Excessive sugar in your blood, also called hyperglycemia, can cause an array of symptoms that may be life-threatening -- especially if you have diabetes. Excessive blood sugar may also increase your long-term risk for chronic diseases. The magnitude of health risks is associated with the ability of your pancreas to produce insulin and the level of receptiveness of your skeletal muscle cells to the hormone that normally transports sugar from your blood into your cells.
Symptoms
Extremely high levels of sugar in your blood, over 600mg per dL, is associated with two life-threatening conditions, according to GlaxoSmithKline. One condition affecting elderly people is called Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome, a serious illness that's associated with an infection or missing doses of diabetic medication. HHNS can develop in as little as a few days to a few weeks and can cause severe dehydration, seizures, coma and death. Initially you urinate, but as the illness progresses you urinate less and the urine becomes dark in color. Other symptoms include extreme thirst, dry mouth, high fever, confusion, hallucinations and loss of vision. You may also experience weakness on one side of your body. The more common life-threatening condition is ketoacidosis, which can also lead to coma and death. Ketoacidosis is characterized by very high levels of ketones, acids that build up in your blood and urine when your body doesn't have sufficient levels of insulin. Other symptoms include thirst, dry mouth, fruity breath odor, frequent urination, flushed skin and difficulty breathing.
Health Risks
Long-term health risks of excessive blood sugar include insulin resistance,Type 2 diabetes, increased fat production and cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance occurs when your body produces insulin but your skeletal muscle cells don't respond to it, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. As a result, sugar can't get into your cells and must stay in your blood. As your blood levels of sugar swell, sugar may convert into fat and be stored in fat cells, leading to weight gain. Excessive levels of blood sugar can cause increased fat deposits that damage the epithelium -- an inner layer of cells within your blood vessels -- clog and harden your arteries, reduce blood flow and cause atherosclerosis.
Dietary Causes
Consuming high-glycemic foods can increase your blood sugar. Glycemic index is a measurement of how quickly sugar from food enters your bloodstream. The higher the index, the faster the sugar is absorbed. High-glycemic foods include white bread, white rice and potatoes. Consuming high-glycemic foods over time can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes. If you're diabetic, consuming high-glycemic foods can increase your risk of diabetic complications. These include coma and death in the short term and cardiovascular disease in the long term.
Prevention
Prevent high blood sugar by consuming low-glycemic foods, exercise and taking medication. Low-glycemic foods include peanuts, barley and whole wheat spaghetti. More than 25 percent of people with diabetes are not diagnosed, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Consult your doctor about your blood sugar, diet and medication.
References
- GlaxoSmithKline: Blood Sugar Highs & Lows
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke
- University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Center for Integrative Medicine: Glycemic Index
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: National Diabetes Statistics, 2007
