High blood sugar

High blood sugar levels

More and more people in Germany have difficulties with permanently elevated blood sugar levels. Often, the symptoms are a consequence of the lifestyle and with the help of a few preventive measures, it is relatively easy to avoid too high blood sugar. If there is no countermeasure, however, the long-term development of a diabetes disease with more serious health consequences threatens.

Contents:
Definition of high blood sugar
Causes of high blood sugar
Diagnosis and blood glucose measurement
Health risks
Regulation of blood sugar levels
Treatment for lowering blood sugar levels
Naturopathy with high blood sugar

Definition of high blood sugar

Blood sugar is usually referred to as glucose (glucose) in the blood, with the blood sugar or glucose level (proportion of glucose in the blood) being classified as an important medical measurement. Because glucose is an essential source of energy in the organism, which both the brain, as well as the red blood cells and the renal medulla need for energy. To supply the brain, glucose is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Normal blood sugar levels vary over the course of the day with meals, with 70 to 99 milligrams per deciliter or 3.9 to 5.5 millimoles per liter being judged normal in an empty stomach. After a carbohydrate-rich meal, normal levels can rise to a maximum of 160 milligrams per deciliter (8.9 millimoles per liter). Blood sugar levels above the above figures are considered to be high blood sugar, with a sustained increase in blood glucose usually being indicative of diabetes. The technical term for high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia.

Excessively high blood sugar levels cause consequential damage to the organism over time. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com)

Causes of high blood sugar

Constantly elevated blood sugar is usually due to diabetes, which results in impaired processing of dietary carbohydrates. Due to the lack of insulin and / or an impaired effect of the hormone, the regulation of the glucose level in the organism is disturbed, as insulin plays a decisive role in the lowering of the blood sugar concentration. If insufficient insulin is available, the blood sugar levels after meals increase significantly more than normal and remain permanently elevated. If the levels are above 126 milligrams per deciliter (seven millimoles per liter) even on an empty stomach (at least eight hours without food intake), this is a relatively clear indication of diabetes. If symptoms such as persistent feeling of thirst, frequent urination, an increased susceptibility to infections or significant weight loss occur in parallel within a few months, then diabetes can be safely assumed. Diabetes mellitus stands as a collective term for various disorders of (sugar) metabolism, the key feature is a high blood sugar.

But the high blood sugar may also have other causes. For example, blood glucose levels also rise sharply in stressful situations, severe injuries, surgery, infections, burns, severe pain or heart attack, but this is by no means an indication of diabetes. Damage to the brain due to injury or infection but also a stroke also lead to increased blood sugar levels. In addition, a pituitary gland pituitary can be the cause of high blood sugar. In addition, certain toxins and drugs increase blood sugar levels, which in rare cases can also lead to diabetes. The medicines are for example, various blood pressure, diuretics (diuretic active ingredients), some psychotropic drugs and hormones and hormone-like drugs (such as cortisone) suspected to increase blood sugar. Certain cytotoxic drugs, asthma, birth control and catecholamines (eg adrenaline, norepinephrine) more commonly used in emergency clinics can also increase blood sugar. The excessively high blood sugar levels usually disappear after the medication has been discontinued, but if the pancreas is damaged, it threatens to permanently increase blood sugar levels and, in the long term, the development of diabetes.

Diseases of the pancreas, which damage the function of the organ, also lead to increased blood sugar, as the pancreas is responsible for insulin production. Thus, also inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatic carcinoma (pancreatic cancer), injury to the organ or damage caused by the iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) can cause excessive blood sugar. The same applies to impairment of the pancreatic function in cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis) and of course in the relatively rarely required surgical removal of the organ.

Also hormonal disorders that are not based on insulin can have a negative influence on the blood sugar level. So some hormones to the effect of insulin and cause in this way too high blood sugar. If such hormones are secreted excessively, as is the case, for example, with various tumors, the blood sugar values ​​rise significantly. As blood sugar-raising hormones, for example, the growth hormone somatropin, cortisol, aldosterone (natural steroid hormone) and some thyroid hormones are known. Glucagon and somatostatin are also suspected to increase blood sugar. At the hormonal level, there are many correlations with blood sugar, and if there are signs of hormone-induced high blood sugar, the levels of the suspected hormone should always be checked by a doctor.

