Warnings about the dangers of high blood sugar: causes, prevention, and cases

In daily life, it's possible for anyone to eat a little more of this one day and a little more of that the next. Occasionally eating a little extra of something won't cause high blood sugar because the body will regulate itself. High blood sugar only occurs when the body's insulin secretion is insufficient, causing a disorder in glucose metabolism. High blood sugar can also cause abnormal metabolism of fats, proteins, and other substances. Therefore, if you find your blood sugar is abnormal, you should go to a reputable hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Early detection and treatment will help control the disease and restore you from a sub-healthy state to a healthy one.

Blood sugar refers to glucose in the blood, which circulates throughout the body to provide energy for the life activities of various organs and tissues. It is especially important for the brain because the brain has no place to store glycogen and relies entirely on blood flow for energy. Therefore, life activities cannot function without blood sugar. Under normal circumstances, a person obtains blood sugar from the following three sources:

First, from the digestion and absorption of carbohydrate-containing foods, which is the main source of blood sugar absorption.

Second, from the breakdown of liver glycogen into blood sugar when the body is fasting.

Third, from the conversion of non-carbohydrate substances, such as glycerol in fats and glycogen in proteins, which can be converted into blood sugar. Knowing these three sources of blood sugar, you'll understand why eating fatty foods can also raise blood sugar. Blood sugar production involves three aspects, while blood sugar metabolism involves four—metabolism has one more aspect than production.

The first pathway is absorption and oxidation by various tissues throughout the body to provide energy; this is the primary metabolic route.

The second pathway is conversion into glycogen, stored in the liver and muscles; this is the main way sugar is stored in the body.

The third pathway is conversion into non-carbohydrate substances—fat storage.

The fourth pathway is conversion into other carbohydrates—ribose, deoxyribose, and amino acids. Is the concentration of blood sugar in the human body constant? Generally speaking, the concentration of blood sugar in the human body is relatively constant, mainly depending on the dynamic balance of blood sugar sources and destinations. Normal human blood sugar is 3.9–6.1 mmol/L. For people over 60 years old, it is 4.4–6.4 mmol/L. Regularly eating foods high in sugar can normalize blood sugar levels, with excess being stored as fat. Therefore, people who love sweets are prone to weight gain. To achieve a slim figure, you should eat sweets in moderation. If you haven't eaten for a week for some reason, you don't need to worry about low blood sugar, as the body can obtain energy from the breakdown of fat and protein.

However, when there are problems with the source and destination of blood sugar (metabolic disorder), blood sugar levels will rise abnormally and persistently. There are two groups of hormones that regulate blood sugar levels.

One group consists of hormones that raise blood sugar levels: primarily glucagon, but in emergencies, adrenal hormones, cortical hormones, and growth hormones also have a blood sugar-raising effect.

The other group consists of hormones that lower blood sugar levels: only insulin. These two groups of hormones, under normal life processes, antagonize and synergize with each other, thus maintaining a relative balance in blood sugar. The cells in the walls of the renal tubules and collecting ducts in the kidneys can reabsorb substances in the lumen back into the bloodstream. The reabsorption capacity varies for different substances, and the maximum reabsorption limit is called the "renal threshold" for that substance. When the blood sugar concentration in the body is not higher than 8.9 mmol/L, the kidneys have the ability to reabsorb all the sugar in it. This value of 8.9 mmol/L is called the "renal glucose threshold."

Physiological hyperglycemia refers to a temporary increase in blood sugar concentration. Hyperglycemia can occur during physiological strenuous exercise, emotional excitement leading to increased adrenal secretion, and after consuming large amounts of sweets. Is pathological hyperglycemia diabetes? Pathological hyperglycemia is more common in diabetes. It can also be seen in diseases such as adrenocortical tumors and gigantism. Pathological hyperglycemia is characterized by a sustained increase in blood sugar, which distinguishes it from physiological hyperglycemia. A fasting blood glucose concentration below 3.3 mmol/L is called hypoglycemia. During hypoglycemia, the brain does not receive enough glucose, causing symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, general weakness, and cold sweats. In severe cases, it can lead to coma and death.

Therefore, hypoglycemia is also a medical condition. Hypoglycemia is also divided into physiological and pathological types. Physiological hypoglycemia is more common after prolonged physiological exercise or starvation. Pathological hypoglycemia is more common in patients with adrenocortical insufficiency, insufficient growth hormone secretion, insulinoma, chronic liver disease, and impaired liver function. Note: High or low blood sugar levels are crucial to human life. Regular blood sugar checks can help detect and treat diseases caused by glucose metabolism disorders early.

High blood sugar took Xiao Hu's life. 28-year-old Xiao Hu and his girlfriend of three years finally held their wedding in their newly purchased house. To pay off the loan, he worked day and night, and the excessive labor caused him to lose a lot of weight. He thought it was normal for a young person to lose weight, so he didn't go to the hospital for a checkup. Xiao Hu worked at a beverage company during the day. This company allowed employees to drink beverages for free in designated areas of the workshop during breaks and mealtimes, and Xiao Hu often went with his coworkers. To save money, he often skipped lunch, only drinking beverages to fill his stomach. After work, he would at least eat something before going to work at another company. Xiao Hu's wife, worried about him being overworked, often prepared delicious meals for him to eat together after his late shift. Xiao Hu, who had barely eaten all day, would often eat his fill of his favorite dishes, such as braised pork belly and four-happiness meatballs, when his wife made them. After eating, Xiao Hu, exhausted from a long day, would quickly fall asleep. Soon it was almost Xiao Hu's first wedding anniversary, and he wanted to give his wife a gift to commemorate the occasion. Xiao Hu took on another night job, working as a night watchman at a construction site. The site was swarming with mosquitoes, leaving patches of red welts on his legs and arms. Sometimes the itching was unbearable, so he would scratch. Some of the welts became infected after scratching, oozing pus all day. To save money, he didn't go to the hospital, only buying some disinfectant from the pharmacy to apply. During this time, he often felt thirsty, weak, and sweated excessively. He thought he would definitely go to the hospital after this busy period, because his grandparents had experienced similar symptoms and later died of diabetes. The day before his wedding anniversary, on a sweltering summer day, the frail Xiao Hu suddenly collapsed at home. He fell unconscious. His wife quickly called a taxi and took him to the hospital. The doctors performed emergency treatment on the unconscious Xiao Hu. While receiving an IV drip, Xiao Hu suddenly began convulsing, and they couldn't hold him down. The emergency room doctor immediately consulted with a senior physician, who discovered the infection on his body and the "rotten apple" smell in his breath. The senior physician immediately ordered urgent blood sugar and urine sugar tests, and changed the intravenous glucose to a balanced fluid. However, it was all too late. Those who had just had their blood drawn and were still waiting for the test results witnessed the arrival of death. The day before his first wedding anniversary, young Xiao Hu left his wife, family, and coworkers without saying a word. What illness did Xiao Hu have? Why did he die so suddenly? When the doctor presented the report from the laboratory, the questions were answered: Xiao Hu's blood sugar had reached its limit, and it was the high blood sugar that caused his death.