Hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis are common complications of diabetes. All people with diabetes should understand these conditions and learn how to handle them when they occur.
Hyperglycemia
As previously indicated, high blood glucose, termed hyperglycemia, refers to abnormally elevated blood glucose levels. Typically, hyperglycemia is defined as blood sugar or glucose >125 mg/dL in an individual who has fasted for the last eight hours or >180 mg/dL for a person who has eaten in the past two hours. The condition typically develops if an individual has too little insulin for the amount of blood glucose or has insulin resistance and cannot correctly use the insulin. Symptoms of hyperglycemia typically include increased thirst, fatigue, headaches, blurred vision, and frequent urination.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia indicates a low blood glucose level, usually defined as a blood sugar or glucose level of <70 mg/dL. The condition can occur due to several reasons, such as missing a meal or eating later than planned, increased physical activity, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, or taking too much of an insulin dose. Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include increased hunger, shakiness, rapid heart rate, blurry vision, irritability, and confusion. Mild to moderate cases of hypoglycemia can usually be treated by eating or drinking 15 grams of fast-acting carbs to raise blood glucose levels. Severe cases of hypoglycemia may cause seizures and loss of consciousness, which may necessitate emergency care; for severe cases, glucagon injections may be necessary, especially for those patients who have lost consciousness and cannot take fast-acting carbs by mouth. (Normally, when blood glucose levels fall too low, the pancreas releases glucagon, which helps blood glucose levels rise by triggering the liver to convert stored glycogen into usable glucose and then release it into the bloodstream).
