Top 10 Reasons Your Blood Sugar Is Too High
Website design By BotEap.comAre you diabetic? Is your blood sugar level too high?
Website design By BotEap.comIn 20 years of seeing diabetic patients, one becomes familiar with certain patterns of disease and behavior. Any experienced doctor can list a dozen reasons why a patient’s blood sugar may be out of control.
Website design By BotEap.comHere is my list of the top 10 reasons why your blood sugar may be too high.
Website design By BotEap.com1. Your total calorie intake is too high. For most type 2 diabetics, the body is still capable of producing some insulin, but perhaps not enough to help you properly metabolize food. Cutting your calories by a third may be all you need to do.
Website design By BotEap.com2. You eat foods with a high glycemic index. When it comes to diabetes, not all foods are created equal. Simple carbohydrates (sugars, bread, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta) are quickly absorbed, rapidly raising blood glucose too quickly for the pancreas to respond properly. Eating the same calories in the form of foods that are absorbed more slowly (proteins, fats) will cause less of a rise in blood sugar.
Website design By BotEap.com3. Your body mass index is too high. Having too much fatty tissue inside the body makes it harder for the body to use insulin. Once you’ve lost the extra weight, you’ll be able to eat the same number of calories, but you’ll have your diabetes under control.
Website design By BotEap.com4. You don’t take your medications as directed. Many patients not only ‘cheat’ by eating a cookie once in a while, but skipping their medication more often than they admit. Lying to yourself will make it difficult for both you and your doctor to keep your diabetes under control.
Website design By BotEap.com5. You’re not taking enough diabetes medication. Although your diabetes treatment probably started with a single medication, it’s not uncommon for you to require additional medications as time goes on. This can be accomplished by using a higher dose of the drug you are already taking, or by taking a combination of two or more drugs.
Website design By BotEap.com6. You don’t exercise enough. Exercise not only helps lower blood sugar, but also builds muscle mass, which uses blood glucose more efficiently than fat tissue.
Website design By BotEap.com7. Your pancreas is wearing out and you need insulin. By the time you’re on three or even four oral diabetes medications, you’ll get to the point where your pancreas simply can’t make enough insulin to counteract your blood sugar. If your pancreas is just wearing out, there is no medication that can make you “young” again.
Website design By BotEap.com8. You have an infection. Some infections are obvious, others less so. Urinary tract infections, for example, frequently raise blood sugar, but can cause a few other symptoms. Patients also often mistake the frequent urination associated with an infection with that caused by diabetes. Any type of infection can raise your blood sugar, from viral gastroenteritis to ear infection, the flu or pneumonia.
Website design By BotEap.com9. You are taking medications that raise your blood sugar. Steroids and diuretics are the two most common medications that raise blood sugar in both diabetics and non-diabetics. Anytime you start a new medication and notice your blood sugar is rising, you have reason to ask your doctor if the medication might be to blame.
Website design By BotEap.com10. A combination of several of the above. This is really the most common. Diabetics often eat too much or too much of the wrong foods, exercise too little, are already overweight, and take multiple medications.
Website design By BotEap.comIf your blood sugar is too high, the list above is a place to start. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to change your lifestyle. Diabetic education classes are a good idea and can provide general information and specific guidance relevant to your particular situation. Once you’ve identified the cause, you’ll be well on your way to finding an answer.
Website design By BotEap.comCopyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, MD