Diagnosis and blood glucose measurement

To control the blood sugar are primarily to provide studies of the blood, but earlier the glucose level was also often checked by means of an analysis of the urine. Due to the need of diabetics for a straightforward test procedure, the blood glucose meters have been continuously improved in recent decades and are now available in extremely handy, always portable versions. The measurement of blood sugar usually takes place on the basis of a blood sample of capillary blood. While today's blood glucose meters can not provide the same level of accuracy in results as a lab test, precision is readily available to a diabetic who wants to estimate his required insulin dose. The measuring devices give the blood sugar either in milligrams per deciliter (rather widespread in Germany) or in millimoles per liter (more widespread worldwide). The procedures provide vulnerable patients with the ability to control their blood sugar at all times and monitor the development of blood glucose levels throughout the day. As judge values ​​for the blood sugar mirror the above normal values ​​are to be used.

Health risks with high blood sugar

The health risks of high blood sugar are primarily all possible adverse effects of diabetes. Above all, the damage to the blood vessels by the permanently elevated blood sugar and the hypertension occurring simultaneously in most patients play a special role here. They are also the reason that diabetes patients are at a significantly higher risk of stroke, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and other sequelae. Patients are therefore strongly advised to regularly check their blood pressure. A permanently high blood sugar level also favors kidney disease through to acute kidney failure and damage to the peripheral nervous system. Another consequence, called diabetic retinopathy, is retinal damage caused by so-called microangiopathy (small blood vessel disease). In the long term, retinopathy can cause significant vision impairment, including complete blindness. A cure is not possible in diabetic retinopathy, but there are several therapeutic approaches that can significantly delay the course of the disease.

Another health consequence of the permanently high blood sugar is the so-called diabetic foot or diabetic foot syndrome. According to estimates by the German Diabetes Association (DDG), around ten percent of diabetes patients have discomfort with their feet during their illness. Every year, around 29,000 amputations have to be carried out due to the diabetic foot syndrome, "parts of which are removed by foot or leg," according to the statement of the DDG in its press release on the "National Care Guidelines (NVL) Type 2 Diabetes Foot Complications" Year 2010. The diabetic foot syndrome is in itself a consequence of other impairments, which are triggered by increased blood sugar levels and thus goes back only indirectly to the high blood sugar. Actually, the damage to the blood vessel in conjunction with the increased susceptibility to infections are usually the cause of diabetic foot. Even small injuries and pressure points in the area of ​​the feet lead to dangerous ulcers, which in case of doubt require amputation. Since the vascular damage and the susceptibility to infection or the worse wound healing are directly caused by the high blood sugar levels, the diabetic foot syndrome is to be mentioned as a risk in high blood sugar levels.

Another typical symptom of high blood sugar is increased urination, which may also result in dehydration (internal dehydration) of patients. Add to that chronic fatigue and dizziness (especially in the morning after getting up). If the blood glucose levels are massively above the normal values, this can also cause a loss of consciousness, the so-called hyperosmolar coma. However, this threatens only at blood sugar levels of about 1,000 milligrams per deciliter or 55.5 millimoles per liter. As already mentioned above, high blood sugar also causes an increased susceptibility to infections. If the increased blood sugar manifests as diabetes, symptoms of insulin deficiency, such as massive weight loss, abdominal pain, breathed acetone or nausea and vomiting, are more frequent.

Regulation of blood sugar levels

The hormone insulin makes the essential contribution to the regulation of the blood sugar values. Insulin regulates the breakdown of glucose by promoting the accumulation of blood sugar in the cells, uses the excess blood sugar to build up the energy storage glycogen (especially in the liver) and inhibits the production of glucose from protein fragments. Insulin is the most important hormone for the utilization and storage of blood sugar, whereby it also makes a significant contribution to the development of fatty tissue. Too high a blood sugar is therefore usually due to a low distribution or impaired function of the insulin. However, other hormones also contribute to the regulation of blood sugar. Thus, glucagon also often plays an essential role in high blood sugar levels. Glucagon increases blood sugar, among other things, by promoting the breakdown of the glucose storage glycogen to glucose. Furthermore, glucagon stimulates the production of glucose from protein fragments and promotes fat breakdown, the latter also being converted to glucose. Increased blood sugar levels could therefore also be due to excessive glucagon secretion.

The hormones listed in the section "causes of high blood sugar" also have a not insignificant effect on the regulation of blood sugar, although their importance in relation to insulin is less significant. The most influential are the so-called catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine. They significantly increase blood sugar levels in no time by, among other things, activating the reserves of glucose storage in the liver. The growth hormones also increase blood sugar, because they inhibit the storage of glucose in muscle and fat cells and stimulate the breakdown of glucose storage glycogen. Cortisol also interferes with blood sugar regulation, whereby the hormone promotes the formation of glucose from protein components and thus raises the blood sugar level.

The regulation of blood sugar always refers to the breakdown of the glucose absorbed through the diet and the use of glucose stores in the organism. The carbohydrates of food contain glucose, which is released as part of the digestive process and causes the blood sugar level to go up. As a result, the insulin absorbs its effect as described above and the blood sugar level goes down again. The glucose storage (glycogen) uses the organism to keep the blood sugar level constant even in (longer) phases without food intake. The glycogen stored in the muscles and liver can be reactivated at any time, ensuring the body's energy supply for a limited time. However, the reserves last a maximum of 24 hours. After that, more fat and protein is converted into glucose, but insufficient blood sugar can be provided to keep the glucose level constant in the long term.

Treatment for lowering blood sugar levels

Since blood glucose levels are significantly related to dietary carbohydrates, adhering to a strict diet is the basis for successful treatment. The diet plan should be set up in close consultation with the therapist and under regular control of blood glucose levels. If diabetes has already manifested itself, the milder forms can also be tackled with a consistent diet combined with exercise therapy against high blood sugar. The physical training in the context of exercise therapy also has the consequence that increased blood sugar is absorbed by muscle cells, so that the blood sugar level drops. In addition, the exercise therapy helps to reduce excess weight, which in turn has a negative impact on blood sugar levels. If high blood sugar levels can not be lowered by the diet in conjunction with exercise therapies, drug treatment is needed to stabilize blood glucose levels.

The diets recommended for high blood sugar primarily provide a balanced whole foods diet, taking into account carbohydrate and fat intake. The individual energy and nutrient requirements determined on the basis of age, gender, occupation and leisure activities must also be taken into consideration. In addition, the calorie content of the food can be used as a guide. Ideally, food intake is spread over several smaller meals (up to seven a day) rather than three main meals. The basic recommendation on the composition of the diet provides for a percentage distribution of 50 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent fats and 15 percent protein. The proportion of monosaccharides (white flour, sugar) should be kept as low as possible and instead the proportion of polysaccharides (potatoes, wholegrain, rice) should be increased. Grape sugar, sucrose and honey should be avoided as much as possible. Here, other sweeteners such as the extract of the stevia plant can serve as a substitute. In addition, to stabilize blood sugar levels, the diet should be high in fiber as fiber inhibits the delivery of carbohydrates into the intestine. In this way, a disproportionate increase in the course of daily meals can be prevented. For more information on the possible dietary approaches that allow a reduction in blood sugar levels, for example, be inquired of the doctor or nutritionist.

If no therapeutic success can be achieved with the help of diet and exercise therapy, various medications can help to lower blood sugar. If the increased blood sugar goes back to a diminished insulin production, from an orthodox medical point of view, for example, it is advisable to carry out an oral medication therapy, whereby different prescription-active substances are available. These include, among others, sulfonylureas (drug: Rp Gluborid® or Rp Euglucon®), which cause increased insulin secretion of the pancreas and thus lower blood sugar. However, the oral drug therapy in the severe forms of diabetes is not enough to stabilize blood glucose levels in the long term. In these cases, insulin therapy is usually used. Patients regularly inject insulin to lower their blood glucose levels. A distinction must be made between short-acting insulins, delayed-release insulins, long-term insulins and mixed insulins. Insulin is usually obtained today as genetically produced human insulin.

Naturopathy with high blood sugar

Naturopathy offers numerous treatment methods for the treatment of high blood sugar levels, which have in the past delivered quite promising results. For example, based on homeopathy, a significant improvement in (sugar) metabolism can often be achieved. Also, orthomolecular therapy using zinc can increase insulin intensity and lower blood sugar. Since the elevated blood sugar levels put the affected person's organism under oxidative stress, orthomolecular therapy also provides for the intake of antioxidant vitamin C or vitamin E. The administration of brewer's yeast can also increase the glucose tolerance, strengthen the effect of the insulin and reduce the blood sugar values ​​in the long term due to the chromium contained. In general, B vitamins are used in parallel to reduce the risk of nerve damage. Osteopathy is also used to treat high blood sugar levels, which may seem strange at first, but mechanical intervention with the hands stimulates pancreatic function. Thus, osteopathy in conjunction with the other naturopathic methods for lowering blood sugar develops a supporting effect.

In addition, naturopathy knows various medicinal plants that are used in the context of phytotherapy against high blood sugar levels. For example, dandelion, because of its detoxifying effect and promotion of liver metabolism, is considered to be beneficial for blood glucose levels. Because the liver plays an essential role in the regulation of blood sugar levels. The chicory (Cichorium intybus) has a positive effect on high blood sugar due to its stimulating effect on the upper abdominal organs spleen, pancreas and liver. The same applies to the so-called centaury (Centaurium erythraea). Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) also counteract increased blood sugar levels. In the course of the naturopathic treatment, it is urgently necessary to perform regular blood sugar controls, whereby in case of doubt there is no way around a conventional drug therapy (insulin) to avoid the long-term risks of high blood sugar. (Fp)