6 Strange Reasons Why Your Blood Sugar Is Too High

The minute someone talks of blood sugar levels, the first thing that comes to our minds is the word 'diabetes', right?

Well, although diabetes is one of the few major diseases linked to a high blood sugar level, there could also be other causes for an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood.

Now, as we know, the human blood is made up of various cells, nutrients and enzymes clubbed together.

Along with red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, blood also contains certain minerals like iron and even glucose.

The glucose content in the blood is often referred to as the blood sugar level or the blood glucose level.

Now, just like certain health statistics like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, haemoglobin levels, etc., to check if you are healthy, a normal blood sugar level is also required.

The blood sugar levels for a healthy person should ideally be below 100 mg/dL, when they have not consumed any food for about 8 hours and less than 140mg/dL about 2 hours after consuming food.

The blood sugar level changes with the consumption of food because the glucose in the food can affect the sugar levels of the blood.

However, in a diabetic patient, the blood sugar levels will be higher than the above-mentioned statistics and that is how the doctors initially diagnose the presence of this disease.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the blood sugar level is too high, due to the abnormality of insulin hormones in the body.

Now, when a person finds out that his/her blood sugar levels are high, they may think it could be because they have developed diabetes.

Here are a few other causes for a spike in blood sugar level, apart from diabetes.

1. Surgery

If a person has been through major surgeries which involve his/her endocrine organs, then, there could be fluctuations in the insulin levels in the body, causing an abnormal spike in the blood sugar levels.

2. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a life-threatening infection which affects the lungs and respiratory system. Sometimes, an abnormal blood sugar spike is seen in patients with pneumonia as their blood would not be getting filtered the right way.

3. UTI

People suffering from urinary tract infections (UTI) can also notice a higher blood sugar level, as the infection can increase the level of sugar in the blood.

4. Medications

If a person is taking certain medications such as, steroids, diuretics, etc., he could also have a negative effect on the insulin production of the body and cause a spike in the blood sugar levels.

5. Obesity

If your BMI (body mass index) level is more than normal, and you have excess fat accumulation in your body, it could also lead to hormonal imbalances, which may in turn cause a spike in the blood sugar level.

6. Feeding Tube

Due to various reasons, if a person is being fed or given nutrition mainly through feeding tubes or intravenously, then the body may not be able to absorb the glucose properly, causing a high blood sugar level.