in the urine when you don’t have enough insulin in your body. A diabetic can get ketones in several different ways. Ketones could be a by-product of skipping a dose of insulin, not taking enough insulin for what you have eaten that day or simply because your body is fighting off an illness of some kind. Whatever the cause, ketones are very dangerous because they poison your body and start shutting down your normal bodily functions.
Ketoacidosis usually comes on slowly, but if a diabetic is vomiting it can escalate within hours due to dehydration. In fact, dehydration caused by throwing up or sweating during an illness is one of the most common reasons for ketoacidosis other than not taking care of your high blood sugar. If a diabetic catches the signs of ketoacidosis, checks the sugar in their urine by urinating on a strip (Ketostrip) that shows whether you are negative for ketones or positive, they can begin to flush out the ketones by drinking large amounts of water. The water makes the diabetic urinate more, thus flushing out the ketones. If the diabetic is lucky, there is no need to go to the hospital. However, if the ketostrip shows that the ketones are positive and that they are moderate or large, a visit to the hospital is warranted.
Symptoms of Ketoacidosis are nausea, difficulty breathing (the diabetic may be panting as if they have run a triathalon), rapid pulse (even when sitting still), confusion and bad breath. We’re not talking about simple halitosis. A diabetic with ketoacidosis will have a fruity smell on their breath, however, not a good fruity smell. It’s a very distinctive, awful smell and a sure sign that a diabetic is suffering from ketoacidosis and needs to be hospitalized immediately.
In taking care of my family, I have found many other symptoms that are not common but can happen when a diabetic’s blood sugar is high.
Hot flashes or having a flushed face. My son’s face is a dead giveaway when his blood sugar is higher than normal. His cheeks turn red, along with his ears. He will stomp around the house, complaining of being hot even with the air conditioning on full blast. A woman having menopausal hot flashes has nothing on my son when his blood sugar is high.
Irritability. Three people who are normally easy-going, happy people who suddenly turn into monsters. One wrong word and they’re screaming at you or throwing things or basically just having a temper tantrum over the slightest thing. Now while most people do have their ‘grumpy’ days, you can tell the difference between grumpy and high blood sugar.
Weakness. Another sign of high blood sugar along with fatigue, which was mentioned earlier. However, this symptom is trickier, because weakness can also be due to low blood sugar.
As I have mentioned, there are some symptoms of high blood sugar that can also be tied to low blood sugar such as confusion and weakness. It is always best to try to get a reading of the diabetic’s blood sugar before doing anything, especially if said diabetic has passed out. The best friend of a diabetic is their blood sugar monitor. It lets you know what the problem is so that you can fix said problem. So if you’re a diabetic or you know someone who is, make sure never to leave the house without one.
