high sugar levels type 2 - what do I do?

[Seabreeze]

Hi
I am now a carer for my elderly mum, type 2 diabetes on tablets
There's lots of advice about low sugar levels and the signs of it
but what about high sugar level signs and what would I do?
I am the sugar police, I control the amount of sugar and carbs
generally if it spikes very high it is due to being unwell but when it is high what are the symptoms, how do I tell (do a test!) but if it's not spiking from illness, what do I do?

 

[Ljc]

Hi. We do recommend testing on here, so that we how certain foods affect the BG levels. But it rather depends on how your mum would react to haveing her finger pricked.
My mum did not have diabetes fortunately but she did have Dementia and would have been distraught.
It's hard when you need to control everything isn't it.

Classic symptoms of high BG are
Thirst, peeing a lot, lethargy/ tiredness and headaches
You'll find more info on hypers near the bottom here
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Hypos-Hypers/
Before going on insulin all I could do was keep sipping quite a bit of water and go for a walk.

 

[pav]

As Ljc says metering is the way forward, my mom also had dementia and if I was to check her levels she would of wondering whats going on and confused. She did recognise the paramedics and allowed them to check as she was a frequent flyer with them is was good they took the time to see that mom was ok.

Pinched this from the NHS web site and shows what the general symptoms of high glucose some of which are like the long term effects. For my self I tend to get increased thirst, tired (or rather get the feeling of when doing anything, its not going right), as I have nerve damage the pain increases. As we all tend to react differently to highs or lows it can be a case on watching and learning what is happening, and if possible using a meter to confirm what you think is happening.

1. increased thirst and a dry mouth
2. needing to pee frequently
3. tiredness
4. blurred vision
5. unintentional weight loss
6. recurrent infections, such as thrush, bladder infections (cystitis) and skin infections

also from elsewhere.

7. Nausea
8. Extreme hunger and/or thirst

The diabetes org info page explains it better than myself and has hyper and hypo symptoms

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Hypos-Hypers/

 

[Seabreeze]

Hi. We do recommend testing on here, so that we how certain foods affect the BG levels. But it rather depends on how your mum would react to haveing her finger pricked.
My mum did not have diabetes fortunately but she did have Dementia and would have been distraught.
It's hard when you need to control everything isn't it.

Classic symptoms of high BG are
Thirst, peeing a lot, lethargy/ tiredness and headaches
You'll find more info on hypers near the bottom here
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Hypos-Hypers/
Before going on insulin all I could do was keep sipping quite a bit of water and go for a walk.

Thanks Ljc
my mum is type 2 and the surgery said to check bloods a few days a week, but I think she has been getting more unstable but she's been put on anticoagulants now and has supersensitive skin that bruises readily and of course, heals slowly.
Maybe it will settle down in a couple of months.

Geriatric care, many more conditions and it's telling the difference from the elderly 40 winks and diabetic hyper/hypo and I don't want to be giving her unnecessary sore fingers when it's just 40 winks and running out of fingers to do required blood tests.

hard? I am going to burn in hell for denying my mum chocolate!

Thanks for the link