High glucose levels are seen in a symptom called hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is an increase in blood sugar, or blood glucose, states the American Heart Association. Hyperglycemia is usually the first indication of diabetes, and if the high glucose levels are not treated, the patient can suffer from complex medical complications. Patients manifesting the symptoms of high glucose levels should be tested and treated as soon as possible.
Fluid Intake and Urination Symptoms
Patients with consistently high levels of glucose can develop severe thirst and an urge to urinate more frequently, according to the American Diabetes Association. The excess sugar in the body is filtered into the urine, increasing the volume of urine, and causing the patient to want to urinate much more often. Excessive urination can lead to a depletion of the water stores in the body. This will cause the body to activate the thirst centers in the brain. Increased thirst and frequent urination are common symptoms of hyperglycemia.
Blurred Vision and Headache
Hyperglycemia is often associated with blurry vision and chronic headache, reports the Mayo Clinic. The blurry vision is caused by the high glucose levels damaging the optic nerve of the eye. This damage can be reversed with treatment, but if the optic nerve is damaged for too long, then the damage can be irreversible.
Headaches can also be an early sign of hyperglycemia. This symptom typically comes and goes and becomes more severe as glucose levels increase and as the condition persists. Once treated, the headache resolves quickly.
Excessive Hunger
Excessive hunger is an early sign of hyperglycemia, according to the American Heart Association. The increased appetite is due to the lack of sugar that reaches the cells. In hyperglycemia, the sugar is trapped in the blood vessels and cannot reach the body's organs; therefore, the body believes it is starving. To combat this perceived starvation, the body increases the patient's urge to eat. This can lead to binge eating and weight gain.
Neurological Signs
Patients suffering from high levels of glucose may develop numerous neurological symptoms, states the Mayo Clinic. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, confusion, and even coma are all signs of the later stages of hyperglycemia. These symptoms are caused by toxic acids, called ketones, which accumulate in patients with chronically high levels of glucose. Ketones can damage the brain and cause the neurological symptoms. Ketones can also cause the patient's breath to smell fruity.
