Every time you eat, exercise or even sleep, your body is working behind the scenes to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. You don’t notice this happening because, for most people, it’s an automatic process. However, if you have diabetes, the system that controls your blood sugar doesn’t work as it should.
Where does your blood sugar come from?
Most of the glucose in your bloodstream comes from the carbohydrates that you eat and drink. Foods such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, milk and sugary treats get broken down during digestion and release glucose into your bloodstream. As your blood sugar begins to rise after you’ve eaten, your pancreas responds by releasing insulin, which helps move the glucose out of your bloodstream and into your body’s cells.
How your body keeps blood sugar balanced
Your pancreas plays a big role in regulating your blood sugar. It releases two important hormones that work together to keep your glucose levels within a healthy range. Insulin lowers your blood sugar, whereas glucagon does the opposite.
Exercise also affects your blood sugar levels. When you’re active and using your muscles, they need to use extra glucose for energy. They also become more sensitive to insulin, which allows glucose to enter your cells more easily.
Your hormones, stress levels, illness and even a lack of sleep can all influence your blood sugar too. Your body is constantly adjusting your insulin and glucagon levels to keep everything in balance.
What changes when you have diabetes?
If you have diabetes, your body can’t regulate your blood glucose effectively. The reason depends on the type of diabetes you have. If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot move efficiently into your body’s cells, so it builds up in your bloodstream instead.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas usually still produces insulin, particularly in the early stages. The problem is that your body’s cells have become less responsive to it. This is known as insulin resistance. Your pancreas produces more insulin to try to compensate, but as time goes on, it can’t keep up.
Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy because the hormonal changes make it harder for your body to use insulin effectively. Your blood sugar usually returns to normal after your baby is born, although you have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
How does blood sugar affect the body in diabetes?
If your blood sugar stays too high for a long time, it can affect almost every part of your body. You may notice symptoms such as increased thirst, needing to pass urine more often, feeling unusually tired or finding that cuts and infections take longer to heal. You may also experience blurred vision or feel hungry more often because, although there’s plenty of glucose in your bloodstream, your cells aren’t able to use it efficiently for energy.
Over time, consistently high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and nerves. This increases your risk of developing complications affecting your heart, kidneys, eyes and feet. Nerve damage may cause pain, tingling or numbness, while damage to the tiny blood vessels in your eyes can affect your vision.
Understanding the question ‘how does blood sugar affect the body in diabetes’ can help you see why healthcare professionals encourage good blood glucose management. Even small improvements in your blood sugar levels can reduce your risk of developing long-term complications.
What you can do to support healthy blood sugar
There are lots of things you can do to help keep your blood sugar levels healthy. If you eat balanced meals that contain high fibre carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats, this helps reduce large spikes in your glucose. Stay active so that your muscles use glucose more efficiently. This will also improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin. If you’ve been prescribed diabetes medication or insulin, take it exactly as you’ve been directed.
Monitoring your blood sugar closely will also help you to understand how your body responds to different foods, exercise, illness and medication.
Understanding your blood sugar is the first step
Your body has an impressive system for keeping your blood sugar within a healthy range. Insulin and glucagon work together constantly to make sure your cells receive the energy they need, preventing your blood glucose levels from becoming too high or too low at the same time.
If you have diabetes, this natural balance is disrupted, so your body can’t regulate glucose on its own. Once you understand ‘how does blood sugar affect the body in diabetes’, it’s easier to see why healthy lifestyle choices, regular monitoring and the right treatment all play such an important role. With the right support and good management, you can help protect your long term health and reduce your risk of getting diabetes related complications.
FAQs
Why is insulin so important?
Insulin allows the glucose to move from your bloodstream into your body’s cells, where it gets used for energy. Without enough insulin, or if your cells don’t respond to it properly, glucose stays in your bloodstream instead. In people who have diabetes, this makes their blood sugar levels rise.
Can you prevent diabetes complications?
While complications can’t always be prevented completely, if you keep your blood sugar within your target range, you can significantly reduce your risk. Eating a healthy diet, staying active, taking your medication as prescribed and attending regular diabetes check-ups all help to protect your long-term health.
