How Blood Sugar Levels Affect Our Body Temperature

To know the effect blood sugar level has on our body, it is important to understand our body temperature, and what are the factors that result in an increase or decrease in temperature. According to the study by NCBI, the normal human temperature is noted to be 37°C (98.6°F). However, there is a slight fluctuation in the temperature throughout the day. Normal body temperature can differ by 0.5°C (0.9°F). Our body reaches its peak at around 6 p.m. The temperature of our body changes due to many reasons like the outside temperature, the type of food and drink consumed, the physical movement, and bodily functions like metabolism or changing blood sugar levels.

In this article, we will talk in detail about how blood sugar levels affect our body temperature. We will also learn a few ways to prevent it. Blood sugar refers to the amount of sugar present in the blood. It is very important to prevent an increase in blood sugar. Upon an unhealthy increase of sugar in the blood, our organs get affected. This leads to various diseases like Diabetes. According to research by WHO, high blood sugar is the most common factor resulting in a severe diabetes condition.

Blood Sugar and Body Temperature: The Connection

Now that we know what blood sugar is, let us understand what is the relationship between blood sugar and body temperature. As we discussed the few factors affecting human body temperature are outside temperature, type of food and drink consumed, according to the physical movement, and during bodily functions like metabolism or changing blood sugar level. It is important to know that certain shifts in body temperature can be very harmful. It can cause enzymes to slow down, electrolytes may get too low, and hormones may stop functioning.

The body temperature is completely dependent on the chemical reactions within the body. Since metabolism and high blood sugar create a difference in glucose level, it highly affects the body temperature. This is the reason why glucose-induced changes increase body temperature. Even in healthy people without diabetes, spikes in glucose change the body temperature. 

The blood vessel is the core of the problem having poor body temperature control and high glucose level. This is due to the change in the consistency of the blood once there is a large amount of sugar present. This makes the blood rush within the veins to reach different parts of the body. This irregularity increases the temperature to rise and spread from within. If we want to effectively remove heat from the body, we need to coordinate changes in the size of blood vessels throughout the body.

Symptoms of Blood Sugar Spikes

It is very important to understand the symptoms of blood sugar spikes. If you are unaware of the symptoms, it becomes very difficult to tackle the situation. You need to be aware of your body. If you face any issue, even if it seems to be minor, it is best to take possible action or consult a doctor. 

Common symptoms of high blood sugar include:

• Increased thirst

• Frequent urination

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Constant hunger

• Blurred vision

• Numbness or tingling in hands or feet

Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, there are a few rare complications that might be included. These more rarely occurring symptoms occur in some cases, mostly if it is more severe. If you have these symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor. The other symptoms include:

• weakness

• shortness of breath

• dry mouth

• fruity-smelling breath

• nausea and vomiting

• Confusion

Causes for Blood Sugar Spikes

Let us understand more about the causes of these blood sugar spikes that lead to high body temperature. 

1. Unhealthy Diet

One of the most important reasons for blood sugar spikes is related to the food we eat. It is very important to eat healthy food. It normally affects the people who eat high sugar content. Obesity can also be a cause of increased blood sugar levels, which can only be controlled if you control unhealthy food intake. 

Instead of taking high fat or high carb food, it is important to include healthy food products in your diet. Try to be fixated on a healthy diet and plan your meals accordingly. The kind of food products recommended are protein and mineral-rich food products, Dark, leafy green vegetables, Chilli pepper, milk and yogurt, green tea, cinnamon, and ginger. These food items increase metabolism and help in improving your condition.

2. Incomplete sleep

The lack of sleep is generally ignored since we are so busy with our work schedules. It is very important to get a good amount of sleep. Incomplete sleep causes many health issues and is responsible for many severe conditions. If you are someone who is lacking sleep, it is advisable to increase your rest time and take better care of your health.

3. Being physically inactive

Physical exercise is very important to keep your health and body in shape. Being physically inactive causes a lot of problems. According to the research by NCBI, being physically inactive increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, which is caused because of an increase in blood sugar.

4. Stress

We all have stress these days, but the amount of stress can also lead to high blood sugar levels. During the time of stress, it is an evolutionary reaction of the body to ensure you have enough sugar levels. This sugar level is created in the form of adrenaline. This adrenaline was very helpful for humans to fight and run from adverse physical conditions. This chemical reaction of producing adrenaline within the body increases the sugar level.

