What does hyperglycemia mean?
Hyperglycemia is the medical term for an abnormally high concentration of glucose in the blood. It commonly occurs when the body produces too little insulin, when cells respond inadequately to insulin, or when medications and other factors reduce the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. The condition may be associated with thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, and, when severe, confusion or loss of consciousness. Hyperglycemia is especially associated with diabetes but can have other causes and does not by itself establish a diagnosis of diabetes. Doctors may use fasting glucose measurements, glucose-tolerance testing, and glycated hemoglobin to assess blood-sugar regulation. The word is chiefly used in clinical contexts, and British and Commonwealth English generally spell it hyperglycaemia. Understanding the term helps distinguish high blood sugar from the opposite condition, hypoglycemia, in which blood glucose is abnormally low.
nounAn abnormally high level of glucose in the blood, typically indicating that the body is not regulating blood sugar effectively. It may result from insufficient insulin, insulin resistance, or certain medications and can cause symptoms including excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and fatigue.
- An abnormal condition in which the concentration of glucose in the blood is higher than the normal range.
"Her doctor diagnosed hyperglycemia and recommended dietary changes and more frequent blood-glucose monitoring."
"Severe hyperglycemia can cause blurred vision, nausea, and confusion."
"The medication was adjusted because it was causing persistent hyperglycemia."
Rarely used; the condition is normally treated as uncountable, though the plural may distinguish separate cases or findings.
"The clinic recorded several hyperglycemias during the study."
Hyperglycemia is the medical term for high blood sugar—and a reminder that the body’s finely tuned balance can shift dramatically.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hyperglycemia
The word was formed within medical Latin from Greek elements meaning “over” or “beyond,” “sweet,” and “blood.” Its components ultimately refer to an excess of sweet material in the bloodstream. The terminology developed through the systematic naming of physiological conditions involving blood glucose and was subsequently adopted into English medical usage.
Related word forms
How hyperglycemia is actually used
This is primarily a medical term and is usually treated as an uncountable condition. The spelling hyperglycaemia is standard in British and Commonwealth English; hyperglycemia is standard in US medical usage. It should not be used as a lay diagnosis without appropriate clinical evidence.
Easily confused with hyperglycemia
Hyperglycaemia is the standard British and Commonwealth spelling of the same medical condition.
Hyperglycemia means an abnormally high blood-glucose level, whereas hypoglycemia means an abnormally low one.