Definition of high blood sugar
The glucose in the blood is usually referred to as blood sugar, with the blood sugar or glucose level (percentage of glucose in the blood) being classified as an important medical measurement. Glucose is an essential source of energy in the organism, which the brain, red blood cells and renal medulla need to generate energy. To supply the brain, glucose is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Normal blood sugar levels vary throughout the day with meals, with 70 to 106 milligrams per deciliter or 3.9 to 5.5 millimoles per liter considered normal on an empty stomach. After a carbohydrate-rich meal, normal values can rise to a maximum of 160 milligrams per deciliter (8.9 millimoles per liter). Other definitions give values of 50 to 100 mg/dl on an empty stomach and a maximum of 140 mg/dl after a meal. If the blood sugar level is above the numbers mentioned, this is classified as high blood sugar. The technical term for high blood sugar is hyperglycemia.
Causes of high blood sugar
Permanently elevated blood sugar is usually caused by diabetes, which results in impaired processing of the carbohydrates ingested through food. The lack of insulin and/or an impaired effect of the hormone disrupts the regulation of the glucose level in the organism, since insulin plays a crucial role in lowering the blood sugar concentration. If there is not enough insulin available, the blood sugar levels rise significantly more than normal after meals and remain permanently elevated. If the values are above 126 milligrams per deciliter (seven millimoles per liter) even on an empty stomach (at least eight hours without food), this is a relatively clear indication of diabetes. If symptoms such as a persistent feeling of thirst, frequent urination, increased susceptibility to infections or significant weight loss occur within a few months, diabetes can be assumed with certainty. Diabetes mellitus is a collective term for various disorders of the (sugar) metabolism, the main feature of which is excessive blood sugar. However, high blood sugar may also have other causes. For example, blood sugar levels also rise sharply in stressful situations, in the event of serious injuries, operations, infections, burns, severe pain or a heart attack, but this is by no means an indication of diabetes. In particular, the connection with stress is often underestimated, although stress-induced hyperglycaemia is a well-known symptom in the professional world. Furthermore, damage to the brain caused by injuries or infections, but also a stroke, also lead to increased blood sugar levels. In addition, a dysregulation of the pituitary gland can be the cause of high blood sugar. In addition, certain toxins and medications increase blood sugar levels, which in rare cases can also lead to diabetes. When it comes to drugs, for example, various blood pressure medications, diuretics (water tablets), some psychotropic drugs and hormones and hormone-like drugs (e.g. cortisone) are suspected of increasing blood sugar. Certain cytotoxic drugs, asthmatics, labor drugs, and the catecholamines (e.g., adrenaline, norepinephrine) more commonly used in emergency clinics can also increase blood sugar. The blood sugar levels that are too high usually go down after stopping the medication, but if damage to the pancreas persists, those affected are at risk of a permanent increase in blood sugar levels and, in the long term, the development of diabetes. Diseases of the pancreas, in which the function of the organ is damaged, can also lead to increased blood sugar, since the pancreas is responsible for the production of insulin. Inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatic carcinoma (pancreatic cancer), injury to the organ or damage caused by iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) can also cause blood sugar to be too high. The same applies to impairments of the pancreas function in cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis) and in the relatively rarely required surgical removal of the organ. Hormonal disorders that are not insulin-based can also have a negative impact on blood sugar levels. For example, some hormones counteract the effect of insulin and thus cause blood sugar to be too high. If such hormones are released in excess, as is the case with various tumors, for example, the blood sugar levels rise significantly. Hormones that increase blood sugar include, for example, the growth hormone somatropin, cortisol and some thyroid hormones. Glucagon and somatostatin also increase blood sugar. At the hormonal level, there are numerous connections with blood sugar and if there are signs of hormone-related increased blood sugar, the levels of the suspected hormone should always be checked by a doctor.
Diagnosis and blood glucose measurement
Blood tests are primarily used to check blood sugar, although in the past the glucose level was also often checked by means of an analysis of the urine. Due to diabetics' need for an uncomplicated test procedure, blood glucose meters have been continuously improved over the past few decades and are now available in extremely handy versions that can be carried at any time. Blood sugar is usually measured using a blood sample from capillary blood.
Although today's blood glucose meters cannot ensure the same accuracy of the results as an examination in the laboratory, the precision is easily sufficient for diabetics who want to estimate their required insulin dose.
The measuring devices indicate the blood sugar either in milligrams per deciliter (more common in Germany) or in millimoles per liter (more common worldwide). The procedures offer endangered patients the opportunity to check their blood sugar at any time and to observe the development of blood sugar values over the course of the day. In the current treatment guidelines for diabetes, values between 100 and 125 mg/dl on an empty stomach and 140 to a maximum of 199 mg/l after a meal are set as reference values for the blood sugar level.
