Causes (2)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Diabetic neuropathy
Complications (7)
- Dehydration
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Amputation and diabetes: How to protect your feet
- see all in Complications
Lifestyle and home remedies (23)
- Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
- Diabetes nutrition: Eating out when you have diabetes
- Diabetes nutrition: Including sweets in your meal plan
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Prevention (1)
- Diabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control
Risk factors (1)
- Diabetes risk self-assessment
Symptoms (1)
- Diabetes symptoms: When to consult your doctor
Tests and diagnosis (1)
- Blood sugar tests: Understanding your results
Treatments and drugs (9)
- Insulin and weight gain: Keep the pounds off
- Erectile dysfunction and diabetes: Take control today
- Intensive insulin therapy: Achieving tight blood sugar control
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Hyperglycemia and diabetes: What to watch out for
Everyone has occasional episodes of high blood sugar. Still, hyperglycemia is nothing to take lightly. Learn how to spot high blood sugar — and what to do about it.
By Mayo Clinic staffYou have diabetes. You're taking your medication and checking your blood sugar level. But your mouth feels dry, and you've been thirsty all day. When you check your blood sugar level, you discover it's a lot higher than your target range. This is known as hyperglycemia. It's serious — but you can take immediate steps to treat it.
Why blood sugar rises
Your diabetes treatment plan is designed to help you avoid hyperglycemia. But everyone has occasional episodes of high blood sugar. The most common culprits include:
- Eating too much food or the wrong foods
- Exercising too little
- Physical stress, such as an infection or other illness
- Emotional stress, such as family conflict or workplace challenges
- Forgetting to take your oral diabetes medication
- Problems with your insulin, such as not giving yourself enough insulin or using expired insulin
(1 of 2)
