High blood sugar---a medical condition referred to as hyperglycemia---occurs if you have abnormally high levels of sugar within your blood. This condition can develop for a variety of reasons including excess food consumption, stress, infection or a medical condition, such as diabetes. If you have symptoms of high blood sugar, speak with your doctor for additional guidance.
Increased Urination
If you have high levels of sugar within your blood, your body will attempt to flush out this excess sugar through frequent urination. High blood sugar can also cause you to excrete higher volumes of urine than normal.
Increased Thirst
When you excrete high volumes of urine, your body needs to replenish this lost fluid to sustain your normal body functions. This can cause you to feel abnormally thirsty and can lead you to significantly increase your fluid intake.
Dry Mouth
Low fluid levels in the body due to increased urination can cause additional symptoms, including dry mouth or skin. Dry mouth can also lead to increased thirst in people with this condition. Dry skin can cause patches of red, itchy or flaky skin to develop across your body.
Fatigue
If you have hyperglycemia, your body is unable to use the high levels of sugar within your blood efficiently. This decreases the amount of energy that is available to your cells and tissues. When your cells do not receive enough energy, you can feel excessively fatigued and can have difficulty completing your normal daily activities.
Blurred Vision
High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and cause changes in vision to develop in certain people. Blurred or double vision can occur if you have this condition, reports the Joslin Diabetes Center, a diabetes research and clinical care organization in Boston, Massachusetts. Changes in your vision can lead to additional symptoms, including dizziness, lightheadedness or headache.
Weight Loss
Excessively high levels of sugar in the blood cannot be processed normally by your body. Due to this, the body can begin to break down muscle tissue or stored fat reserves to provide the energy your cells need to survive. This can cause significant and unintended weight loss to occur in people with this condition---even if no dietary changes are made.
Frequent Infections
People with high levels of blood sugar are more susceptible to developing recurrent infections. You can develop bacterial or fungal infections, which typically develop within the skin. Skin infections can cause inflammation, itching or pain within the affected region.
