My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Diabetes: Managing Acute High Blood Sugar
Overview
With type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar often develops gradually over time. However, high blood sugar can develop quickly in some people, especially in people with type 1 diabetes. Treatment of acute high blood sugar is mostly needed in type 1 diabetes.
In the short term, high blood sugar can cause dehydration and you may or may not have other symptoms. Over time, high blood sugar can lead to diabetes complications by gradually damaging blood vessels, organs, and nerves.
Monitoring your blood sugar with your glucose meter on a regular basis helps alert you to high blood sugar levels so that you can take action. When you have high blood sugar, it is important for us to discuss a plan for bringing your blood sugar into the target range. Early treatment prevents mildly high blood sugar from becoming very high blood sugar, which requires urgent medical care. Early treatment also helps prevent complications. Talk with us about what blood sugar level is too high for you.
Symptoms
Monitoring your blood sugar with your glucose meter is the best way to know if your blood sugar is high. You may or may not experience symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include:
- Extreme tiredness
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Blurry vision or a change in vision
- Increased hunger
- Unintentional weight loss
- Sores or cuts that heal slowly
- Numbness or tingling in your feet
- Frequent infections of skin, gums, bladder, or vagina
You need immediate medical care if your symptoms are more severe. Symptoms of dangerously high blood sugar include:
- Difficulty waking up
- Confusion
- Moderate to severe abdominal pain
- Dizziness or weakness when sitting or standing
- Rapid, deep breathing
- Strong, fruity breath odor (similar to nail polish or acetone)
Call us immediately or come to the nearest Emergency Room if you have any of these symptoms. These are possible signs of severe dehydration and an emergency condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). With diabetic ketoacidosis, there is not enough insulin in the body, resulting in very high blood sugar levels and changes in the metabolism. People with type 1 diabetes can experience DKA, and some people with type 2 diabetes can develop it. Ketoacidosis is usually caused by not taking enough insulin or having a severe infection or illness. The best way to prevent DKA is by regularly monitoring your blood sugar and taking immediate action if your blood sugar is high.
Causes and Prevention
Causes
High blood sugar can result from:
- Eating more carbohydrate than usual
- Being less active than usual
- Having an illness or infection
- Stress
- Not taking enough diabetes medication or insulin
- Not drinking enough or being dehydrated
Prevention
You can prevent frequent high blood sugar levels by caring for your diabetes: eating healthy foods, being physically active, taking your medication, and monitoring your blood sugar. Talk with us about your blood sugar targets and contact us if you notice frequent or persistent high blood sugar readings so we may adjust your treatment plan.
Treatment
Check your blood sugar as often as you and your physician decide. Watch for trends or patterns. Are your blood sugar readings consistently high all day or high only at certain times of the day?
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water or noncaffeinated, sugar-free beverages to keep you hydrated. High blood sugar causes dehydration, which can become serious.
Take your diabetes pills or insulin as prescribed. Many people struggle with consistently taking medications. Develop a plan to take your diabetes pills or insulin as prescribed.
Eat a healthy diet. Limit sweets and choose moderate portions of carbohydrate foods. Space meals and snacks in a regular pattern throughout the day.
Be physically active at a comfortable pace. When your blood sugar is high, we do not recommend strenuous activity because it can further increase blood sugar levels. If you have type 1 diabetes and your blood sugar is above 250 mg/dL, check your urine for ketones using the ketostix prescribed by us. Having ketones in your urine means your body needs more insulin. If there are moderate or high ketones, do not exercise and contact us right away to discuss your treatment.
Contact us if your blood sugar readings are persistently high. We will discuss adjusting your medication and other treatments. Call us right away for urgent treatment if you:
- Feel confused or very lethargic.
- Have ketones in your urine.
- Have symptoms of dehydration, such as extreme thirst, dry mouth, and cracked lips, or have not urinated for 8 hours.
Related Health Tools:
Interactive Programs
- Manage diabetes with Care™ for Diabetes Manage diabetes with Care™ for Diabetes
Personal Logs and Diaries
- Diabetes Blood Sugar Log Diabetes Blood Sugar Log
- Diabetes Blood Sugar Log (Spanish) Diabetes Blood Sugar Log (Spanish)
Videos
- Insulin for Diabetes Insulin for Diabetes
- Insulina para la diabetes (Spanish) Insulina para la diabetes (Spanish)
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.