High blood sugar levels : Definition, causes, diagnosis, treatment and holistic medicine
High Blood Sugar - Health Risks
When it comes to the health risks of high blood sugar, all possible impairments of diabetes should be mentioned in the first place. Above all, the damage to the blood vessels caused by the permanently elevated blood sugar and the high blood pressure that occurs in most patients at the same time play a special role. They are also the reason why diabetic patients have a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease and other complications. It is therefore strongly recommended that those affected have their blood pressure checked regularly.
A permanently high blood sugar level also promotes kidney diseases up to acute kidney failure and damage to the peripheral nervous system. Another consequence is damage to the retina, known as diabetic retinopathy, caused by what is known as microangiopathy (disease of the small blood vessels). In the long term, retinopathy can cause significant impairment of vision and, in the worst case, complete blindness for those affected. There is no cure for diabetic retinopathy, but there are various therapeutic approaches that can significantly delay the progression of the disease.
Another health consequence of permanently high blood sugar is the so-called diabetic foot or diabetic foot syndrome. According to estimates by the German Diabetes Society (DDG), around ten percent of diabetes patients have problems with their feet during the course of their illness. According to the DDG, around 29,000 amputations have to be carried out every year due to diabetic foot syndrome, in which parts of the foot or leg are removed. The diabetic foot syndrome is in itself the result of other impairments that are triggered by elevated blood sugar levels and is therefore only indirectly due to the high blood sugar.
Actually, the damage to the blood vessels in combination with the increased susceptibility to infections, poorer healing and nerve damage are usually the cause of diabetic foot syndrome. Even small injuries and pressure points in the area of the feet lead to dangerous ulcers, which in case of doubt make an amputation necessary. Since the vascular damage and the susceptibility to infection or poorer wound healing are directly caused by the high blood sugar levels, diabetic foot syndrome is also a risk associated with high blood sugar levels.
Another typical symptom of high blood sugar is an increased urge to urinate, which under certain circumstances can also result in dehydration (internal dehydration) in those affected. In addition, there is chronic fatigue and dizziness (especially in the morning after getting up).
If the blood sugar levels are massively above the normal values, this can also cause a loss of consciousness, the so-called hyperosmolar coma. However, this only threatens at blood sugar levels of around 1,000 milligrams per deciliter or 55.5 millimoles per liter. As mentioned above, high blood sugar is also associated with an increased susceptibility to infections. If the increased blood sugar manifests itself as diabetes, there are also more side effects of the insulin deficiency such as massive weight loss, abdominal pain, the smell of acetone in the breath or nausea and vomiting.
Regulation of blood sugar levels
The hormone insulin makes a significant contribution to the regulation of blood sugar levels. It determines the breakdown of glucose by promoting the storage of blood sugar in the cells, using the excess blood sugar to build up the energy store glycogen (especially in the liver) and inhibiting the production of glucose from protein fragments. Insulin is the most important hormone for the utilization and storage of blood sugar, and it also makes a significant contribution to the build-up of adipose tissue.
High blood sugar is therefore usually due to insufficient insulin secretion or impaired insulin function. However, other hormones also play a part in regulating blood sugar. Glucagon also often plays an important role in high blood sugar levels. Glucagon increases blood sugar by, among other things, promoting the breakdown of the glucose store glycogen into glucose. Furthermore, glucagon stimulates the production of glucose from protein fragments and promotes the breakdown of fat, whereby the fat is also converted into glucose. Elevated blood sugar levels could therefore also be due to excessive glucagon release.
The hormones already listed in the section "Causes of high blood sugar" also have a not inconsiderable effect on the regulation of blood sugar, even if their importance in relation to insulin is less important. The so-called catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline have the greatest influence. They increase the blood sugar level significantly within a very short time by, among other things, activating the reserves of glucose storage in the liver.
Growth hormones also increase blood sugar because they inhibit the storage of glucose in muscle and fat cells and stimulate the breakdown of the glucose store glycogen. Cortisol also intervenes in blood sugar regulation, whereby the hormone promotes the formation of glucose from protein components and thus increases the blood sugar level.
The regulation of blood sugar always refers to the breakdown of the glucose taken in with food and the use of the glucose stores in the organism. Carbohydrates in food contain glucose, which is released during the digestive process and causes blood sugar levels to spike. As a result, the insulin takes its effect as described above and the blood sugar level goes back down.
The organism uses the glucose stores (glycogen) to keep the blood sugar level constant even in (longer) phases without food intake. The glycogen stored in the muscles and liver can be reactivated at any time and ensure the body's energy supply for a limited time. However, the reserves last a maximum of 24 hours. After that, more fat and protein is converted into glucose, but not enough blood sugar can be provided to keep the glucose level constant in the long term.
