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Causes of High Blood Glucose Levels

High blood glucose levels are levels higher than the average span of 70 to 120 milligrams per deciliter. When you eat, your body converts food into sugar or glucose for energy. Your body releases insulin to help the sugar move into the muscle cells. If your body does not produce insulin or it does not use the insulin effectively, the sugar stays in the bloodstream, causing high blood glucose levels. Type 1 diabetics do not produce insulin; therefore, they must inject insulin to stabilize their blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetics produce some insulin or the insulin does not work efficiently. A number of factors cause Type 2 diabetes.

  1. Carbohydrates

    • One hundred percent of carbohydrates change to glucose for energy within 2 hours of ingesting them. Carbohydrates are grains, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, starchy vegetables, milk products and snack foods. If too many carbohydrates are ingested, the insulin cannot handle the glucose, so it ends up in the bloodstream. Diabetics must count carbohydrates so their intake is not too high.

    Poor Diet

    • Diabetics who do not watch their intake of carbohydrates and eat foods high in fat risk obesity and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when the body is unable to handle the insulin effectively resulting in high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. The blood flow is restricted because the cholesterol and sugar narrow the blood vessels and weaken the walls of the blood vessels.

    Inactive Lifestyle

    • Exercise causes the body to use sugar for energy. An inactive lifestyle means the body does not use the sugar for energy. The result is too much sugar in the bloodstream. Diabetics should exercise at least 30 minutes every day.

    Stress

    • Stress causes the body to react with the fight-or-flight syndrome. The body responds with an increase of hormones. The hormones cause more glucose to enter the bloodstream in preparation for needed energy. Stress can result from being overtired, as well as job-related or family-related issues.

    Heredity

    • If your parents or siblings are diabetic, you are more likely to be diabetic. Certain ethnic groups are more prone to diabetes as well. African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian Americans are among the groups more likely to have Type 2 diabetes.

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