What Is Hyperglycemia? (High Blood Sugar)

What Is Hyperglycemia? Causes, Symptoms, and How to Manage It

Hyperglycemia simply means high blood sugar. The word comes from "hyper" (too much) and "glycemia" (glucose in the blood). While it’s most often linked to diabetes, hyperglycemia can also occur due to stress, certain medicines, or illnesses.

If not managed properly, high blood sugar can lead to serious health issues, especially for your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart. That’s why understanding its signs, causes, and management is so important—especially if you're living with diabetes or at risk.

What Are Normal and High Blood Sugar Levels?

Knowing your blood sugar range helps you stay in control. Here's a quick guide:

• Normal fasting glucose: 70–99 mg/dL
  
  

• Prediabetes (fasting): 100–125 mg/dL
  
  

• Hyperglycemia (fasting): 126 mg/dL or higher
  
  

• After-meal hyperglycemia: Over 200 mg/dL (2 hours post-meal)
  
  

Staying within these limits can prevent long-term complications.

What Causes Hyperglycemia?

High blood sugar can happen for several reasons. The most common causes include:

Lack of insulin, insulin resistance, missing medication, overeating (especially carbs), lack of exercise, illness or infection, mental or physical stress, and steroid medications.

Common Symptoms of Hyperglycemia

Some signs are easy to spot. Watch out for:

Frequent urination, increased thirst, blurred vision, tiredness, dry mouth, unexplained weight loss, nausea, or confusion.

If symptoms are severe or ongoing, it could lead to conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis (Type 1) or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (Type 2)—both medical emergencies.

What Can You Do About It?

Managing hyperglycemia is all about keeping your sugar in a safe range. This includes:

Eating healthy, staying active, drinking enough water, monitoring blood sugar regularly, taking your medications as prescribed, and talking to your doctor if levels stay high.

Final Thought

If you feel unwell or notice symptoms of high blood sugar, don’t ignore them. Get your blood sugar checked and talk to your doctor. With the right steps, hyperglycemia can be managed—and even prevented.

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