Hyperglycaemia - Treating hyperglycaemia

How you treat hyperglycaemia will depend on what type of diabetes you have, and how you have been advised to manage your blood glucose levels.

If you have diabetes

If you have diabetes, you should have a diabetes care team (a team of specialists who help monitor and treat your condition). They should explain what to do if you develop hyperglycaemia.

You may be advised to:

increase your dose of insulin (a hormone that removes glucose from your blood so that your cells can break it down into energy)
change your diet – for example, you may be advised to avoid foods that cause your glucose levels to rise, such as cakes or sugary drinks
get more exercise, as this can reduce your blood glucose level
monitor your glucose level – you may be given a home testing kit to check the level of glucose in your blood

Read more about treating type 1 diabetes and treating type 2 diabetes.

If you do not have diabetes

You should visit your GP if you experience the symptoms of hyperglycaemia because you may have undiagnosed diabetes.

Your GP will test your blood glucose levels and discuss the results with you. If you have diabetes, you will be given advice about how to manage the condition.

If you have hyperglycaemia as a result of a heart condition called acute coronary syndrome (ACS), you may need to be treated with insulin. You will be tested for diabetes after treatment and at regular intervals (at least once a year) thereafter, as people with ACS have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

When to seek medical attention

If you have diabetes, contact your diabetes care team for advice if you regularly experience episodes of hyperglycaemia.

You should seek medical attention urgently if you, or someone you know who has diabetes, starts to experience any of the following symptoms:

nausea or vomiting (feeling or being sick)
stomach pain
a fruity smell on your breath, which may smell like pear drops or nail varnish
drowsiness or confusion
rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
dehydration (when the normal water content of your body is reduced, which can cause a headache, dry skin and a weak, rapid heartbeat)
loss of consciousness

If you have these symptoms, you may have diabetic ketoacidosis, which will need hospital treatment. Read more about the complications of hyperglycaemia.