10 Causes of high blood sugar that you should pay attention to

Although it generally occurs in people with diabetes mellitus, increased blood sugar or hyperglycemia can actually be experienced by anyone. However, those of you who have diabetes certainly have to be more vigilant about this condition. Even though insulin hormone disruption is the main cause, several factors can play a role in causing high blood sugar. You must recognize it. Anything? Here comes the list.

Various things that cause high blood sugar

Blood sugar level refers to the level of glucose present in the bloodstream. Glucose itself is the main source of energy for the body and comes from foods that contain carbohydrates.

The normal blood sugar limit for adults is usually 100 mg / dL or less than 140 mg / dL after meals. Meanwhile, blood sugar levels can be said to be high (hyperglycemia), which is when the fasting blood sugar value (before eating) is more than 125 mg / dL and more than 180 mg / dL after eating.

The characteristics of high blood sugar are not only indicated by blood sugar levels that rise above normal limits, but can also be marked by disturbing symptoms.

According to the American Diabetes Association, the following are common symptoms of high blood sugar:

Urinating frequently
Often feel thirsty
Losing weight drastically
Dry skin
Visual disturbances

The causes of high blood sugar levels can come from insulin disorders or conditions and lifestyle that affect blood sugar regulation in the body, such as:

1. Disorders of the hormone insulin

Basically, the cause of high blood sugar levels is a lack of supply of the hormone insulin or when the insulin hormone does not work optimally due to insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone that plays an important role in maintaining normal blood sugar levels. This hormone helps the process of absorption of glucose by the body's cells to then be converted into energy.

Well, disorders of the insulin hormone can be caused by autoimmune conditions, genetic factors, age, or the adoption of an unhealthy lifestyle that causes excess body weight.

2. Dehydration

Dehydration can also cause increased blood sugar levels in the body.

This is due to the lack of fluids in the blood flow in the body resulting in an increase in the concentration of sugar in the blood, aka the blood becomes thicker.

This relationship can also occur in reverse, when blood sugar increases, the body will excrete more urine to balance the concentration of fluids in the body. Therefore, an increase in blood sugar levels also triggers dehydration.

3. Artificial sweeteners

Many people who suffer from diabetes mellitus consider that it is safe to consume foods or drinks that do not contain sugar or are labeled sugar-free. There are those who even replace natural sugars with artificial sweeteners because they are considered safer.

In fact, similar to sugar or natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners can still increase blood sugar levels if consumed in excess.

The risk of artificial sweeteners being the cause of this blood sugar was discovered in a 2014 study in The Journal Nature .

Researchers reported that consumption of artificially sweetened drinks labeled "zero calories" in healthy people (non-diabetics) can lead to glucose intolerance, increased blood sugar levels, and a risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

4. The phenomenon of dawn

Phenomenon of dawn or dawn phenomenon is a condition that can cause high blood sugar. This condition occurs when the body experiences an increase in a number of hormones which can increase blood sugar drastically.

As the name suggests, the phenomenon of dawn is common at 2-8 a.m., during which the body secretes hormones such as growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon and epinephrine, which can increase insulin resistance. This condition makes insulin performance even more inhibited so that blood sugar rises.

5. Menstruation

Hormonal changes during menstruation also affect blood sugar levels.

The instability of female hormones that are entering menstrual periods can make the body less sensitive to insulin. This condition can cause blood sugar to rise. Usually this happens a week before menstruation takes place.

6. Medicines

Certain medications can also affect your blood sugar levels. The reason is, some drugs have side effects on increasing blood sugar levels in the body.

According to studies in journals Diabetes Spectrum Several drugs are known to trigger an increase in blood sugar levels, namely:

Corticosteroids: usually given to treat inflammation in the body such as for asthma, arthritis, and other respiratory tract infections.
Antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs: drugs used in mental health therapy such as olanzapine and clozapine .
Beta blockers: a class of drugs used to lower blood pressure, treat arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), to reduce anxiety.
Protase inhibitors:drugs used in the treatment of HIV / AIDS, such as ritonavir.
Diuretic drugs: this drug is used to treat high blood pressure and increase fluids, for example, thiazide diuretics.
Cyclosporine: drugs used in the treatment of kidney transplants.
Nicotinic acid or niacin: drugs to lower blood fats thereby reducing bad cholesterol levels and increasing good cholesterol.

Taking birth control pills also affects blood sugar levels. Therefore, diabetics are advised to take combination birth control pills, such as norgestimate and synthetic estrogen.

However, that does not mean you are completely prohibited from taking these drugs. Consult with your doctor about the rules for consuming drugs that trigger this increase in blood sugar. That way, you can get the benefits while avoiding side effects that can harm your health.

7. Lack of sleep

Research published in The Journal of Diabetes Care showed that when people with type 1 diabetes limit sleep to 4 hours a night, their insulin sensitivity decreases by 14-21%.

Lack of sleep will increase stress on the body and result in increased blood sugar levels. The reason is, during sleep, there is a decrease in the hormone cortisol and the activity of the sarah system which can help regulate blood sugar levels.

8. Consuming coffee

Even though you don't use sugar, coffee consumption can cause high blood sugar. The reason is, the caffeine in coffee can indeed affect the increase in blood sugar for some people.

Research conducted by Duke University in 2008 found that people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have the habit of consuming coffee or tea containing 500 mg of caffeine, can increase 7.5% of blood sugar levels.

9. Being sick

Diseases caused by viral or bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, can be the cause of high blood sugar.

When sick or there is an infection in the body, the body will produce hormones and boost the immune system to fight germs and bacteria. However, when people with diabetes are sick or have an infectious disease, their blood sugar tends to increase.

10. Skip breakfast

It turns out that breakfast can also help stabilize sugar levels throughout the day. Described in The Journal of Diabetes Care, when people with type 2 diabetes mellitus skip breakfast, the pancreatic beta cells which function to produce insulin work not optimally, causing blood sugar to rise.

How to deal with high blood sugar

If you feel symptoms of high blood sugar due to the causes above, you should immediately check your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar checks can be done through a test at a health care center or independently at home using a blood sugar check tool.

If your blood sugar does rise from normal limits, various medical and home remedies can be used as a way to lower blood sugar. Some of these include:

Undergo medication that aims to lower blood sugar.
Regular exercise.
Eat regularly balanced nutrition.
Manage stress.
Routinely check blood sugar.

Disruption in the hormone insulin is the main cause of high blood sugar levels, but several factors can also contribute to triggering a normal blood sugar rise. You need to be aware of and avoid the things that cause this blood sugar to rise in order to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits.