After the diagnosis

Because so many factors can affect your blood sugar, problems sometimes arise that require immediate care, such as:

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)



Lots of things can cause your blood sugar to rise, including eating too much, being sick or not taking enough glucose-lowering medication. Watch for signs and symptoms of high blood sugar frequent urination, increased thirst, dry mouth, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea — and check your blood sugar if necessary.

Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS)
This life-threatening condition includes a blood sugar reading higher than 600 mg/dL (33.3 mmol/L). Your blood sugar meter may not provide an accurate reading at this level or it may just read "high." HHNS can cause dry mouth, extreme thirst, drowsiness, confusion, dark urine and convulsions.

HHNS is caused by sky-high blood sugar that turns blood thick and syrupy. It tends to be more common in older people with type 2 diabetes, and it's often preceded by an illness or infection. Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have signs or symptoms of this condition.

Increased ketones in your urine



(diabetic ketoacidosis). If your cells are starved for energy, your body may begin to break down fat. This produces toxic acids known as ketones, which occur more commonly in people with type 1 diabetes.

Watch for thirst or a very dry mouth, frequent urination, vomiting, shortness of breath, fatigue and fruity-smelling breath, and if you notice these signs and symptoms, consult your doctor right away or seek emergency care.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)



If your blood sugar level drops below your target range, it's known as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your blood sugar level can drop for many reasons, including skipping a meal, unintentionally taking more medication than usual or getting more physical activity than normal.

Watch for signs and symptoms of low blood sugar sweating, shakiness, weakness, hunger, irritability, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, heart palpitations, slurred speech, drowsiness and confusion.

If you have signs or symptoms of low blood sugar, drink or eat something that will quickly raise your blood sugar level fruit juice, glucose tablets, hard candy, regular (not diet) soda or another source of sugar. Retest your blood in 15 minutes to be sure your blood glucose levels have normalized.

If they haven't, treat again and retest in another 15 minutes. If you lose consciousness, a family member or close contact may need to give you an emergency injection of glucagon, a hormone that stimulates the release of sugar into the blood.