Five Warning Signs Your Blood Sugar is Out of Control

Have you been feeling extra “hangry” lately? Marketers embraced this portmanteau of angry and hungry but it’s a pretty accurate description of what happens when your blood sugar drops. Suddenly you don’t just “need to feed’” but feel ready to run over anyone or anything that gets in your way. The solution? Turns out those high-sugar drinks or snack you usually avoid are the perfect solution to low blood sugar. Most of the time, a little bit of honey or a few pieces of candy are all it takes to get your glucose levels back to normal.

Our blood sugar moves up and down all day. For non-diabetics, high blood sugar levels are far less common than low blood sugar ones. Still, an occasional episode isn’t cause for concern. However, if it’s becoming a common experience, there are steps you can take. It’s also important to learn if you have normal blood sugar levels. 

That’s where a convenient, at-home test from Kyla comes in. Unlike other companies that charge hundreds of dollars, for just $99 Kyla delivers a range of tests that not only check your blood sugar levels but also look at possible hormonal imbalances, cardiac concerns, and vitamin deficiencies. You can put some of the money you save toward buying healthy, non-blood sugar spiking food. First, you’ll want to know five important blood sugar warning signs.

1. You Feel Like You Just Worked Out, But You Didn’t 

Usually, everything works seamlessly. Hormones released by your liver, intestines, and pancreas along with chemical messengers released by neurons called neuropeptides, help your body maintain normal blood sugar levels of between 80 to 130 milligrams per deciliter. Your pancreas plays a vital role. This organ rests behind your stomach and besides aiding in digestion its big job is secreting hormones into your bloodstream. The hormone insulin lowers your blood sugar while glucagon elevates it. Even healthy people can occasionally experience low blood sugar or high blood sugar symptoms.

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar actually can happen after an intense workout. Although intermittent fasting has proven benefits, going 14-16 hours without eating is extra challenging if a workout is included before the fast is broken. If you’ve been fasting and had issues with blood sugar regulation you may want to add a protein shake or meal bar to your gym bag.

Dropping below normal blood sugar levels can cause your heart to accelerate and even make you sweaty. If this happens in the middle of the day, it’s a good sign you either skipped breakfast or ate something that didn’t stay with you. The short-term solution to this sort of mild hypoglycemia is drinking four ounces (one-third of a can) of regular soda (not diet) or juice. A teaspoon of sugar (or honey or corn syrup) can all bring your blood sugar back up. So can a few jelly beans or gum drops.

To avoid low blood sugar in the future, the key is avoiding foods that quickly raise your blood sugar which makes you prone to the dreaded blood sugar crash. Look for carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks carbs based on how quickly they will elevate your blood sugar levels –– with pure sugar the highest at 100. Good, low glycemic choices include peanuts, Greek yogurt, and bananas. You can also increase the variety of your meals and their taste thanks to some awesome healthy recipes from Kyla. 

2. You Feel Like You’re Stuck in Traffic… Then Everything Gets Blurry  

Sudden irritability, nervousness, or feeling jittery is another sure sign of mild hypoglycemia. For some, it’s pretty close to experiencing a panic attack or that anxious freeway feeling of being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. That’s because if you ignore those initial early warning signs of low blood sugar, chances are they’ll progress. You’ll feel light-headed and dizzy. Your vision might blur. You could even have a hard time walking. 

If you’ve ever experienced this, you know how scary it is. That’s why it’s so important that you take control. If you drink alcohol regularly, you may have a hard time maintaining normal blood sugar levels. You may find that moderating your alcohol consumption resolves the issue. Some medications also cause low blood sugar. If you’ve had stomach surgery, you may also have an issue with blood sugar.

Unfortunately, there are a number of serious health issues related to your glucose levels. That’s why it’s so important that you get an HbA1c test. Just a simple needle prick at home and you can send the results to Kyla. High A1c levels – over 5.7% could indicate pre-diabetes while diabetes is anything over 6.5% –– is an early warning sign. 

