Adhering to your diabetes treatment plan, monitoring blood sugar, following a healthy diet plan, timing meals, and engaging in regular exercise can help prevent hyperglycemia and keep blood sugar in a healthy range.

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What is hyperglycemia?

Q: What are the symptoms of hyperglycemia?

Symptoms of hyperglycemia include increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, headache, fatigue, and high levels of sugar in the urine. Early recognition of symptoms and consistently checking blood sugar are important for treating hyperglycemia.

Q: How to treat hyperglycemia

When hyperglycemia occurs, insulin should be taken to lower blood sugar. Other effective ways of lowering blood sugar include exercise and making necessary changes to your diet. Your doctor may also propose changes to your medication or insulin as a means of treating hyperglycemia.

Q: Risks and complications

Left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to serious health risks such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which can result from the body's inability to effectively release ketones. Seek immediate treatment if you experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, confusion, and fruity scented breath.

Hyperglycemia is what happens when there is too much sugar in the blood. For people living with diabetes, the body either has too little insulin, or loses the ability to process insulin properly. This often results in hyperglycemia, also known as high blood glucose (BG) or high blood sugar.

A major goal of managing diabetes is to avoid high BGs as much as possible and to properly treat hyperglycemia as soon as it is noticed. Hyperglycemia can cause serious complications when left untreated. For people living with diabetes, blood sugar is considered "high" when it rises above 180 mg/dL. High blood sugars are most common after meals and can be dangerous if untreated.

Hyperglycemia graph

Causes of hyperglycemia

Glucose levels can rise too high for many reasons. Here are just a few¹:

Food can cause BG levels to rise too high if you do not take enough insulin to cover your food (especially if carbohydrate grams are not counted correctly or if a food bolus is missed)

Illness or infection (such as cold, flu, or stomach virus) can cause BG levels to run higher than usual.

Stress (emotional or physical) can cause an increase in BG levels.

Medications (prescription and over-the-counter) can affect your BG. Consult with your healthcare provider to determine if your medication could be affecting your BG control.

Weak insulin can cause high BGs. Insulin can lose its strength if it is exposed to extreme heat or cold, or if it has expired.

Most hyperglycemia occurs when there is some insulin in the body, but not enough to keep glucose levels within your target range.

Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9815-hyperglycemia-high-blood-sugar. Accessed 23MAY2024.

From my experience… the focus on lows overshadows the equally critical management of highs. This is why I personally place great importance on managing high glucose levels effectively. Doing so not only improves my daily comfort and functionality but also helps me prevent the long-term complications associated with consistently high blood sugar levels."

Mattie, #MedtronicChampion

Compensated for her time.

What are the symptoms of hyperglycemia?

Hyperglycemia symptoms can appear when glucose levels are elevated. Symptoms will typically develop over the course of days or weeks, and can include^1,2:

Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Blurred vision
High blood sugar
Headache
High levels of sugar in the urine
Fatigue

Be aware of what these symptoms look and feel like. For example, increased thirst is when you drink plenty of water, but it still doesn’t feels like enough. Another example is high levels of sugar in your urine; you may notice your urine is cloudy and smells sweet. Early recognition of symptoms and consistently checking your blood sugar are important actions for treating hyperglycemia.

Hyperglycemia (High Blood Glucose) The American Diabetes Association Page. https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/medication-treatments/blood-glucose-testing-and-control/hyperglycemia. Accessed 3AUG2021.
Hyperglycemia in diabetes. The Mayo Clinic Page. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperglycemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373631. Accessed 3 AUG2021

How to treat hyperglycemia

When hyperglycemia occurs, you should take insulin to lower your blood sugar. Other effective ways of lowering blood sugar include exercise and making necessary changes to your diet.

If your blood sugar is elevated above 240 mg/dL, you should check your urine for ketones, as exercising with ketones in your system can further elevate your blood sugar.

Your doctor may also propose changes to your medication or insulin as a means of treating hyperglycemia.

A few behaviors that will help to reduce hyperglycemia are remembering to enter carbs before eating and to work with your healthcare provider to ensure you have the best insulin-to-carb ratio(s). Giving the right amount of insulin to match when food is digesting is important!"

Heather, Medtronic Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and #MedtronicChampion

Risks and complications

Left untreated, hyperglycemia can pose serious health risks. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a major complication that can result from hyperglycemia.

As this condition can cause your body to create a surplus of ketones, you may be unable to release them effectively, leading to ketoacidosis. You should seek immediate treatment if you experience any of these symptoms:

Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
Confusion
Feeling tired, sluggish, or weak
Flushed, hot, dry skin
Rapid, deep breathing and shortness of breath
Excessive thirst and frequent urination
Fruity scented breath
Unconsciousness

Prevention tips

Adhering to your diabetes treatment plan and monitoring your blood sugar are important daily steps to take.
An insulin pump can automatically deliver insulin to bring sugar levels within an acceptable range.
A healthy diet plan and timing your meals can help to avoid hyperglycemia, particularly if you take insulin or medication.
Exercise can also lower your blood sugar levels – consult with your doctor to see if a more active lifestyle could benefit you.

I’ve had diabetes for over 50 years and have been on Medtronic technology for the past 18 years. It’s been so wonderful not having to think so much about managing my highs since my pump does the work for me."^‡

Terry, #MedtronicChampion

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Footnotes
‡ Refers to SmartGuard™ feature. Individual results may vary.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are limited to sale by or on the order of a physician and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the use of these systems. - Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires adequate vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms.

Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps
Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of four blood glucose tests per day. - Insulin pumps use rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin delivery is interrupted for any reason, you must be prepared to replace the missed insulin immediately.