4 Early Warning Signs That You Should Check Your Blood Sugar Levels

Most people have only a vague idea of what blood sugar does or what it means when your blood sugar is too low or too high.

Our bodies use glucose as its top source of energy, and we get glucose from food. Glucose is processed by a hormone called insulin, and when there’s too much in the body it’s supposed to get stored in the liver.

If the process isn’t working, blood sugar levels get too high and that can be bad for your health.

When your blood sugar levels are too high for a short period of time, it’s called “hyperglycemia.” Your body responds by shutting down your appetite and making you feel a bit sick, like what happens when you’ve had too many sweets. Blood sugar levels that go above 300 mg/dl can be fatal.

man having heart attackIf your body is consistently unable to process sugar, you may have diabetes. Diabetes puts you at risk for health conditions including: 

  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Cancer
  • Eye disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Cancer

Diabetes and hyperglycemia are dangerous, so it’s important that you know the symptoms.

Knowing what to look for can help you catch problems as early as possible.

 Top 4 signs that you should have your blood sugar levels checked:

1. Headache – Everybody gets headaches now and then, but if you start having them regularly and they aren’t like previous headaches, it may be cause for concern.

2. Fatigue – Fatigue and muscle weakness can be signs of either high blood sugar or low blood sugar. If you're feeling fatigue that doesn’t go away with rest, you should see your doctor.

3. Frequent peeing – Too much sugar in your blood can impact the blood vessels in your kidneys. This makes you urinate more often.

You’re also likely to feel more thirsty as a result.

4. Blurred vision – Just as sugar in your blood can affect the blood vessels in your kidneys, it can do the same to your eyes and make your vision blurry.

If you have these four symptoms you should make an appointment with your physician. Tell them you are worried that your blood sugar levels may be too high.

People who have high blood sugar and leave it untreated may have more dramatic symptoms. These can include:

  • Confusion
  • Increased hunger
  • Dry mouth
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Abdominal pain

Tips to get your blood sugar under control

The good news is that high blood sugar can often be addressed. Making healthy changes to your lifestyle is always a smart idea. It’s good for you no matter what your glucose level turns out to be!  

The most effective lifestyle changes for high blood sugar are:

  • Manage your stress through yoga, deep breathing, or meditation.
  • Improve your diet by eating plenty of fresh produce and whole grains, and limiting foods high in sugar and fat.
  • If you’re not getting enough exercise, start. Try walking, swimming, cycling, or anything that makes you breathe harder for 30 minutes each day.

High blood sugar can be dangerous if left unchecked, but knowing what symptoms to look for and what lifestyle changes you can make will hopefully help you avoid it becoming an issue for you.

You might also like:

Controlling Blood Sugar – It’s not Just for Diabetics

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8 Tricks To Control Your Blood Sugar

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Feel free to share this with any of your family and friends who might be concerned about their blood sugar levels. And please comment below…have you struggled to control your blood sugar? What helped?