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Hyperglycemia and diabetes: What to watch out for
Everyone has occasional episodes of high blood sugar. Still, hyperglycemia is nothing to take lightly. Learn how to spot high blood sugar — and what to do about it.
By Mayo Clinic staffYou have diabetes. You're taking your medication and checking your blood sugar level. But your mouth feels dry, and you've been thirsty all day. When you check your blood sugar level, you discover it's a lot higher than your target range. This is known as hyperglycemia. It's serious — but you can take immediate steps to treat it.
Why blood sugar rises
Your diabetes treatment plan is designed to help you avoid hyperglycemia. But everyone has occasional episodes of high blood sugar. The most common culprits include:
- Eating too much food or the wrong foods
- Exercising too little
- Physical stress, such as an infection or other illness
- Emotional stress, such as family conflict or workplace challenges
- Forgetting to take your oral diabetes medication
- Problems with your insulin, such as not giving yourself enough insulin or using expired insulin
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