What Glucose Symptoms Are Warning Signs?

When most people hear the phrase high blood sugar, the assumption is that the condition references diabetes. While diabetes can lead to high glucose levels, simply having elevated levels doesn’t mean a person has the chronic condition. An individual might have a different diagnosis known as hyperglycemia. That distinction can be confusing since hyperglycemia is technically distinct from diabetes, but can also occur with the chronic condition as well. Still, some people might experience temporary high blood sugar from lifestyle or situational causes. Regardless of the underlying reasons, knowing risky symptoms and when to see a doctor can help save a life.

Hyperglycemia vs. diabetes

While both hyperglycemia and diabetes can influence blood sugar levels, the nuance between the two diagnoses matters. The first refers solely to high blood sugar and can be present with or without diabetes. For most people, the core cause is having too little or no insulin, leading to too much glucose in the bloodstream. With diabetes, a person can swing between too low blood sugar spikes or drops, known as hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, respectively. Likewise, some people may only have temporary moments of hyperglycemia, brought on by factors such as other underlying conditions or eating a lot of sugar too quickly.

Symptom differences to know

Symptom overlap does exist for the early stages of both diabetes and hyperglycemia. In both cases, a person may experience weakness, headaches, frequent urination, excessive thirst, or even blurry vision. By contrast, type 2 diabetes can have different symptoms in more advanced cases, such as numbness in hands and feet, slow wound healing, frequent infections, and even extreme fatigue. For type 1 diabetes, people tend to experience nausea, vomiting, and stomach pains.

Causes of hyperglycemia

Although diabetes is often linked with hyperglycemia, other conditions can also contribute to the onset. For example, people with certain autoimmune diseases can experience pancreatic damage. Chronic pancreatitis and even pancreatic cancer can also lead to the development of high blood sugar. Temporary hyperglycemia can also be caused by injury, physical stress, recent surgery, or even certain illnesses. In most cases, a spike in cortisol levels is to blame.

When to call a doctor

Long-term hyperglycemia can come with more serious symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, skin infections, slow-healing injuries and for women, frequent vaginal yeast infections. Such signs shouldn’t be ignored, as unmanaged hypoglycemia can develop into diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA), where excessive ketone levels cause the blood to become acidic. DKA is dangerous and shouldn’t be ignored, as the condition can lead to coma or death. Symptoms can include nausea and vomiting, dehydration, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, fruity-smelling breath, loss of consciousness, and confusion or disorientation. If any of the above symptoms are present, seek immediate medical attention.