High Blood Sugar Symptoms:

Recognizing The Small Annoyances Early
Can Lead To Better Diabetic Health

Many people at diagnosis have a list of high blood sugar symptoms but never really attribute all those vague annoyances to be the symptoms of diabetes. But as the months progress into years, the small little annoyances just seem to keep growing into bigger and bigger signs of trouble.

Almost all foods we consume daily, a percentage is converted into sugars in our body during the digestive process. Some foods like high fat dairy products, white flours, rice, or sugar converts to high concentrations of sugar. Other foods, such as non-starchy vegetables or lean proteins yield very low to no concentrations of sugar.

Your body itself can only use just so much sugar at any given time. Any excess goes into your liver for storage. All excess sugars do go through a conversion process first though and ends up being stored as cholesterol and triglycerides. So ultimately, all excess sugar ends up being stored as fats in your liver.

Common High Blood Sugar Symptoms

• dry mouth but at the same time you are thirsty
• frequent urination - often you must make multiple trips during the night to the bathroom
• blurry vision
• dry itchy skin, often has red patches and feels warm
• fatigue and drowsiness, especially if you sit down
• increased appetite
• numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, known as neuropathy
• possible nausea and/or vomitting
• deep, fast breathing
• fruity smell on your breath

Taking Control Of Your High Blood Sugar Symptoms

Actually, with a heavy dose of determination and some time, it is often possible to reduce or even eliminate type 2 diabetes yourself and to some degree reduce your dependency on medications from gestational diabetes. Try adding a few of these lifestyle and dietary changes to help yourself relieve the most common high blood sugar symptoms.

• if you notice consistent foot pain for many months in different degrees of severity, try adding a hoop at the end of your bed so your feet can slide through it. This prevents the bed sheets from laying on your feet and aggravating the condition.

• spread capsaicin cream on any neuropathy pain to reduce the sensitivity

• talk to your diabetes team - medications are available for reducing your discomfort

• poor blood circulation to all the extremities and vital organs increases your risk for infections, heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and sexual problems. Increase low impact exercise to these extremities and you will increase blood flow which does yield a reduction in high blood sugar symptoms.

• do not avoid fruits considered high in natural sugars. Fruit is full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It also is low in saturated fats, sodium and calories. By adjusting your portion sizes so you do not eat as much, you gain the value of the fruits generous health benefits without the overdose of sugars(carbs).

• some common foods to reduce your serving sizes (or eliminate) include selections such as soda, candy, cookies and pastries. Then eliminate all processed foods and convenience foods because most are very high in sodium, fat, sugars and food additives. All of these types of ingredients are added in manufacturing to extend shelf life. This type of processing also robs your foods of needed vitamins, minerals and fiber as a result of the method of processing.

• exercise really does not have to be a four letter word in any diabetes program. Don't you enjoy taking a walk on the beach or nature trail, play a round of golf, go shopping with the friends, rake the leaves and then join the kids and play in them, take the dog to the park and play frisbee/catch? You get the idea here. Exercise does not have to mean knee bends and push-ups. Movement is exercise. Do anything as long as you are moving.

So when you start noticing some of those annoying little symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor and check if you do seem to be coming down with high blood sugar symptoms. The earlier you find out the diagnosis, the easier it is to prevent a lifetime of diabetic complications.

Return to "Symptoms of Diabetes" from "High Blood Sugar Symptoms"