A patient who has unusually high levels of glucose--or sugar--within their blood can be diagnosed with a condition called hyperglycemia. Persistently high levels of sugar in the blood can damage a patient's blood vessels, explains KidsHealth, a children's health information website established by the Nemours Foundation. Patients who develop any signs and symptoms of high blood sugar should contact a medical professional immediately for further evaluation and care.
Fatigue
When the levels of sugar within a patient's blood are too high, the organs, cells and tissues are unable to use this energy source efficiently. As a result, patients with high blood sugar can become excessively fatigued as a symptom of hyperglycemia, explains MedlinePlus, a medical information website supported by the National Institutes of Health. Increased drowsiness or fatigue can impact a patient's productivity at work or school and may lead to decreased attentiveness. Affected patients may take frequent naps throughout the day or may go to sleep earlier than usual in the evening.
Weight Loss
Excessively high sugar levels in the body can't be used by the body for energy. Instead, the body begins to break down fat and muscle cells in order to fuel the body's energy needs. As a result, patients with high blood sugar levels can experience significant, unintended weight loss as a sign of hyperglycemia, warns KidsHealth. Affected patients can continue to lose weight regardless of how much food they consume. Patients who experience sudden or significant unexplained weight loss should seek additional medical care as soon as possible.
Increased Urination and Thirst
In healthy patients, the kidneys remove sugar, waste and toxins from the bloodstream by producing urine, which is excreted from the body. To remove excessively high levels of sugar from the body, the kidneys begin to work even harder and produce large amount of fluid for excretion. When this occurs, patients with hyperglycemia can experience frequent or increased urination as a symptom of this condition, explains MedlinePlus. Increased fluid loss can also stimulate increased thirst in these patients. Affected patients may drink more water or fluid than usual or may be unable to quench their thirst. If these side effects occur, affected patients should contact a doctor.
Blurred Vision
Patients with high blood sugar levels can experience vision-related symptoms as a sign of this condition, warns Diabetes.co.uk, an informational website for the global diabetes community. High sugar levels in the blood can decrease the amount of fluid within the eyes. If this occurs, patients with high blood sugar can develop unusually blurred or cloudy vision. These side effects may persist or become worse if affected patients do not receive immediate treatment.
