Diabetes is a disease that results from your blood's inability to process glucose. It could be because your body does not produce enough insulin to break down the glucose nor use the available insulin properly. High blood sugar is a direct result of the above factors. Increased blood sugar can cause discomfort, and for diabetics, it is potentially harmful.
How do you know when your blood sugar is high? Some of the specific symptoms that can alert you if your blood sugar is high include:
• Feeling increasingly thirsty
• Exhaustion or feeling lethargic
• Frequent toilet calls
• Increased irritability and discomfort
• Mouth dryness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Regular high blood sugar reading
There are ways you can lower your blood sugar immediately, as discussed in the following examples. However, it is essential to figure out why there is an increase first before making drastic decisions on reducing glucose levels.
Exercise
Physical activity is a fast and effective way to reduce your blood sugar levels. Exercises increase your body’s insulin sensitivity, enabling your body to use the sugar available in your blood. When you exercise, your muscles will demand energy, and the blood releases glucose to power your muscles. This strategy is effective even 24 hours later after exercising.
Great exercises range from brisk walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming, and weight lifting. However, before taking up any form of activity, check with your doctor to know what works for you to avoid overexerting yourself and risking high blood pressure. It is essential for people with diabetes type 1 to note their glucose level first and urine ketones before exercising. If your blood sugar is above 240mg/dl, and there is a presence of ketones in your urine, do not exercise as this could only increase your blood sugar levels.
Regular light exercises rather than short bursts of strenuous activities effectively keep your blood sugar in check. Strenuous exercises tend to activate the release of stress hormones, which can further increase blood sugar. Making a physical activity part of your lifestyle can ward off long-term diabetes complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Check your blood sugar routinely to help you understand the graph and the best form of activities to keep it checked.
Drink enough water
Water helps the kidney flush out toxins. It is that simple. One of the symptoms of high blood sugar is increased thirst and dry mouth. Drinking enough water will help keep your blood hydrated and help balance your blood glucose levels.
Since increasing blood sugar tends to cause frequent toilet visits, it is difficult for the kidney to flush out the excess sugar as a toxin with little water intake. Drinking water helps the kidney to filtrate and get the excess glucose out of your system. Keep a bottle of water close whenever you are out to allow hydration throughout the day.
Find ways or relieving stress
As mentioned above, stress can cause your body to release stress hormones such as glucagon and cortisol, which will increase your blood sugar levels. Since this is an issue you may not have control of every time, it is vital to note how you can reduce anxiety levels.
Meditation is a great way to calm down, breathe deeply, and allow your body to relax, thus stopping the release of stress hormones. Yoga is also another way that you can implement stress reduction in your routine. Try to keep your moods vibrant if your stress trigger is internal. Laughter is an acceptable form of medicine.
For illness-induced stress, take your prescribed medication as directed by your physician. Some drugs tend to lower or increase blood sugar; follow the doctor’s advice on dietary recommendations in such cases to ensure your blood glucose level is balanced.
Decrease carb intake and increase fiber intake
Taking too many carbohydrates causes a malfunction in insulin processes and a rise in blood glucose levels. You can control your carb intake by planning the right intake portion in a diet control or a carbohydrate counting system to avoid excesses. Low carb-diets can reduce blood sugar levels in the short and long term.
Implementing high fiber intake in your diet can also reduce blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate digestion and promoting a gradual increase of glucose in the blood. While both soluble and insoluble fiber are essential, soluble fiber has a more significant impact on lowering blood glucose levels in diabetes. Examples of foods rich in fiber include whole grains, fruits, legumes, and vegetables.
Implement portion control with low GI Foods
Increased blood sugar levels could be a result of a heavy meal of high glycemic index foods. Diabetes dietitians often advise patients to take smaller but frequent portions of food spread over the day. Use smaller serving plates that can help you control portions and check serving sizes. You can seek a dietician's help for the right quantities of every intake, from carbohydrates to proteins.
Certain foods have high glycemic indexes, while others have low glycemic indexes. Low GI food can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Complementing smaller intake portions with low glycemic index food can significantly impact your long-term blood sugar levels. Some common low GI foods include yams, corn, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, oats, barley, nuts, low-fat milk, and non-starchy vegetables.
Get Enough Sleep
Studies have shown that adults who sleep for 4 hours or less consecutively tend to retain higher fatty acid levels in their blood. Lack of enough sleep also increases appetite and sugar cravings. As fatty acids are supposed to recede at night, lack of enough sleep retains them in the blood, consequently decreasing insulin effectiveness.
Getting enough rest can significantly reduce your blood sugar levels and, of course, reduce stress. At least 7 hours of sleep every night will help reduce stress hormones such as glucagon and cortisol, promote growth hormones, reduce fatty acid levels, and prevent weight gain.
