New-Onset Hyperglycemia (Diabetes Suspected)

Your blood sugar is high today. This is called hyperglycemia. It means there is too much sugar (glucose) in your blood.

Things that can cause high blood sugar include:

• Certain medicines. These include glucocorticoids.

• Stress.

• An infection.

• Eating just before your blood was drawn.

• Certain health conditions. These include high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels.

• Higher weight or obesity.

• Not enough physical activity, or spending a lot of time sitting.

• Hormonal disorders. These include Cushing's syndrome and acromegaly.

A common cause is diabetes. Diabetes occurs when your body does not make enough insulin. This is a hormone that helps control blood sugar. Tests can help find the cause of high blood sugar. To bring your blood sugar down, you may get insulin.

When your body is working normally, the food you eat is turned into sugar. The sugar goes into your bloodstream. Insulin helps sugar move from the blood into the body’s cells. There, it is used as fuel. When you have diabetes, the sugar cannot enter the cells. It stays in the blood. This causes high blood sugar. And it causes the pancreas to make more insulin. Too much insulin over a long time lowers the response of the insulin receptors. These receptors move sugar into the cells. This makes the high blood sugar worse. And it can lead to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

If not controlled, diabetes can cause long-term health problems. It can harm your blood vessels, heart, and nerves. This can happen even if you do not have symptoms. It can also harm your kidneys, the retina of your eyes, and other organs. Over time, high blood sugar can make a heart attack or stroke more likely. Metabolic problems caused by high blood sugar can lead to blindness and renal failure. They can also lead to peripheral neuropathy and loss of a limb, such as a toe or foot.