DANGER SIGNS THAT YOUR BLOOD SUGAR’S RISING

IF YOU’RE passing more urine than usual, suffer from persistent thirst and your blood-sugar levels are high, you could have hyperglycaemia — excessively high blood-sugar.

It can occur as a result of an infection or stress. Talk to your GP about how to get your levels down.

Severe hyperglycaemia, or Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS), which is more common in older people, is characterised by a sudden, very high rise in blood sugar (with readings over 40). It is linked to dehydration or illnesses such as heart attack of even a mild dental or urinary infection — illness can stop people taking medication or alter the way the body responds to insulin and glucose.

First symptoms include weakness, leg cramps or visual disturbance — these should never be ignored, as it can become serious very quickly. Contact your GP for advice. You may need hospital treatment with fluids and insulin and the earlier this is given the better.

Passing large amounts of urine, feeling thirsty, vomiting and abdominal pain are signs of ketoacidosis. If you have these symptoms and high blood-sugar levels, seek medical assistance.

Ketoacidosis occurs when not enough insulin is produced so the body can’t use sugar and breaks down fat for fuel. This produces ketones which, in high quantities, poison the body. Common in type 1 diabetes, new research suggests ketoacidosis is more common than thought in type 2 diabetes, too — especially in AfroCaribbean and South Asian patients, possibly due to genetic differences in the way pancreatic cells respond to blood-sugar levels. This is being called type 1b diabetes. Ketoacidosis is treated with insulin injections until sugar levels are normal again.