Boost your Electrolytes
Increased blood sugar levels can negatively affect your electrolyte levels and cause you micronutrient deficiencies. Examples of shortages due to high blood sugar are chromium and magnesium deficiency. Frequent urination due to increased blood glucose levels causes you to lose not only water but electrolytes too.
Electrolytes, like magnesium, have been shown to improve glucose tolerance. Increasing a healthy intake of magnesium can help control blood sugar levels. In the event of high blood sugar, taking magnesium supplements, or giving your body a quick electrolyte boost with a drink such as low-fat milk can help you lower blood sugar. Taking foods rich in magnesium such as whole grains, fish, dark chocolate, bananas, and leafy green vegetable ad beans can also help keep your glucose levels well balanced.
Take Apple Cider Vinegar and Cinnamon
Apple Cider vinegar has several health benefits from being an antioxidant to lowering blood glucose levels. Taking apple cider vinegar with a high carb diet can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels. Some studies also showed that taking apple cider vinegar before bedtime potentially reduced fasting blood sugar the following morning.
As much as the studies are minimal, you can test this yourself by incorporating small amounts of apple cider in your meals since it is readily available in your kitchen. You can add a teaspoon of ACV in a glass of warm water before taking carbohydrate meals and test your blood sugar levels afterward to see if there is an impact. You can add cinnamon for taste because it also affects blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon performs insulin functions, though at a slower rate by increasing the movement of glucose into body cells. Taking 0.5-2 teaspoons a day can help moderate the increase of blood sugar after meals. However, be careful not to take a lot of cinnamon as it can negatively impact your health. A crucial point to note is taking cinnamon alongside diabetes medication is not advisable as it could lead to lower blood sugar, which is potentially harmful. Always check with a doctor before deciding on any supplemental intake.
Take Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts such as bitter melon, fenugreek, and berberine have been in use for years in treating diabetes. Berberine can help reduce blood glucose levels and promote carbohydrate breakdown for energy. It acts the same way as diabetes medication but may have some side effects like diarrhea. The most recommended dosage is 1500mg per day.
Fenugreek seeds are rich in soluble fiber and can also control blood sugar levels. It can even lower fasting sugar and improve glucose tolerance in people with diabetes. The herb is considered safe and can you can easily incorporate it in baked foods and tea. You can use a dosage of 2-5 grams per day.
Bitter melon contains a blood-sugar regulating substance called Charantin and polypeptide-p. Both work as insulin in regulating glucose. However, a doctor’s advice is required before you choose to incorporate this fruit into your diet.
Take an Insulin Shot
With all the things you can do to reduce your blood sugar levels, sometimes high spikes can be dangerous and should be promptly managed. In such cases, people with diabetes have prescribed insulin shots with other medications in emergencies. Please note that insulin is a prescribed medication, and you can only take it according to the doctor's advice.
If you have an insulin prescription, first check your blood sugar levels before you take it. For people with Type 1 diabetes, you can check for ketones in urines. If the amount is moderate to large, you may need to visit a health center because home insulin shots will not be sufficient. If urine ketone levels are average to less, insulin dosage may be able to correct it but you can still check with your doctors for advice on how to manage the situation and the amount of dosage you will require.
You should visit a hospital emergency room if you get consecutive blood glucose readings above 250mg/dL. Symptoms accompanying these high levels include stomach pain, confusion, shortness of breath, and ketones in the urine. When taking correctional insulin, be careful about the time it takes for the insulin to be fully absorbed in the blood before you inject yourself with another dosage.
Discuss with your doctor about insulin doses and the correctional factor. Since there could be a certain insulin level in your blood before a correctional dosage, following a correct prescription will prevent you from overdosing and dropping your sugar levels to dangerous lows. Also, consider taking an intramuscular instead of fat injection only for cases of 250mg/dl and above blood sugar levels. These, too, should be discussed with your medical team.
Maintain a healthy weight
Losing excess body weight can help keep your blood sugar at safe levels. Exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and regulating portions of food you eat are factors that can help you watch your weight. Healthy body weight also helps keep away health complications such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
A bigger waistline is associated with increased insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels. Take time to check the measurements of your core and talk to your doctor for advice on what you can do to maintain a healthy size.
Monitor Your Blood Sugar
High blood sugar may not be noticeable until the levels are dangerously high; therefore, for someone with diabetes, regular monitoring of the blood sugar levels is vital to keep them in check. Portable glucose monitors are handy for home-usage. Keeping track of the measurements will help you know how to manage them; you can adjust meals or medications. Your doctor can direct you on how regular you should check your glucose levels.
Conclusion
All these steps can well help you avoid diabetes complications for high glucose levels in the blood. Lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, eating well, and getting enough rest can significantly impact sugar control. You will need to ensure you check with your healthcare team before you make any drastic changes to your physical, medical, and dietary plans.
The key to a healthy life starts with you; take steps to do something about it now. And of course, an excellent medical regimen, positivity, and well-balanced lifestyle can reverse the effects of high blood sugar levels with quick intervention.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.