I feel thirsty and exhausted. Can high blood sugar cause it?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been extremely thirsty for the past four weeks, drinking large amounts of water every day but never feeling satisfied. I am urinating every 20 to 30 minutes, including 10 to 12 times each night. Despite constant hunger and eating large amounts of food, I have lost 28 pounds over four weeks.

I feel severely exhausted, my vision has become blurry, and yesterday I began experiencing nausea, fruity-smelling breath, and confusion. My emergency room laboratory results showed a blood glucose level of 485 mg/dL (normal: 70 to 100) and an HbA1c of 13.8 percent.

Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I would like you to know that you have diabetes mellitus. I would also like to ask whether you have a family history of diabetes in first-degree relatives. Your laboratory results (the attachments were removed to protect the patient’s identity) are significantly abnormal and require urgent medical intervention.

With an HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) of around 13 percent, you will require injectable insulin to bring your blood glucose levels under control.

You will need to undergo a blood glucose profile, which includes fasting blood sugar and post-meal blood sugar levels, along with a serum creatinine test.

Diabetes can also affect the eyes, and your blurry vision may be related to this. It is important to control your blood sugar levels and undergo a fundoscopy to check for signs of diabetic retinopathy.

You should begin daily exercise and follow a strict diabetic diet, avoiding fruits and foods with a high glycemic index. Given your very high blood glucose levels, you may be developing diabetic ketoacidosis.

You should urgently visit a physician or endocrinologist for further evaluation and management. Additional tests, such as serum electrolytes and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis, may also be required.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.