Post-Meal Sugar Spikes: Uncover the 8 Surprising Causes & Tailored Solutions – Which One's Yours?

Lao Li came to the hospital to check his blood sugar. The results showed that his fasting blood sugar was 6.4mmol/L and his blood sugar 2 hours after a meal was 12.8mmol/L. When he got the test report, he was worried. Why is his fasting blood sugar normal but his postprandial blood sugar so high?

Today, let’s talk about the causes and countermeasures of postprandial hyperglycemia.

8 causes of post-meal high blood sugar

01 The secretion of blood sugar-raising hormones in the body increases in the morning

We all know that insulin is used to lower blood sugar, but in fact there are many glycemic hormones in our body: glucagon, glucocorticoids, thyroxine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, growth hormone, etc.

Among them, glucocorticoid secretion has a "circadian rhythm", with the highest secretion at 8 a.m., gradually decreasing in the afternoon, and reaching the lowest level at midnight. Adrenaline and norepinephrine also have similar changing trends.

Therefore, under the influence of glucagon, they basically eat nothing in the morning, and many people’s blood sugar is also on the high side.

Countermeasures: Maintain good living habits and lower blood sugar through appropriate post-meal exercise during the peak period of glucagon secretion. For example, have breakfast at 6:30 in the morning, rest for about half an hour, go out and exercise for 30-60 minutes, and then arrange work for the other day.

02Insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance

When the human body eats, blood sugar will reach a peak within half an hour after the meal. Normal people have normal insulin secretion, so blood sugar will slowly drop until it returns to normal.

However, due to insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance, diabetics cannot process the absorbed sugar in time, resulting in a slow rise in blood sugar after a meal, and hyperglycemia may even occur a few hours later.

Countermeasures: In the case of insulin resistance or insufficient insulin secretion, the only way to improve the body's immunity and maintain blood sugar stability is through diet and exercise.

03 Mood swings

Emotions also have a great impact on blood sugar. Emotions such as excitement, pessimism, and depression can cause glucocorticoids, sympathetic nerve excitement, etc., leading to an increase in the secretion of blood sugar hormones, which ultimately leads to an increase in blood sugar after meals.

Countermeasures: Maintain a good attitude, don't get angry easily, know how to adjust your emotions in a timely manner, be open-minded about everything, live the present moment, and deal with it well when the disease is cured, instead of blaming others.

04Too little exercise

Exercise can lower blood sugar, but many people with diabetes do too little exercise and lack exercise after meals. They go to work during the day and lie down when they go home at night, and hardly exercise, which is also one of the reasons for elevated blood sugar.

Countermeasures: Insist on doing more than 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every day, such as brisk walking, jogging, Tai Chi, etc.

05Improper use of drugs

There are many precautions when using hypoglycemic drugs and insulin. If people with diabetes do not pay attention, it can easily cause counter-effects.

Oral hypoglycemic drugs fail, such as sulfonylureas, which may have primary or secondary failure.

Incorrect insulin dosage form and dose selection can also cause blood sugar fluctuations.

Incorrect administration or timing of oral medications or incorrect injection method and timing of insulin can also affect postprandial blood sugar.

Certain drugs, such as diuretics, corticosteroids, birth control pills, antibiotics, etc., can affect blood sugar changes.

Countermeasures: Adjust the treatment plan in a timely manner according to changes in blood sugar. It is best to use drugs in combination. At the same time, pay attention to the interaction between other drugs and hypoglycemic drugs when used in combination. Drugs that affect blood sugar should be used with caution.

For those who are taking insulin treatment, if they need to adjust the dosage or change the insulin dosage form, it is best to do so under the guidance of a specialist.

06Irrational diet

Diet is the basis of diabetes treatment, but some patients do not pay much attention to the details of their diet. For example, they like to eat thin rather than dry foods, such as porridge, soaked rice, rotten noodles, etc., because they are easy to digest and can easily raise blood sugar after eating.

In addition, eating too much, exceeding daily caloric requirements, or eating too many foods with a relatively high glycemic index, such as sweet potatoes, yams, taro and other starchy foods, can easily increase postprandial blood sugar.

Countermeasures: It is recommended to eat mixed meals, eat dry rather than thin meals, slow down the emptying speed of food in the stomach, and at the same time, try to choose foods with a low glycemic index.

07Drugs that accelerate gastrointestinal motility

Certain drugs can accelerate gastrointestinal motility and promote gastrointestinal digestion and absorption, such as Dolin, Jianweixiaoshi tablets, etc. Food digestion speed becomes faster, which may also cause postprandial hyperglycemia.

Countermeasures: When taking other drugs, pay attention to drug interactions and the impact on blood sugar. Do not use drugs at will. You need to choose drugs under the guidance of a doctor and explain the situation.

08 Liver and kidney insufficiency

When liver and kidney dysfunction occurs, fasting hypoglycemia and postprandial hyperglycemia often occur, which are related to insulin metabolism disorders or liver glycogen metabolism.

Countermeasures: Liver and kidney insufficiency requires medication under the guidance of a doctor. In terms of diet, limit the intake of protein and salt, and pay attention to getting more rest.

In short, when faced with high blood sugar after a meal, diabetics should learn to analyze the reasons and then find ways to deal with it, so as to stabilize blood sugar.