High blood sugar is not necessarily diabetes, recognize the toxicity of glucose!

High blood sugar or hyperglycemia does not necessarily indicate that you have diabetes. Anyone can actually have high blood sugar levels. Although most of those who have high blood sugar have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Not only diabetes, high blood sugar levels can also cause glucose (blood sugar) toxicity.

What is glucose toxicity?

Glucose toxicity or glucotoxicity is a condition of high blood sugar levels in the long term (chronic) resulting in permanent damage to beta cells in the pancreas. This condition then causes a decrease in the production of the hormone insulin.

Beta cells help your body produce and release the hormone insulin. Insulin helps the absorption of glucose or blood sugar into the body's cells so that cells can convert it into energy. The process of metabolizing blood sugar with the help of insulin helps to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits.

High blood sugar levels, aka hyperglycemia, can reduce the ability of beta cells to produce insulin.

This high blood sugar condition does not necessarily indicate that you have diabetes. However, indeed you are at high risk of developing diabetes or it can be said that you have prediabetes.

High levels of blood sugar cause beta cells to continuously release insulin into the bloodstream. Beta cells that work too hard over time will get tired and their work function will decrease, eventually causing permanent damage.

In a scientific study entitled Glucose Toxicity, it was explained that blood sugar toxicity is a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes because glucose toxicity can also cause insulin resistance, which is a contributing factor to type 2 diabetes.

Signs and symptoms of glucose toxicity

Symptoms of high blood sugar or signs that may occur if you experience glucose toxicity are:

• Often feel thirsty
• Urinating frequently
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• The wound is difficult to heal

When is it necessary to be aware of the risk of diabetes?

The best way to check if you have glucose toxicity is to check your blood sugar and insulin levels regularly.

Chronic hyperglycemia can be characterized by blood sugar levels that can reach 240 (mg / dL) for a long time. If you experience it, see a doctor immediately for further tests.

If you do not have diabetes or have not had your blood sugar levels checked, your doctor will recommend doing an A1C test.

This test is done to measure the average blood sugar level in the last three months. If you have a fasting blood sugar level above 126 mg / dl or an A1C of more than 6.5 percent, you have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

What causes blood sugar toxicity?

Various things can cause high blood sugar levels to cause sugar toxicity for a long time (chronic hyperglycemia), including:

• Use of drugs that trigger an increase in blood sugar
• Oxidative stress is a condition that refers to the abundance of free radicals in the body
• Unhealthy and irregular eating patterns
• Eating too many foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates
• Lack of active movement and rarely exercise
• Can't manage stress well

How to deal with glucose toxicity

Blood sugar toxicity is treated by lowering your blood sugar levels. This can be done by regulating food intake, doing regular exercise, getting insulin injections, and taking blood sugar-lowering drugs.

Taking diabetes medications or antioxidants, such as metformin and troglitazone, may be an effective treatment for glucose toxicity caused by oxidative stress.

However, the consumption of these drugs must of course be done under the supervision of a doctor. To get treatment that suits your health condition, make sure you consult a doctor first.

How to prevent?

Here are two effective ways you can prevent glucose toxicity from occurring:

1. Healthy diet

You can reduce your risk of developing glucose toxicity by reducing your blood sugar levels through a healthy diet. The first step in doing this is to regulate your carbohydrate intake.

This doesn't mean that you should completely avoid carbohydrate-containing foods. The most important thing is, make sure that you consume it within reasonable limits.

According to the American Diabetes Association, the daily carbohydrate limit will depend on your weight, height, and activity level.

As a reference, you should eat 30-75 grams of carbohydrates in one serving of food. For snacks, 15-30 grams of carbohydrates are sufficient for one meal.

2. Manage stress well

Reducing stress can also help prevent blood sugar spikes. Stress levels greatly affect the balance of blood sugar levels. This is because stress can inhibit insulin production in the body.

Therefore, it is important to deal with the stress that weighs on your mind. Try to share your problem with the people closest to you. Also avoid forcing yourself to think positively.

Meditation, breathing exercises, and other relaxation exercises are some of the ways that can help you calm down when stressed. You can also do yoga which is not only good for stress management, but is also a type of exercise that helps lower blood sugar levels.

If you experience some signs of blood sugar toxicity, immediately consult your doctor in order to get the right diagnosis. If left untreated, this condition is at risk of leading to diabetes and the emergence of diabetes complications at a faster rate.

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