5. Some medications

If you are under regular medications, they might also cause high blood sugar. There are a few compositions that have the side effect of increasing blood sugar levels. It is important to be aware of the medications you take and understand their side effects. This should not be very severe, but for that, you need to compensate by inculcating good habits. You must take natural preventive measures to help balance the effect before it becomes a severe issue.

6. Smoking and drinking habits

Smoking and drinking habits can cause a lot of health issues, which also include high blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes. The consequences of alcohol use can also be understood in the research by NCBI.

Prevention

We all know prevention is better than cure. It is best to carry a healthy lifestyle and stay fit rather than curing diseases one after the other. A healthy lifestyle can be followed by inculcating good habits. Good health habits can help you recover faster and will prevent you from various diseases. Some of the important preventive measures include:

1. Follow a healthy and balanced diet

It is very important to first and foremost improve the quality of your diet. What you put into your body is what is reflected at the end of the day. It is advisable to follow a balanced diet. Fibrous foods are very helpful for healthifying your body. A fiber-rich food provides a large number of benefits like it will help improve digestion. High-fiber foods also help reduce cholesterol. Try to incorporate high protein in the diet.

Sugar intake should be minimized as much as possible. Even after you do everything like reducing carbs, and exercising every day but not controlling the sugar intake, it would not affect your body. Cutting down sugar intake is the most important. To keep away from diseases, it is very important to also improve your immune system. 

2. Get adequate sleep

Some people tend to take this very lightly. Putting up with little sleep is very harmful to the body. It makes your body weak and prone to diseases. It is very important to take uninterrupted sleep of 7 to 8 hrs. Your bodily functions like digestion happen at their best when you are sleeping. The process of breakdown needs energy which is why it is so important to get proper sleep. 

Sleep also strengthens and gives your brain some rest. This makes it better for you to work efficiently. Without good sleep you become lethargic and your mind becomes dull. For your brain to be creative and active it is important to give it enough rest.

3. Exercise regularly 

Every day we need to exercise, to keep our bodies fit and active. If we do not exercise, then we are making our bodies weak and stiff. We can also learn more about the importance of physical activities in the research by WHO.

Exercising daily helps regulate blood sugar levels. The more you work out, the better your health will be. If you can extract some amount of time and will be able to take 30 to 40 minutes of your day, spend it on exercising your body. It is more required than you notice. Some basic exercises you can incorporate are Squats, pushups, glute bridge, and lunge. Apart from this also include cardio exercises, running, and weight training. The variation in exercises will help you become consistent. If there are days when you are unable to take out time for exercise, make a few basic lifestyle changes. You can use stairs instead of an elevator, walk a few blocks instead of taking your vehicle and make a habit of sometimes cycling to work.

4. Completely avoid smoking or drinking alcohol 

Many people are addicted to either smoking or drinking alcohol. It is important to understand how harmful it is. It is very important to immediately quit this habit, especially if you're suffering from any health issues. It cannot be emphasized enough, how injurious it is to smoke and drink alcohol. More about the harmful effects of alcohol can be understood in the study by WHO.

Conclusion

In this article, we understood the various factors that increase the body temperature like outside temperature, type of food and drink consumed, the physical movement, and during bodily functions like metabolism or changing blood sugar level. There is a direct connection between blood sugar level and body temperature. With the increase in blood sugar level, the body temperature also increases. The common symptoms of high blood sugar include Increased thirst, Frequent urination, Fatigue, Headache, Constant hunger, Blurred vision, and Numbness or tingling in hands or feet. Other symptoms might occur, depending on the severity, which include weakness, shortness of breath, dry mouth, fruity-smelling breath, nausea and vomiting, and confusion.

The various causes for the blood sugar spike are an Unhealthy Diet, Incomplete sleep, Being physically inactive, Stress, Some medications, and smoking and drinking habits. Various preventive measures can be taken to prevent the increase in blood sugar. The preventive measures include following a balanced diet, getting a good amount of sleep (7 to 8 hrs every day), controlling the stress level, exercising daily, and completely avoiding smoking and drinking. If you are following these preventive measures, you will never have a blood sugar spike.