High amounts of sugar in the blood, a condition called hyperglycemia, presents with various symptoms, including an increased need to urinate, extreme thirst and weight loss for no reason. Blood sugar, or glucose, fuels the body as its main energy source, according to Kidshealth.org. The human body either stores or uses sugar in the diet, and some conditions may cause an imbalance in the way the body processes sugar in the form of blood glucose.
Diabetes
Diabetes causes high levels of blood sugar, according to MayoClinic.com. This condition depresses insulin levels by either killing insulin-producing cells or making cells insulin resistant. Insulin, a hormone, allows blood to use sugar efficiently. Without insulin, sugar levels rise as sugar builds up in the bloodstream. Diabetes, a dangerous disease if left untreated, impacts the human body as three types: type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes. The disease may develop at any age, but 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2, or adult-onset diabetes. Type 1 usually occurs in childhood or adolescence. Gestational diabetes evolves during pregnancy. Risk factors for diabetes include age, obesity, family history and heritage.
Corticosteroids
Chemocare.com lists corticosteroid use as a cause of amounts of sugar in the blood. Clevelandclinic.org reveals that physicians prescribe corticosteroids to treat a conditions that cause tissue damage in the body due to malfunctions in the immune system. These drugs mimic cortisol, a hormone produced in the adrenal glands and work by decreasing inflammation and reducing immune system activity. Those taking corticosteroids often develop high levels of blood glucose; however, the levels return to normal after use of these drugs ceases.
Total Parenteral Nutrition
Receiving intravenous total parenteral nutrition, or TPN, may cause high levels of blood sugar, reveals Chemocare.com. TPN supplies nutrients needed to function to those with non-functioning gastrointestinal tracts or disorders requiring complete bowel rest, like bowel obstruction, short bowel syndrome or advanced stages of ulcerative colitis, according to Merck.com. TPN solution contains high concentrations of glucose. In some cases, the body regulates these high levels of blood glucose, but blood sugar levels often increase as a result of TPN use.
