Maybe you ate too many carbs, are fighting an infection, or have the Dawn Phenomenon upon waking up. Whatever the reason, your blood sugar is high, you’re thirsty, and are urinating frequently. Not only is it an inconvenience, but it’s also dangerous because you may have ketones and frequent high blood sugars can lead to complications. The only thing on your mind is to lower your blood sugar quickly. Here are four ways to do so, and three of them are natural.
Dangers of High Blood Sugar
Before we get to how to lower your blood sugar quickly, there are dangers with consistently high blood sugar levels, such as:
- Putting you at risk for heart disease and kidney disease
- Damaging nerves (diabetic neuropathy)
- Causing diabetic retinopathy, which affects the eyes
Ketones
High blood sugars also put you at a risk for ketones.
If your body doesn’t have enough insulin to allow blood sugar into your cells to use as energy, your liver will break down fat for fuel instead of glucose, leading to ketones. If ketones build up, they make the blood acidic, which can poison the body, leading to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This is more common in type 1 diabetes and can be life-threatening.
It’s best to check for ketones with a urine test, which is available at most pharmacies. Symptoms include:
- Fruity smelling breath
- Dry mouth
- Stomach pain
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Fatigue
When to see a Doctor
Call or see your doctor if you have:
- Consistently elevated blood sugar levels
- Ketones
- Blurred vision
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Vomiting
- Confusion
Insulin
The fastest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. However, take caution not to double dose if your sugar does not come down immediately or your sugar may drop too low.
But what if you don’t take insulin? Unlike insulin, medications for type 2 diabetes, like metformin, do not immediately lower blood sugar. Other medications like Meglitinides (Repaglinide and Nateglinide) do not directly reduce blood sugar. Instead, they help manage blood sugar levels, especially before meals. If you have type 2 diabetes, discuss a plan to lower blood sugar levels with your doctor or endocrinologist.
If you are on insulin, how much insulin do you take? The general rule is 1 unit will cover 12-15 grams of carbs and lower blood sugar by 50 mg. However, the emphasis is on general due to variables such as how sensitive your body is to insulin, stress, and physical activity.
Correctional insulin
You may need to use a correction factor to “correct” or lower high blood sugar before a meal. You can read this article for guidance on calculating insulin doses. However, it’s important you do not self-treat but discuss an insulin dose regimen with your doctor because you will need a customized plan (https://dtc.ucsf.edu/types-of-diabetes/type1/treatment-of-type-1-diabetes/medications-and-therapies/type-1-insulin-therapy/calculating-insulin-dose/).
Exercise
Exercise is a fast and natural way to lower blood sugar levels. Not only does it lower high blood sugar, but it also lowers insulin resistance and increases insulin sensitivity, so cells convert glucose to energy.
However, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends testing for ketones if your blood sugar is over 240. If ketones are present, they advise not to exercise. The reason is that exercising with ketones may further increase blood sugar.
Hydration
Another natural way to lower high blood sugar is to hydrate. Dehydration means there is less water in your body, making blood sugar more concentrated. You can drink water and diet soda, just not anything with sugar, like juice. You can also add lemon to water which has anti-diabetic properties (https://backtonaturediabetic.com/how-drinking-water-decreases-blood-sugar-levels/).
Heat
Lastly, heat lowers blood sugar levels. I purposely left this one for last because you have to use heat carefully. Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which increases insulin absorption. You can take a hot shower, but make sure the water is not too hot. Sitting in a hot tub or sauna can also lower blood sugar levels, but you should exercise caution if you do so while alone, as the heat may cause your blood sugar to drop quickly.
In fact, research shows soaking in a hot bath could help control type 2 diabetes. A study examined subjects taking an hour-long hot bath. Those who took a hot bath burned 126 calories per hour, which is like a 25-30-minute walk. The research suggests that taking a hot bath can increase burning calories and may help reduce blood sugar spikes after eating (https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2016/aug/hot-bath-could-boost-type-2-diabetes-management-97414776.html).
You can also sunbathe to lower high blood sugar. A study examined the effects of sunbathing on 30 subjects over 40 years old. They sunbathed in the morning for 10 minutes for a week, which significantly reduced their blood sugar levels (https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/5.0052549).
However, while sunbathing may lower blood sugar, be aware that sunburn can raise your blood sugar. According to the CDC, this is because pain causes stress, which increases blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
Try the treatments above to bring down high blood sugar levels quickly. Three of them are natural remedies. Always check your blood sugar levels and ketones. Create a plan with your doctor to treat and correct high blood sugars, especially if you take insulin. And you should see your doctor or go to the emergency room if your blood sugar remains uncontrolled and you have ketones.
Disclaimer
Please remember this is not medical advice or intended to replace the advice of your doctor. This is my experience with the natural supplements that have helped me manage my diabetes. They are not intended to cure any disease. Please do not self-diagnose. Always check with your health care provider before trying new treatments.
Also, natural does not mean safe. Many natural remedies have side effects and can interact with medication and supplements. It should be noted that the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements but treats them like foods and not medication. Unlike drug manufacturers, supplement makers do not have to show their products are safe or effective.
I ask you to please keep an open mind; be a diabetic detective and do your own research; work with your health care team; see what works best for you, and monitor your blood sugars.