Fluctuating sugar levels – Causes

Causes for High Sugar Levels:

1. Obesity and lack of exercise – The sugars that we consume are not burnt if we don’t exercise and this leads to the sugar floating in the bloodstream.
2. Smoking – Cigarettes contain the harmful cadmium that is responsible for elevated levels of sugar in the blood.
3. Diseases of the pancreas, like tumors, can cause decreased insulin production, causing the levels of sugar in the blood to remain high.
4. Increased stress level has a negative effect on the body. The sugar levels remain high with stress and predispose you to developing diabetes.
5. In diabetics, skipping the insulin injection or oral glucose-lowering medicine can cause the levels of sugar in the blood to shoot up.
6. Skipping regular meals, or in fact, eating a lot of carbs is also a reason for rise in blood glucose levels.
7. Endocrine dysfunctions, pituitary and adrenal tumors also interfere with glucose digestion, leading to a rise in the blood sugar levels.
8. High glucose level can be due to the effects of certain medicines like corticosteroids.
9. Diseases of the liver may result in high glucose levels by interfering with the glucose metabolism.
10. Glucose toxicity is an interesting phenomenon that occurs in a few individuals. In this case, there is an elevated level of glucose which could be due to any reason and this level is maintained or increased by decreasing insulin sensitivity and increasing glucose production in the liver.

Causes for Low Blood Sugar:

1. An overdose of insulin or oral glucose-lowering medications, either accidentallyor on purpose.
2. Severe reduction in liver function.
3. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to irreparable damages in the liver, leading to low blood sugar levels.
4. Excessive fasting or chronic malnutrition can deprive the body of sugars causing hypoglycemia.
5. Adrenal gland diseases like Addison’s disease.
6. Decreased activity of the pituitary gland.
7. Vigorous exercising can lead to a temporary reduction in blood sugar levels as all the available glucose gets utilized during the exercise.
8. Tumors of the pancreas, especially the types where the production of insulin increases, can lead to severe depletion of sugars from the body.
9. In diabetics, not taking the required amount of sugars through food, especially after the insulin injection, can cause the sugar levels to drop.
10. Gastric bypass surgeries and other weight loss surgeries can cause you to suffer from hypoglycemia. This is a common condition called reactive hypoglycemia.