IOH symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) - Diabetic Hyperglycemia Symptoms

IOH symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
Page Updated 03/09/2006
Islets of Hope

Symptoms of Hyperglycemia (High Blood Glucose)

It is important to remember that people can react differently to high blood glucose levels. Generally, symptoms of hyperglycemia include:

* Increased thirst (polydipsia)
* Increase in urination (polyuria)
* Urine may contain ketones
* Labored breathing
* Fatigue
* Increase in appetite (polyphagia), or decrease in appetite
* Headache, stomachache
* General aches and pain
* Changes in behavior or temperament

An important observation on hyperglycemia symptoms from Wikipedia.com:

It is important to note that frequent hunger without an increase in thirst or urination can also indicate that blood glucose levels are too low. This commonly occurs when people who have type 2 diabetes mellitus take too much oral hypoglycemic medication for the amount of food they eat. The resulting drop in blood glucose level to below the normal range prompts a hunger response. This hunger is not usually as pronounced as in type 1 diabetes mellitus (especially the juvenile onset form).

People with chronic non-diabetic hyperglycemia who take oral hypoglycemic mediation can have the same problem (again, not as pronounced a hunger. In particular, if the hyperglycemia is caused by obesity, prescription of oral hypoglycemic medication can be ill advised. This is because the medication typically interferes with the subject's weight reduction plan by artificially lowering the blood sugar levels, so that a strong hunger response occurs when the subject attempts to naturally lower the blood sugar levels through a program of proper diet and exercise. A vicious cycle can result, in which the more the subject exercises to lose weight, the greater the hunger caused by the medication, so that subject eats more to compensate for the oral hypoglycemic and, thus, cannot lose weight. The average blood sugar levels thus do not change, which can lead to an increase in the dosage of the oral hypoglycemic medication, which only perpetuates the problem.

Other symptoms of diabetic hyperglycemia may include:

* Blurred vision
* Weight loss
* Poor wound healing (cuts, scrapes, etc.)
* Dry mouth
* Dry or itchy skin
* Impotence (male)
* Recurrent infections such as vaginal yeast infections, groin rash, or external ear infections (swimmers ear)

These symptoms do not normally occur with acute non-diabetic hyperglycemia (it just doesn't last long enough), but some of them can occur in chronic non-diabetic hyperglycemia. The notable exception is weight loss, which almost never happens in chronic non-diabetic hyperglycemia - especially if the hyperglycemia is caused by obesity. Instead, the subject either maintains a stable obese weight, or gains weight. This is one of the ways non-diabetic hyperglycemia can be distinguished from diabetic hyperglycemia in which a person experiences weight loss due to insufficient levels of insulin.

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