Non-diabetics do experience both blood sugar highs and lows although they aren’t generally felt as much as they are by diabetics. In people with diabetes there are certain symptoms of a spike in blood sugar, including headaches, increased thirst and fatigue. These symptoms are not as pronounced in people who do not have diabetes when they have a sugar spike.
However, not knowing or having any symptoms of high blood sugar can have implications on your health and well being, as they may be causing similar problems as a diabetic face.
Risks of Hyperglycemia
High blood sugar in a person who is not diabetic, or non-diabetic hyperglycemia as it is also known, increases your risk of infections, causes wounds to heal slowly and can damage blood vessels, tissues and organs.
Non-diabetic hyperglycemia can also increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and heart attack just as it would if you had diabetes and is left untreated.
Pre-diabetes
Non-diabetic sugar levels do heighten or fluctuate after meals although their bodies are able to process the carbohydrates better and quicker than a diabetic would. Over time persistently high readings can develop into diabetes and will need to be monitored closely and treated with diet and exercise or medication.
If you experience sugar highs regularly you may be in the pre-diabetes stage where you also start to develop an insulin resistance in the body. Pre-diabetes often goes undetected or is misdiagnosed by your doctor as just being a temporary sugar high, and that it only means you need to eat healthier.
A non-diabetics blood sugar levels should fall into a certain range before meals and 1 and 2 hours after meals. Anything over these levels is seen as a high reading and if they are too far below these levels they are low blood sugar reading.
Refer to the Glycemic Index
The best way to try and avoid high blood sugar levels is to watch the foods and the portions you consume. High GI (gluten index) foods do affect non-diabetics and cause sugar spikes after eating, so it is important to balance these out with low GI foods to reduce their effects.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the glycemic index chart to help to balance the foods you eat even if you are not diabetic as it will help to avoid high blood sugar levels.
Non-dietary Causes
Certain medications can also cause non-diabetics to have high blood sugar readings. Some of the medicines that can cause high readings include beta blockers, corticosteroids, epinephrine (adrenaline), niacin and some antipsychotics. New anti-depressant medication has also shown to significantly elevate readings as well as methamphetamines and other illegal substances.
Another factor of high blood sugar in non-diabetics may be what is referred to as stress induced diabetes or SIH. These cases are often seen in hospitals and emergency departments where the patient is under stress or is scared due to severe wounds or a surgery.
This all goes back to the fight or flight mode response where a person’s body releases certain hormones including adrenaline when the brain feels it is in the presence of danger or harm. These hormones raise blood sugar levels to give the person the energy and strength they need to push through the alleged harm or threat.
Anyone who has regular elevated levels of blood sugar may be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. If you have a family history of diabetes it is important to keep a healthy lifestyle and be frequently checked by your healthcare professional for pre-diabetes.
Having a home testing kit may be useful to keep track of your blood sugar levels before and after meals and may be recommended by your doctor if you are in the initial stages of diabetes or showing signs of pre-diabetes.
