What is Hyperglycemia?

Hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose (sugar), is a serious health problem for those with diabetes. This develops when there is too much sugar in the blood. In people with diabetes, there are two specific types that occur:

Postprandial or after-meal is defined as a blood sugar usually greater than 180 mg/dL.

In people without diabetes postprandial or post-meal sugars rarely go over 140 mg/dL but occasionally, after a large meal, a 1-2 hour post-meal glucose level can reach 180 mg/dL.

Consistently elevated high post-meal glucose levels can be an indicator that a person is at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Glucose levels vary before and after meals, and at various times of the day. Normal varies from doctor to doctor, but in general "normal" is about 80 mg/dl to 120 mg/dl in adults. If your blood sugar is consistently over 126 mg/dl it is considered hyperglycemia.

When a person with diabetes has this too frequently or for long periods of time as indicated by a high HbA1c blood test, damage to nerves, blood vessels and other body organs can occur. This can also lead to more serious conditions, including ketoacidosis, mostly in people with type 1 diabetes.

Hyperglycemia is the defining state of diabetes mellitus and without proper treatment it will lead to serious complications.Symptoms include;