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***How to Recognize and Manage a Blood Sugar Spike***
Blood sugar spikes occur when glucose, a simple sugar, builds up in the bloodstream. For people with diabetes, this happens because of the body’s inability to properly use glucose.

***What is high blood sugar?***
Most of the food you eat is broken down into glucose. Your body needs glucose because it’s the primary fuel that makes your muscles, organs, and brain work properly. But glucose can’t be used as fuel until it enters your cells.

Insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, unlocks cells so glucose can enter them. Without insulin, that glucose keeps floating around in your bloodstream with nowhere to go. It can become increasingly more concentrated over time.

When glucose builds up in your bloodstream, your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels rise. Over time, this can cause damage to organs, nerves, and blood vessels.

Blood sugar spikes occur in people with diabetes because their bodies are unable to use insulin effectively.

Keep reading to learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of blood sugar spikes.

***Symptoms of high blood sugar***
Learning to recognize the symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) can help you successfully manage your diabetes.

Some people with diabetes immediately feel the symptoms of high blood sugar. Others don’t because their symptoms are mild or vague.

Symptoms of hyperglycemia typically begin when your blood glucose goes above 250 milligramsTrusted Source per deciliter (mg/dL). Symptoms can worsen the longer it’s untreated.

Symptoms of a blood sugar spike may include:

frequent urination
fatigue
increased thirst
blurred vision
headache

***What is a blood sugar spike?***
A blood sugar spike happens when glucose builds up in the bloodstream and your blood sugar levels increase. This may happen after eating.

It’s important to know the early symptoms of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Early testing and treatment can help prevent more severe symptoms.

Early signs of high blood sugar can include:

feeling thirsty
having a very dry mouth
urinating frequently
having blurred vision
If you suspect that you have high blood sugar, you can perform a finger stick to check your level.

Exercising and drinking water after eating, particularly if you’ve consumed a lot of starchy carbs, can help lower your blood sugar.

You can also use an insulin injection, but be careful to only use this method while closely following the recommendation of a doctor regarding your dose. If used improperly, insulin can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

If your blood sugar stays elevated for too long, you may develop diabetic ketoacidosis.

***Ketoacidosis and ketosis***
If high blood sugar levels go untreated for too long, glucose will build up in your bloodstream and your cells will be starved for fuel. Your cells will use fat for fuel instead.

When your cells use fat instead of glucose, the process produces a byproduct called ketones:

People with diabetes can develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially deadly condition that causes the blood to become too acidic. Because of poorly functioning insulin in people with diabetes, ketone levels aren’t kept in check and can rise to dangerous levels very quickly. DKA can result in diabetic coma or death.

People without diabetes can tolerate certain levels of ketones in the blood. This state is known as ketosis. They do not go on to develop ketoacidosis because their bodies are still able to use glucose and insulin properly. Properly functioning insulin helps keep the body’s ketones levels stable.

***Blood Sugar Test***
A blood sugar test can be used to determine the amount of glucose in the blood. It may be used to diagnose diabetes or to help those with diabetes check their blood sugar and insulin levels.

***What is a blood sugar test?***
A blood sugar test is a procedure that measures the amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood. A doctor may order this test to help diagnose diabetes. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes also use this test to manage their condition.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the cells in the body responsible for producing insulin are destroyed. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin and no longer uses it effectively. Both types can result in high blood sugar if they’re not managed well.

Blood sugar tests provide instant results and let you know the following:

if your blood sugar levels are high or low
if your diet or exercise routine needs to change
how your diabetes treatment is working
if your overall treatment goals for diabetes are manageable
If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor may also order a blood sugar test as part of a routine checkup. They may also be looking to see if you have diabetes or prediabetes, a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than typical.

People may need to be tested if they have symptoms of diabetes or if they have certain risk factors.

***Risk factors for diabetes***
You may have more likely to get type 1 diabetes if you:

are a teenager or younger
have a family member with the condition
have certain genes that give you a genetic predisposition
Your risk for type 2 diabetes may increase if youTrusted Source:

are age 35 years or older
are overweight
are not physically active
have a family history of diabetes
have a history of insulin resistance or have prediabetes
have a history of gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds
have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or high cholesterol
have a history of stroke or hypertension
ResearchTrusted Source has shown that type 2 diabetes occurs more often in adults with Native American, African American, Hispanic or Latino American, Asian American, or Alaskan or Pacific Islander ancestry than non-Hispanic white adults.

They may also be more likely to experience decreased quality of care and increased barriers to prevention and self-management support due to healthcare disparities.

Checking your blood sugar levels can be done at home or in a doctor’s office. Read on to learn more about blood sugar tests, who they are for, and what the results mean.

***What does a blood sugar test do?***
A doctor may order a blood sugar test to see if you have diabetes or prediabetes. The test will measure the amount of glucose in your blood.

Your body takes carbohydrates found in foods like grains and fruits and converts them into glucose. Glucose, a sugar, is one of the body’s main sources of energy.

For people with diabetes, a home test helps monitor blood sugar levels. Taking a blood sugar test can help determine your blood sugar level to see if you need to adjust your diet, exercise, or diabetes medications.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can lead to seizures or a coma if left untreated.

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, a life threatening condition that’s often a concern for those with type 1 diabetes. Hyperglycemia over a long period can increase your risk of neuropathy (nerve damage), along with heart, kidney, and eye diseases.

***What are the risks and side effects of a blood sugar test?***
A blood sugar test has low to no risks or side effects.

You may feel soreness, swelling, and bruising at the puncture site, especially if you’re drawing blood from a vein. This should go away within a day.

***Types of blood sugar tests***
You can take a blood sugar test two ways.

People who are monitoring or managing their diabetes may use a glucometer for daily testing. This method involves pricking the skin (usually a finger) with a lancet to draw a blood sample, applying the blood on a test strip, and inserting it into the monitor.

The second method involves a healthcare professional drawing a blood sample and sending it to a lab to be evaluated.

Blood samples are generally used to screen for diabetes. A doctor will typically order a fasting blood sugar (FBS) test, which measures your blood sugar levels.

They may also order a glycosylated hemoglobin test called a hemoglobin A1C test. The test results reflect your blood sugar levels over the previous 90 daysTrusted Source. The results will show if you have prediabetes or diabetes. In people already diagnosed with diabetes, this test can monitor how well their diabetes is managed.