If you are having a hard time maintaining normal blood sugar levels, it could be a warning sign for a condition affecting your pancreas (which is responsible for keeping your blood sugar well regulated.) Blood sugar issues can also be connected to your kidneys or your liver. That’s why glucose testing is so important. Learning if you have low or high A1c levels is an important step toward taking control of your health. 

Ignoring consistent low blood sugar episodes is a recipe for disaster. If the condition progresses, severe hypoglycemia can cause you to lose consciousness or even slip into a coma. Don’t wait to learn about your blood sugar. 

3. You’re Not Diabetic, But Your Symptoms Are Similar

You likely know some of the most common symptoms for diabetes. These include suddenly being thirsty and finding your thirst hard to quench. All that lust for liquid has a price. You are always on the go and frequent urination ––especially at night –– is an early warning sign for diabetes. 

Excessive thirst and frequent urination are also some of the more common high blood sugar symptoms. You may have hyperglycemia if your glucose levels regularly rise above 180 mg/dL within two hours of eating. You may experience some other symptoms like feeling tired or getting headaches at a significantly lower level. Don’t wait to find out what’s going on. Speak to your doctor or get a simple at-home test from Kyla.

4. Your Stomach Isn’t Behaving Itself

If you have tummy trouble, you might not realize it could be a warning sign. Stomach issues are one of the more common high blood sugar symptoms. You might have stomach pain, or you might throw up or just feel nauseous. The problem is, stomach issues can be a warning sign for all sorts of conditions. That’s why getting a simple at-home test is so vital. 

High A1c levels could indicate diabetes. What’s great about getting a test from Kyla is that it also looks at the stress hormone cortisol –– if your cortisol levels are consistently elevated, it needs to be addressed. Elevated cortisol can not only affect your sleep and weaken your immune system, it can also lead to serious health issues down the road. If your body is not properly processing insulin, you could be experiencing high blood sugar symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to not only get an at-home test but have medical professionals waiting and available to discuss your concerns and a strategy for getting your blood sugar under control. 

5. You Don’t Actually Know Your Blood Sugar Levels

Ignorance is not bliss. It’s definitely a warning sign. Not knowing if you have a healthy blood sugar level means you aren’t able to take important steps to not only regulate your blood sugar but improve your overall health. That’s where Kyla comes in. Not just an at-home testing company, Kyla combines AI and healthcare to deliver a personalized risk profile.

When you receive your results you’ll not only learn if you have high A1c levels, you’ll discover steps you can take to live a long and healthy life. Kyla will do more than help you get your blood sugar levels back on track. They will also help you turn back the clock –– reversing the effects of aging and putting you back in control.

Sources: 

1. “What’s ‘Hangry’?” Merriam Webster Online, https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/hangry-meaning
2. Röder, Pia V et al. “Pancreatic regulation of glucose homeostasis,” Experimental & Molecular Medicine. March 11, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892884/#:~:text=Maintenance of blood glucose levels,blood glucose levels through glycogenolysis.
3. “Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) in People Without Diabetes,” My Health Alberta. March 1, 2023. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=rt1054
4. “Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose),” American Diabetes Association. https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care/hypoglycemia
5. Borg, R et al. “Real-life glycaemic profiles in non-diabetic individuals with low fasting glucose and normal HbA1c: the A1C-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) study.” Diabetologia vol. 53,8 (2010): 1608-11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892065/
6. Armitage, Hanae. “Diabetic-level glucose spikes seen in healthy people,” Stanford Medicine. July 24, 2018. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/07/diabetic-level-glucose-spikes-seen-in-healthy-people.html
7. Shmerling, Robert H., MD. “Is blood sugar monitoring without diabetes worthwhile?” Harvard Health. June 11, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-blood-sugar-monitoring-without-diabetes-worthwhile-202106112473