{"id":24460,"date":"2014-09-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-15T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/lhyperglycemie\/"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:12:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T19:12:15","slug":"understanding-and-treating-hyperglycemia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hyperglycemia\/understanding-and-treating-hyperglycemia\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding and treating hyperglycemia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>First, let&#8217;s define a few words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carbohydrates:<\/strong> sugar, in all its forms, present in the diet (starch, fiber, added\/natural sugar).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Glucose: <\/strong>sugar molecule<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Glycemia:<\/strong> blood sugar level, can be measured with a glucometer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hyperglycemia:<\/strong> high blood sugar level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hyperglycemia occurs when the amount of\u00a0insulin\u00a0in the blood is insufficient or ineffective. When glucose circulating in the blood cannot enter the\u00a0cells\u00a0because of a lack of insulin, it accumulates in the blood and raises a person\u2019s\u00a0glycemia\u00a0(blood glucose levels).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>High blood sugar values for the majority of people with diabetes are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>above 7 mmol\/L, fasting or before a meal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>above 10 mmol\/L, two hours after the begining of a meal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For pregnant women living with diabetes, hyperglycemia values are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>fasting: above 5.3 mmol\/L<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 hour after a meal: above 7.8 mmol\/L<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 hours after a meal: above 6.7 mmol\/L<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25355\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pexels-hyperglycemie-cottonbro-studio-4057753.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people may not notice their hyperglycemia. However, above a certain threshold, high blood sugar can lead to the following symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>drowsiness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>increased urination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>intense thirst<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>excessive hunger<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>involuntary weight loss<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>irritability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>dizziness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary causes of hyperglycemia are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a diet abnormally high in&nbsp;carbohydrates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reduced&nbsp;physical activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>insufficient insulin &nbsp;and\/or antidiabetic medication (dosage error or a skipped dose)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>physical stress (illness, surgery, infection, etc.) or psychological stress (mourning a death, new job, moving, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>taking certain drugs (e.g.: cortisone)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Hyperglycemia can also be caused by two lesser known phenomena: the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hyperglycemia\/understanding-and-treating-hyperglycemia\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"24460\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dawn phenomenon\u00a0and the\u00a0Somogyi effec<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/living-with-diabetes\/care-and-treatment\/hypo-hyper-glycemie\/somogyi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">t<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preventing hyperglycemia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Be aware of all the factors that can influence your blood sugar levels (there are 42 of them!). In most cases, hyperglycemia can be avoided by taking the following precautions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Measure your blood glucose (sugar) levels regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be aware of the impact of food on blood sugar levels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow dietary advice adapted to your reality, developed with a dietitian-nutritionist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take insulin or anti-diabetic medication as prescribed (avoid forgetting)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjust insulin as prescribed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adopt an active lifestyle (physical activity, active transportation, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the presence of symptoms of hyperglycemia, the person living with diabetes should take the following measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify the cause of hyperglycemia and take appropriate action, if possible:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>test blood glucose more frequently<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>if safe, engage in low-intensity physical activity to help lower blood glucose levels (e.g. walking)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>adjust insulin as prescribed;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>drink water regularly to prevent dehydration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify the cause of hyperglycemia to better prevent it in the future;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>if you live with type 1\u00a0diabetes<\/strong>: if your blood glucose level is higher than 14\u00a0mmol\/L, check for\u00a0ketones\u00a0in your urine or blood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency situations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following symptoms may indicate a hyperglycemic emergency. <strong>Seek medical attention immediately if one or more of these situations occur<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you cannot retain liquids due to vomiting or diarrhea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>your state of consciousness changes: confusion, agitation, lack of reaction to stimulation, hallucinations or unusual behaviour<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you exhibit signs of dehydration: dry mouth, sunken eyes, dry skin, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>your body temperature has stayed above 38.5 \u00b0C for more than 48 hours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>if you live with type 2 diabetes<\/strong>: your blood glucose level is higher than 25 mmol\/L with excessive drowsiness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>if you live with type 1 diabetes<\/strong>: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>your blood glucose level is higher than 20\u00a0mmol\/L with nausea, vomiting and\/or abdominal pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>your blood glucose reading is higher than 14 mmol\/L with ketones:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>above 4 mmol\/L in urine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>above 1.5 mmol\/L in blood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helpful resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Documents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leaflet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/100417-DQC2022-Depliants6-Hyperglycemie-EN.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/100417-DQC2022-Depliants6-Hyperglycemie-EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">High Blood Sugar &#8211; symptoms and actions to take <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First, let&#8217;s define a few words: Carbohydrates: sugar, in all its forms, present in the diet (starch, fiber, added\/natural sugar). Glucose: sugar molecule Glycemia: blood sugar level, can be measured with a glucometer. Hyperglycemia: high blood sugar level. Hyperglycemia occurs when the amount of\u00a0insulin\u00a0in the blood is insufficient or ineffective. When glucose circulating in the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14970,"parent":13574,"menu_order":119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"7588,12763,11781,9578,10802,10292","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24460","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24460"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36013,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24460\/revisions\/36013"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}