Does High Blood Sugar Always Mean Diabetes ?
When ever a person is informed by the doctor that he or she has high blood sugar, they automatically assume that they are suffering from diabetes. While most diabetics have high blood sugar, whether a newly diagnosed person is having diabetes or not depends on the type of elevation the person has and the circumstances under which the rise in the blood sugar was found. Nonetheless, it can be said that just because a person has high blood sugar, it does not necessarily mean diabetes.
Medically, high blood sugar is referred to as hyperglycemia. While diabetes is the most common reason, it can also occur due to certain medication, illness, or eating certain types of foods. Whatever the reason for elevated blood sugar, it needs to be treated. If left without treatment, it can easily develop into a life-threatening situation for the person.
The symptoms of elevated blood sugar include unquenchable thirst, urge to urinate frequently, blurred vision, tiredness and headaches. These symptoms are present in the initial stages. As the blood sugar level rise, more symptoms appear, such as fruity odor in the breath, dryness of the mouth, pain in the abdomen, weakness and confusion.
If a person does not seek treatment for high blood sugar, he/she will end up with health problems, such as damaged kidneys, heart disease, joint and bone disorders, infection in the gums, dental problems, neuropathy, cataracts and skin problems. When the nerves get damaged, they can affect the blood flow, resulting in problems in the feet.
Another risk of not treated high blood sugar is the development of ketoacidosis. In fact, many people suffering from Type 1 diabetes end up suffering from this problem. In this condition, as the body does not produce sufficient amounts of insulin to break down the sugar, the body does not get sufficient energy. So, to create the energy, the body begins to metabolize the body fat. As the fat is metabolized, it results in the production of ketones, which are eliminated from the body via urine. If too much fat is broken down, the ketones accumulate in the blood, resulting in ketoacidosis.
The initial symptoms associated with ketoacidosis are same as the initial symptoms of high blood sugar. However, as the amount of ketones in the blood increases, the symptoms tend to worsen. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include dry skin, flushing of the skin, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. When a person is diagnosed with ketoacidosis, the treatment requires hospitalization.
At times, sugar levels in the blood become extremely high. When this happens, it results in dehydration. While this condition occurs mostly in people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, it can also occur in those who do not have diabetes. It usually occurs in such people due to an illness, taking certain types of medication or from an infection. This condition is known as diabetic hyperosmola syndrome and causes the blood to extract water from different parts of the body. This can turn into a serious condition, as it can result in the formation of blood clots, swelling of the brain or even lead to death. Treatment involves giving the person potassium and fluids intravenously to rehydrate the body. At times, insulin can also be given to the person to reduce the level of sugar in the blood.
So, unless your doctor specifically informs you that you are suffering from diabetes, high blood sugar does not always mean that a person has diabetes. There are various factors that can result in elevated sugar levels in the blood. If you have any doubts, you should immediately speak to your doctor to find out what is causing these high levels and seek appropriate treatment for the same.
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