Blood Sugar Levels

This article will discuss blood sugar levels – what tests are done to find these levels, what average levels are and what happens when levels become too high or too low.

 

 

 

 

Normal Blood Sugar Levels

The prime source of energy for animal and human cells is glucose which is a kind of sugar which passes thru the blood system. When you eat carbohydrates, glucose goes through your body. The levels of glucose are kept normal by glucagon and insulin. Insulin is the hormone which is generated in the pancreas and discharged into the blood system when levels of glucose rise.


The normal level for glucose is usually 70 and 150 mg. These levels are typically lowest when waking up, and rise following meals. Levels of blood sugar consistently higher then 150 are a sign of high blood sugar also known as hyperglycemia. When the blood sugar level persistently falls to 70 are lower this is a sign of low blood sugar also know as hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar is a prospectively fatal condition. The symptoms or signs of hypoglycemia are weakened mental functioning, lethargy, unconsciousness as well as irritability. Continual hyperglycemia causes diabetes mellitus, which is the most frequent disease connected to the regulation of blood sugar. Diabetes is a disease which can cause kidney, nerve and eye damage.

Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels

In making the diagnosis of diabetes, doctors first and foremost use the end results of particular glucose tests. But, test outcomes are just one element of all the data which goes into the conclusion for a diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Physicians also look into the outcomes of your physical assessment, presence or lack of signs, and health record.

Also, some drugs may change your blood glucose levels which will then go back to usual after the illness has gotten better. Many people who are very ill will have transient problems with elevated blood glucose levels. These are mostly commonly due to medications such as steroids and certain diuretics, such as water pills.
The 2 major tests run to determine the existence of blood glucose difficulties are the total amount of glucose levels in the blood system all through a fast during the night and level of the body’s capacity to properly handle the surplus sugar in the blood after drinking a drink of very high glucose.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

The “oral glucose tolerance test” is a test that may be carried out in a physician’s office or a lab. The individual being checked begins the test in a fasting condition (having neither drink nor food except water for no less than 10 hours but not longer than 16 hours.)

Beginning blood glucose is taken and after that the individual is asked to drink a “glucola” which is a drink with elevated amounts of sugar in it. The individual then has their blood analyses done at ½ hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours after consuming the “glucola”.

In order to get trustworthy results with this test, the individual should be in fine health and not ill – not even as minor as a cold. As well, the individual should be regularly active. For example, not detained to a bed like a hospital patient or lying down, and should as well not be using any drugs which could have an effect on the blood sugar. On the morning of the analysis, the individual should not drink coffee or smoke. Throughout this examination, the individual should sit or lie calmly.

This test to measure the glucose tolerance is done by analyzing the level of blood glucose 5 times during a time frame of 3 hours. In an individual with no diabetes, the blood glucose levels will rise after drinking the glucose drink, and then fall rapidly back to regular levels. This is because of the production of insulin in reaction to the glucose and this insulin has a normalizing effect of lowering the blood sugar level.

In a person with diabetes, levels of glucose rises higher than normal after consuming the glucose drink and then drops back to normal levels much slower. This is because insulin is either not being generated, or it is generated but the body cells are unable to react to it.

As with random blood glucose or fasting tests, an obviously uncharacteristic oral glucose tolerance test is analytical of diabetes. But, measurements of blood glucose during the tolerance of glucose test may fluctuate to some extent. Because of this, if or when the test demonstrates that you have a mild elevation of glucose levels in the blood, the physician may need to redo the test in order to make certain of a correct diagnosis.
These tolerances for glucose tests can lead to 1 of the below diagnoses:

Standard Reaction

An individual is known as having a normal/standard response if the 2-hour sugar level is equal to and less than 110 mg/dL.

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

When an individual has results which are the same as or greater than 110 and less than 126 mg/dL, they are said to have weakened or impaired glucose fasting. This is regarded as a risk for potential diabetes in the future and will possible set up another test in the future. But the results by itself, does not formulate the diabetes diagnosis.

An individual is alleged to have impaired glucose tolerance when the 2-hour glucose end results from the oral glucose tolerance test are larger than or equal to 140 but below the level of 200 mg/dL. There is as well a risk factor for diabetes in the future. There are currently conversations on lowering the higher value to 180 mg/dL in order to make a diagnosis of mild diabetes earlier in order to allocate quicker intercession and avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Diabetes

An individual is diagnosed as a diabetic when oral glucose tolerance tests confirm the glucose level in the blood at 2 hrs is more than or equal to 200 mg/dL. This needs to be verified by a 2nd test on a different day. Currently there are some conversations about lowering the higher value to 180 mg/dL to diagnose more individuals with mild diabetes in order to allocate quicker intercession and avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes

A woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes when pregnant and having any 2 of the following results: a fasting glucose level higher than 105 mg/dL, a 1-hour glucose level higher than 190 mg/dL, a 2-hour glucose level higher than 165 mg/dL, or a 3-hour higher than 145 mg/dL.

How to Control Blood Sugar Levels

If a person experiences blood sugar levels which are too high, the individual is further likely to develop severe health situations, such as infections, problems with blood clotting, and the failure of cuts and wounds to repair. High levels of sugar or glucose can as well lead to problems such as diabetes. Happily, there are several steps which can be taken to lower blood glucose levels.

