An important part of managing diabetes is testing your blood sugar levels at home. Talk to your physician to find out what your target blood glucose level is at various points of the day. Your first blood test of the morning, which is usually after fasting for eight hours, can give you important insight on how well your diabetes is being managed. Contact your doctor promptly if you have high blood sugar levels on many mornings.
Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose, is a condition that affects diabetics. High blood glucose can cause symptoms that you might notice consistently in the mornings or all day. These include extreme thirst and frequent urination. If you have high blood sugar regularly, you are at risk for complications over the long term, such as kidney problems, heart disease and problems with your vision. A more acute condition that may occur with hyperglycemia is ketoacidosis, or diabetic coma.
Dawn Phenomenon
Some diabetics have high blood glucose levels consistently in the morning. This is called the "dawn phenomenon," and can have one of several causes. One theory is that the body releases hormones that can raise insulin resistance, causing the blood sugar levels to go up. In some cases, high blood sugar in the morning may be unrelated to this phenomenon. Instead, you may have eaten too much before bed or not taken enough insulin the day before.
Prevention
If you are waking up with high blood sugar, examine your diet carefully to see if you are eating too many carbohydrates in the evening. Eliminating a carbohydrate-based evening snack may lower your morning blood sugar reading. Talk to your doctor about your insulin dosage; regular high blood sugar levels may indicate the need to increase your medication or switch to a different type of medication. Stick to your diet and exercise plan to keep your blood sugar at a more even level.
Treatment
You may be able to reduce high blood sugar levels by exercising. If your levels are very high, over 240mg/dL, the American Diabetes Association recommends testing your urine for ketones immediately. Do not exercise if you detect ketones, as this may cause your blood sugar levels to go even higher. Talk to your doctor to find out how you can lower your blood sugar if you have ketones. If you have the symptoms of ketoacidosis, which include fruity-smelling breath, nausea, vomiting and a dry mouth, seek emergency care immediately, as this can be life-threatening.
