Hyperglycemia is a technical term for too much glucose circulating in the blood. There are many reasons why a person may have hyperglycemia with the most common cause being diabetes. Hyperglycemia is also known as high blood sugar, which results when there is not enough insulin being produced by the body or when the insulin is not being used by the body in an appropriate manner. Hyperglycemia can be a very serious condition if it is left untreated. Knowing the symptoms of hyperglycemia will allow for an individual to seek treatment sooner, helping to avoid potentially serious side effects.
Excessive Urination
Excessive urination is very common in those who are suffering from hyperglycemia. Excessive urination is the need to go to the restroom more often than normal, even when one is consuming typical amounts of fluid. The reason that those with high blood sugar urinate more often is because the body is attempting to rid the system of excess glucose through the urine. The higher the glucose, the more urine the body will create in response.
Excessive Hunger and Thirst
When an individual is suffering from hyperglycemia they often feel very hungry and/or thirsty. The reason for this is that the cells within the body are so full of glucose and lack of insulin that they are no longer able to turn glucose into energy. The body then believes that it is starving, causing extreme hunger and thirst in response. This is a dangerous cycle because the more one eats or drinks, the higher the blood glucose climbs.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is another common symptom of hyperglycemia. This is caused by a lack of saliva production, which is a result of the body becoming dehydrated due to the high urine output and an overall imbalance of fluid due to the high levels of glucose circulating in the blood.
Nighttime Urination
Urination at night is very common; in fact it may occur without the individual who is suffering from hyperglycemia waking. Because the body is trying to rid itself of excess glucose, more urine is being created in an attempt to move the glucose out. This can cause the need to urinate so often that one has to get up multiple times during the night or bed-wetting may even occur.
Lack of Energy or Lethargy
When there are high levels of glucose circulating in the blood, the body goes into starvation mode. The starvation mode is due to the fact that there is too little insulin or insulin that is not being used efficiently to turn the glucose into energy. The result is that the body is not being supplied with fuel, with lethargy or a lack of energy being the result.
