Diabetes is a condition marked by elevated blood glucose levels. In the past, the presence of significant amounts of glucose in the urine was used to make a diagnosis of diabetes, though more advanced testing is now available. Patients with high blood glucose levels may need to make diet changes and take medications to keep their blood glucose levels under control.
Diabetes and Insulin
Diabetes is a condition caused by problems with insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin allows your liver, muscle and fat cells to pull glucose out of the blood. There are two forms of diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, the insulin-secreting cells in your pancreas get destroyed, causing you to not produce enough insulin. With type 2 diabetes, your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.
Diabetes and Urine
If you have abnormally high blood glucose levels, it can cause glucose to appear in high concentrations in your urine, making your urine sweet. The kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood and removing substances such as glucose. If your blood glucose gets too elevated, your kidneys cannot filter out all of the glucose, DiabetesInsipidus.org notes, causing some glucose to remain in your urine.
Risks
If glucose is appearing in your urine, your blood glucose levels are too high, which can lead to a variety of complications. For example, poorly controlled diabetes can cause you to develop atherosclerosis and heart disease, the Mayo Clinic explains, because the glucose can damage the walls of your blood vessels. High amounts of glucose can also damage your nerves, causing pain, numbness and tingling. Abnormally high amounts of sugar in your blood may also damage your retina and kidneys.
Treatment
If you have sugar in your urine and have been diagnosed with diabetes, there are a number of steps you can take to lower your blood glucose levels. Eating fewer carbohydrates is important, because carbohydrates are converted into glucose by the digestive tract. If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and getting more exercise will also help you control your blood glucose levels, the American Diabetes Association explains. You may also need medications, including oral drugs and injectable insulin to lower your blood glucose levels.