High blood sugar - treatment
Since the blood sugar levels are significantly related to the carbohydrates ingested through food, compliance with a strict diet is the basis of a promising treatment. The diet plan should be drawn up in close consultation with the therapist and with regular monitoring of blood sugar levels. If diabetes has already manifested itself, the milder forms can also be tackled on the basis of a consistent diet combined with exercise therapies to counteract the high blood sugar.
Physical training as part of exercise therapy also means that more blood sugar is absorbed by muscle cells, so that the blood sugar level drops. In addition, exercise therapy helps to reduce excess weight, which in turn has a negative impact on blood sugar levels. If the blood sugar levels that are too high cannot be lowered by the diet in conjunction with exercise therapy, drug treatment is required to stabilize the blood sugar levels.
The diets recommended for high blood sugar primarily provide a balanced whole food diet with attention to carbohydrate and fat intake. The individual energy and nutrient requirements determined on the basis of age, gender, occupation and leisure activities must also be taken into account. The calorie content of the food can also be used as a guide. Ideally, food intake is divided into several smaller meals (up to seven a day) rather than three main meals.
The basic recommendation for the composition of the food is a percentage distribution of 50 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent fats and 15 percent protein. The proportion of monosaccharides (white flour, sugar) should be kept as low as possible and instead the proportion of polysaccharides (potatoes, whole grain, rice) should be increased. Glucose, sucrose and honey should be avoided entirely if possible. Here other sweeteners such as the extract of the stevia plant can serve as a substitute.
In order to stabilize blood sugar levels, the food should also have a high proportion of fiber, since fiber delays the release of carbohydrates into the intestine. In this way, a disproportionate increase in the course of daily meals can be prevented. Further information on the possible dietary approaches that enable a reduction in blood sugar levels can be obtained, for example, in the course of a medical consultation or nutritional advice.
If no therapeutic success can be achieved with the help of diet and exercise therapy, various medications can help to lower blood sugar. If the increased blood sugar is due to reduced insulin production, oral drug therapy can be used, for example, with various prescription active ingredients being available. These include sulfonylureas (medication: Rp Gluborid® or Rp Euglucon®), which cause an increased release of insulin from the pancreas and thus lower blood sugar.
However, oral drug therapy for severe forms of diabetes is not sufficient to stabilize blood sugar levels in the long term. In these cases, insulin therapy is usually used. Patients regularly inject themselves with insulin to lower their blood sugar levels. A distinction is made between short-acting insulins, delayed insulins, long-acting insulins and mixed insulins. Today, insulin is usually obtained as genetically manufactured human insulin.
Furthermore, the consequences of high blood sugar can be specifically addressed with certain active substances, such as the SGLT-2 inhibitor empagliflozin against the progression of diabetic nephropathy.
Holistic medicine
Naturopathy and holistic medicine offer numerous treatment methods for the treatment of high blood sugar levels, which have delivered promising results in the past. Since the increased blood sugar levels put the organism of those affected under oxidative stress, orthomolecular therapy with the intake of antioxidant vitamin C or vitamin E, for example, is used to counteract this. Orthomolecular therapy also uses zinc to increase insulin intensity and thus lower blood sugar.
Due to the chromium it contains, the administration of brewer's yeast can increase glucose tolerance, strengthen the effect of insulin and lower blood sugar levels in the long term. B vitamins are usually used in parallel to reduce the risk of nerve damage.
In addition, naturopathy knows various medicinal plants that are used as part of phytotherapy to treat high blood sugar levels. For example, dandelion is considered beneficial for blood sugar levels because of its detoxifying effect and promotion of liver metabolism. The liver plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) also has a positive effect on high blood sugar due to its stimulating effect on the upper abdominal organs spleen, pancreas and liver. The same applies to the so-called centaury (Centaurium erythraea). In addition, artichoke (Cynara scolymus) should also counteract elevated blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, osteopathy is sometimes used to treat high blood sugar levels, which may seem strange at first glance. However, the mechanical intervention with the hands can stimulate the function of the pancreas. In this way, osteopathy develops a supporting effect in combination with the other naturopathic methods for lowering blood sugar.
Last but not least, on the basis of homeopathy, disorders of the (sugar) metabolism are sometimes tackled, whereby an individually suitable selection of remedies should always be put together by experienced therapists.
Important: In the course of the naturopathic treatment, it is urgently necessary to carry out regular checks of the blood sugar level, whereby in case of doubt there is no way around conventional drug therapy (insulin) in order to avoid the long-term risks of excessively high blood sugar.