Don't Ignore These! 15 Signs of High Blood Sugar & How to Lower It
Repeatedly elevated blood sugar can lead to health problems such as diabetes, cataracts, retinopathy, and damage to the blood vessels and nerves in the heart. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signs of high blood sugar early and take action promptly so these risks can be prevented or at least minimized.
What Do You Feel When Your Blood Sugar Is High?
These conditions may be a sign that your blood sugar levels are rising:
1. Difficulty Focusing Your Eyes and Blurred Vision

Rapid fluctuations in blood sugar can cause the lenses of your eyes to swell. As a result, you may have trouble seeing objects in front of you clearly and focusing on them.
2. Numbness or Tingling in the Feet

Blood sugar spikes affect nerves throughout the body, but the nerves in the feet are especially sensitive. As a result, you may experience tingling or numbness.
3. More Frequent Urination

This is more common during the day. However, it may also disrupt your sleep at night.
This happens because your body experiences osmotic diuresis, which is an increase in urine output caused by substances filtered by the kidneys.
4. Weight Loss or Gain

Your body shape may change, whether you become thinner or heavier, even if your diet and lifestyle remain unchanged.
5. Wounds That Won't Heal

Cuts, such as those you might get while chopping fruits and vegetables, usually take 4 to 24 days to heal.[1]
If a wound takes longer to heal, this is because less oxygen and nutrients reach the affected area as blood vessels narrow when blood sugar is high.
6. Unusual Fatigue

Another sign of high blood sugar is feeling tired even when you haven't done anything strenuous. This happens because your body doesn't have enough insulin to deliver sugar to your cells for energy.
7. Frequent Illness

Blood sugar levels above the normal range contribute to a poorer inflammatory response and weaken the immune system.[2] As a result, you may be more vulnerable to illness.
8. Flaky Skin

A sign of high blood sugar on the skin is skin that looks drier and flakier.
This occurs when your body excretes too much fluid through urine to get rid of excess sugar.
9. Vaginal Dryness

This sign of high blood sugar in women occurs because high blood sugar damages the blood vessels in the vagina, reducing lubrication in the area. As a result, you may feel discomfort or pain during sex.
10. Breath That Smells Like Overripe Fruit

This unpleasant breath odor occurs because the mouth becomes dry as urination becomes more frequent. The main cause is a lack of saliva, which helps kill microbes in the mouth.
11. Increased Thirst

When your body excretes urine more often than usual, you become dehydrated. As a result, you often feel thirsty.[3]
12. Headaches

High blood sugar can cause dehydration, dilation of blood vessels in the brain, and hormonal changes, all of which can trigger headaches. Pain in the temples is a characteristic feature of this type of headache.[4]
13. Nausea

A sudden spike in blood sugar can disrupt your metabolism. This sudden change makes it difficult for your body to adjust, causing unpleasant sensations such as nausea.
14. Difficulty Concentrating

Over time, excess sugar can damage the blood vessels in the brain, which carry oxygen-rich blood to it. When your brain receives too little blood, brain cells can die. This can make it difficult for you to concentrate, focus, or remember things.
15. Bad Mood

This condition can affect children as well as adults. Signs of high blood sugar in children include a bad mood. They may become irritable, anxious, easily upset, and aggressive.
How to Manage High Blood Sugar

Do these signs sound familiar? Here are some things that can help bring your blood sugar back to a safe level:
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Exercise Every Day
Set aside 30 minutes a day to exercise. You don't need to do anything strenuous—a walk around your neighborhood or a morning jog in the park is enough to make your body more responsive to insulin and lower your blood sugar.
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Eat Vegetables
Sulforaphane found in green vegetables may help lower blood sugar.[5] Try adding broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, or bok choy to your meals to enjoy the benefits.
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Drink Herbal Tea
Herbal teas such as green tea and turmeric tea may help lower fasting blood sugar. Replace sugary drinks with these herbal teas to support your health.
If the signs of high blood sugar above sound familiar, visit your nearest healthcare facility promptly to have your blood sugar checked. This will help you determine what steps to take next if the results show elevated levels.
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