A reading above 300 mg/dL can be dangerous, according to the University of Michigan, which recommends immediately informing your doctor if you have two or more readings of 300 mg/dL in a row. In severe cases, very high blood sugar levels (well above 300 mg/dL) can result in coma.
If you notice that your blood sugar levels are often high, (above 10mmol) you should contact your diabetes healthcare team. They will review your treatment and provide you with advice on how to get your blood sugar levels back within your target range. This advice may include increasing your medication.
What is the highest blood sugar level that is safe? For a diabetic individual blood sugar levels between 160 to 240mg/dl is highest sugar levels that is safe. Normal blood sugar level for any individual before meals is between 80 to130 mg/dL. After 1-2 hours of meal it should be less than 180 mg/dL.
Seek immediate help from your care provider or call 911 if:
You have ongoing diarrhea or vomiting, and you can't keep any food or fluids down. Your blood glucose levels stay above 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (13.3 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)) and you have symptoms of ketones in your urine.
If your blood sugar levels are consistently higher than your target range (usually 11 mmol/L to 20 mmol/L, and 11 mmol/L to 14 mmol/L in children), you may have mild symptoms of high blood sugar.
Treating hyperglycaemia
If you're not sure what to do, contact your GP or care team. You may be advised to: change your diet – for example, you may be advised to avoid foods that cause your blood sugar levels to rise, such as cakes or sugary drinks. drink plenty of sugar-free fluids – this can help if you're dehydrated.
What do my blood sugar numbers mean? Persistently high blood sugar usually means you have diabetes. If HbA1c is more than 48 mmol/mol or fasting blood glucose is more than 11 mmol/L, your blood sugar is high.
Dietary changes, exercise, and many other things can eventually help you decrease your blood sugar levels. However, this process is not immediate. The only way to lower blood sugar immediately is to take insulin, administered by the doctor, or to take potent supplements, which will react within 3-4 hours.
A blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is normal. A reading of more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours means you have diabetes. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) means you have prediabetes.
Diagnosis. Blood sugar levels that occur during a diabetic coma include: Blood sugar that is higher than 300 mg/dL two times in a row for no reason. Blood sugar that is low, less than 70 mg/dL, and the numbers don't increase after three treatments.
Hyperglycemia, the term for expressing high blood sugar, has been defined by the World Health Organisation as: Blood glucose levels greater than 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dl) when fasting. Blood glucose levels greater than 11.0 mmol/L (200 mg/dl) 2 hours after meals.
Missing Meals? Avoid Dangerous Blood Sugar if You Have Diabetes. Skipping a meal is typically no big deal. But if you're a person with diabetes, skipping meals or a lack of meal structure could result in dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
How Much Is Too Much? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men. But the average American gets way more: 22 teaspoons a day (88 grams).
People often experience headaches, dizziness, sweating, shaking, and a feeling of anxiety. However, when a person experiences diabetic shock or severe hypoglycemia, they may lose consciousness, have trouble speaking, and experience double vision.
Emergency treatment for severe hyperglycemia
If you have signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, you may be treated in the emergency room or admitted to the hospital.
Your blood sugar level rises immediately after eating a meal or snack (Figure 2). In a healthy person, insulin then starts working, and the blood sugar level returns to the pre-meal level 2 hours after eating. In untreated diabetes patients, the blood sugar level does not return to the pre-meal level of its own accord.
The dawn phenomenon leads to high levels of blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. It usually happens between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. The cause of the dawn phenomenon isn't clear. Some researchers believe the overnight release of certain hormones that happens naturally increases insulin resistance.
Coffee—even without sweetener. Some people's blood sugar is extra-sensitive to caffeine. Losing sleep—even just one night of too little sleep can make your body use insulin less well. Skipping breakfast—going without that morning meal can increase blood sugar after both lunch and dinner.
Blood sugar testing at home
In most cases, doctors ask people to measure fasting blood sugar immediately upon waking and before they have anything to eat or drink. It may also be appropriate to test blood sugar before eating or 2 hours after a meal, which is when blood sugar returns to normal levels.