The levels of sugar in a person's body normally fluctuate throughout the day after eating or while sleeping. Unusually or persistently high sugar levels in the body, a condition called hyperglycemia, can increase a person's risk of developing diabetes. People who develop symptoms caused by high sugar levels should seek additional care from a medical professional immediately.
Dry Skin
Unusually high levels of sugar within the blood can cause affected patients to develop dry skin as a symptom of this condition, explain health officials at the New York State Department of Health. Patients may notice that their skin appears unusually red or flaky and may begin to itch. Without treatment, dry skin symptoms of high sugar in the body can persist or become worse.
Blurred Vision
When a patient's bloodstream contains abnormally large amounts of sugar, the blood vessels within the body may weaken. As a result, patients with this condition can experience blurred or cloudy vision as a symptom of high sugar levels, explains the Vermont Department of Health. Patients who experience blurred vision can also develop frequent headache symptoms or may have difficulty remaining stable while walking. Vision alterations caused by high sugar levels should be discussed with a physician as soon as possible.
Increased Thirst or Urination
Normally, sugar in the blood is removed from the body by the kidneys in the form of urine. When sugar levels become unusually high, the kidneys begin producing large amounts of urine to flush this toxic substance from the body. As a result, patients with high sugar levels may begin to experience increased urination as a symptom, reports KidsHealth, a children's health information website supported by the Nemours Foundation. Excreting large volumes of fluid from the body can stimulate increased thirst in affected patients. If these symptoms occur, affected patients should seek further evaluation and care from a medical professional.
Constant Hunger and Weight Loss
The human body is unable to effectively utilize high levels of sugar to generate needed energy. As a result, the body begins to break down fat and muscle cells for energy. When this occurs, affected patients can experience significant, unexplained weight loss as a symptom of high sugar levels in the body, explains the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Patients can also experience increased or constant hunger despite these weight loss symptoms. Sudden, unintended weight loss can be a sign of alternate medical conditions and should be discussed with a physician if this occurs.
Fatigue
Patients with high sugar levels in their blood do not have the energy necessary to perform their usual daily functions. Consequently, these patients can experience severe fatigue, exhaustion or lethargy as symptoms of high blood sugar levels, reports JDRF. Affected patients may nap frequently throughout the day or may have difficulty remaining alert while at school or work.