A simple way to lessen glucose levels is to remain fit as well as healthy. Exercising on a regular basis not only aids lower blood glucose levels but also facilitates the fighting of infections. Remaining energetic and taking expected exercise can also assist with blood pressure difficulties. Exercise also helps to manage the body’s mass and controls cholesterol levels.

This daily exercise does not need to be an exhausting workout. 30 minutes of daily exercise, even just walking, will assist to lower blood glucose levels. Walking to the store instead of driving is really all which may be essential to supply any individual with some much needed exercise. Any addition exercise, such as working out in a gym, needs to be talked about with a physician initial especially if a person has uneven blood glucose levels.

The food which an individual eats can as well play a part in assisting to lower blood glucose levels. Low-glycemic foods which are digested more unhurriedly by the body are a healthier alternative. High-glycemic foods go into the blood system effortlessly and swiftly, which causes the pancreas to work harder to generate insulin.

Low-glycemic foods which assist lower blood glucose levels consist of high fiber fruits, peanuts, oatmeal, bean, granola and peas. High-glycemic foods comprise rice, white bread and potatoes. Investigate has shown that white bread and potatoes are converted intensely quickly by the body into glucose. In fact, they are changed more rapidly than a candy bar would be.

To be avoided at all cost is fast foods. The sugar and fat content in fast foods is tremendously high. Look for healthier alternatives. Most food packaging now contain information on the food’s content of sugar. Many restaurants and most fast food outlets now have healthy meal alternatives such as fish dishes as well as salads.

Average Blood Glucose Levels

Random

The “random blood glucose” test may be taken at any time in related to eating or drinking and can be administrated at any time. A level higher than 140 mg/dL can indicate prediabetes. A level above 200mg/dL indicates Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes and suggests further tests.

Fasting

The “fasting blood glucose” test must have the individual fasting for at least 8 hours. Normal levels for this test are 70 to 100 mg/dL. Higher levels indicate prediabetes and higher than 125 mg/dL suggest diabetes either Type-1 or Type-2 and suggest further testing.

Oral Glucose Tolerance

This test also needs to be done after fasting, drinking of a glucose drink and another hour wait. A beginning test is done and then repeated every 1 or 2 hours. Normal levels are below 140 mg/dL. Levels of 140 to 199 mg/dL indicate prediabetes and level above 200 mg/dL suggest diabetes with further testing needed.

A1C

The is the glycated hemoglobin test which measures blood glucose level averaged over a 2 to 3 month period. The value is a percentage of hemoglobin in cells of red blood which are covered in sugar. Normal values are 4% to 6%. Levels for prediabetes are 6% to 6.5%. Levels of 6.5% and higher indicates diabetes.

Variations of Normal

There are several factors which can slant the results of any of the above tests. Several of these factors include age, sex, general health, race, medications, as well as if individual drinks alcohol. Menstrual cycles of women in pre-menopause can also slant these tests.

Dangerous Blood Sugar Levels

When diabetes is not treated properly and other even when it is treated proper, there are dangerous risks of blood sugar levels. There are 2 involving hypoglycemia where blood sugar is too low and hyperglycemia where blood sugar is too high.

Hypoglycemia

When hypoglycemia occurs the level of blood sugar has dropped lower than 70 and often happens because of missing a meal, missing a snack, or by failing to eat enough carbohydrates. Exercise when it is strenuous or an illness can also cause hypoglycemia.

Signs of hypoglycemia can include jitters, pale skin, headache, and extreme hunger, changes in mood or behavior, dizziness, trouble paying attention or tingling around mouth.

To treat blood sugar which is too low the individual needs to eat carbohydrates to up the level. This can be done by drinking about one-half a cup of soft drink, juice, eating glucose tablets or any hard candy. Then the glucose level needs to be checked in 15 minutes. If the level is still too low, the process needs to be repeated every 15 minutes until the proper level is maintained.

Hyperglycemia

The other dangerous level is hyperglycemia which happens when glucose levels rise to 200 – 240 or above. When glucose levels keep on climbing it becomes a problem. It can happen because of eating a meal which is too large, or the meal had too many carbohydrates, stress or not having any exercise as well as being ill can cause high levels.

The signs of hyperglycemia consist of increased urination or excessive thirst. At levels over 240 or higher, the risk of diabetic coma exists. This is also known as ketoacidosis.

Ketoacidosis can occur because the body does not have enough insulin to breakdown glucose and therefore the body begins to use fat for energy. This process causes the development of ketones which the body can not tolerate. Ketones are dumped in the urine which is the body’s effort to get rid of these excessive ketones. But the body can not release all the ketones and as they build up in the blood system, they create the condition of ketoacidosis which leads to diabetic coma and even death.

To treat this condition is to first determine if ketones are present in the urine. If no ketones are found in the urine, then immediate exercise will lower the blood sugar level. Exercise with ketones in the urine has the opposite effect and will raise the blood sugar higher.

If hyperglycemia is happening too frequently, the individual needs to seek a physician’s counsel as there may need to be adjustments in medication in order to maintain a healthy level.

Blood Sugar Levels Chart

Type of Person	Fasting Value		Post Prandial
	Min Value	Max Value	Value 2 hours after consuming glucose
Normal	70	100	Less than 140
Early Diabetes	101	126	140 to 200
Established Diabetes	More than 126	-	More than 200

*Note: All values are in milligrams