Stop Spiking Those Sugars!
Many people (and their doctors) use A1C and fasting blood glucose levels to gauge their diabetes control. But those numbers only tell half the story. To prevent organ damage, we also have to keep glucose from spiking after meals. How can we do that? Do You Spike? If you just check your blood glucose levels in the morning and maybe at bedtime, you will miss these spikes. Say your numbers at those times usually run about 125 mg/dl. If your blood sugar levels were like that all day, your A1C would be about 6.0%. But maybe when the doctor tests your A1C, it might be closer to 7.6%. You know then you are spiking after meals high enough to raise your average sugar to 170, which means spiking well over 200. You can find a good calculator for converting A1C to average glucose here. Glucose levels above 140 can lead to inflammation of blood vessels and organs. The higher the spike goes and the longer it lasts, the more damage there is likely to be. With any type of diabetes, we want to get those spikes down, and it takes a lot of monitoring and experimenting to get it right. Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE, who has Type 1, wrote here that for Type 1s, it’s about managing your insulin so that it peaks when blood glucose is peaking and drops off when glucose levels do. You can only do that with fast-acting insulin injections or a pump. But even then, you have to know how much a given meal is likely to raise your sugar to know how much to give and when to give it. Scheiner recommends testing about an hour after completing a meal or snack. That’s when sugar levels tend to be highest. Jenny Ruhl at Diabetes Update says different people and different foods spike differently. So to find the very highest spike, you might have to try different times. “Meals heavy in fat digest more slowly t Continue reading >>
Discussion: Blood Sugar Levels And Type 2 Diabetes
When it comes to blood sugar levels, the numbers always seem to confuse people. So we're here today to cover a whole range of reader questions that have come in. If you have questions of your own, join the discussion – please feel free to leave your comments at the bottom. Healthy blood sugar goal ranges Healthy blood sugar control values will depend on several factors, the most important being when you check it. Blood glucose levels will rise after eating meals regardless of whether a person has diabetes–however, someone with good control will be able to bring it down to a stable level after 2 hours. The diagnostic values below are for non pregnant adults with type 2 diabetes. Ranges are different for children, those with type I diabetes and pregnant women. FASTING AFTER MEALS 2 HOURS HbA1c Normal 70-99 mg/dL (4-6 mmol/L)* <140 mg/dL (<7.8 mmol/L)** <5.7% Pre-Diabetes 100-125 mg/dL (6.1-6.9 mmol/L) 140-179 mg/dL 5.7-6.4% Diabetes >126 mg/dL (>7 mmol/L) >180 mg/dL 6.5% and higher *Note that different agencies establish different standards. Some range 70-100 mg/dL, some 70-110 mg/dL, some 70-130 mg/dL **Some agencies recommend <180 mg/dL post-meal especially in the elderly and those who have had diabetes for a very long time What should your goals be? That is between you and your healthcare team because it does depend on various factors. But overall your goal is to gain good control of your diabetes, which means maintaining normal levels or getting as close to normal levels as possible (refer to the normal numbers above). We’ve answered some specific questions regarding blood sugar over here, so be sure to check those out as well. Some specific comments and questions we’ve received regarding blood sugar levels include: 1. My post meal is hovering around 140-160, Continue reading >>
Controlling The Dawn Phenomenon
Do you wake up with a blood glucose level that’s higher than when you went to bed? You might wonder how this could be. Is this “dawn phenomenon” serious, and what can you do about it? Our reader Mishelle commented here, “I don’t eat [much] during the day. [I take metformin morning and night.] My blood sugar is still too high in the morning…sometimes 125–140ish.” How can Mishelle’s glucose levels go up if she didn’t eat anything? She probably has a mild case of dawn phenomenon. Her glucose is going up from sources other than digested food. Some of it is produced by the liver from stored starch and fatty acids. Livers that produce too much glucose are one of the main ways diabetes causes high blood glucose levels. Other organs also produce small amounts of glucose. This is called “gluconeogenesis” for you science freaks out there. Organs do this to keep blood glucose from going too low at night or other times of not eating. From about 2 AM to 8 AM, most people’s bodies produce hormones, including cortisol, glucagon, and epinephrine. All these hormones increase insulin resistance and tell the liver to make more glucose. The idea is to get you enough glucose to get out of bed and start the day. The whole process is apparently started by growth hormones. Everyone has a dawn phenomenon. Otherwise they’d be too weak to get breakfast. But in people without diabetes, insulin levels also increase to handle the extra glucose. People with diabetes can’t increase insulin levels that much, so their early morning blood glucose levels can rise dramatically. Experts disagree on how many people have a dawn phenomenon. Estimates range from 3% to 50% of Type 2s and from 25% to 50% of Type 1s. Is dawn phenomenon a serious problem? It can be serious. According t Continue reading >>
Diabetes Blood Sugar Level And Charts
How to understand you have diabetes from the blood sugar level readings? What are the tests to perform for monitoring blood glucose? How are sugar levels related to risk for heart disease? Diabetes blood sugar level is obtained when you perform a blood sugar test, and it is of most value especially when diabetes symptoms are noticed. The most important thing is to learn how to correctly measure your blood glucose levels and carefully interpret the results by your own. If you find any difficulty, go and pay a visit to your doctor. How to recognize if you have diabetes? No Charge Glucose Meter - OneTouch Verio Flex® Meter Ad Compact Design to Track Your Glucose On-the-Go. Get It At No Charge. OneTouch Learn more If the results you get are > 200 mg/dl, you are in a dangerous zone. Diabetes complications, heart stroke or even death are one step from you. Be careful! I am just emphasizing the importance of your current health situation. At the same time, you can take total control of blood sugar through simple and natural steps. They include lifestyle and dietary strategies changes that can give you a hand in lowering high sugar in blood and beating diabetes naturally. There is another natural alternative which can help you stabilize your high glucose levels. Click here to see how. Another important fact is to have a good understanding of what a normal sugar level is, what the range for your case as a diabetic is, and how far you can achieve it. Diabetes blood sugar level - Understanding the tests The tests you need to perform are pretty easy. You may also try them at home through a practical home-testing kit and have the results whenever and wherever you want. However, you must also learn how to read the results by yourself correctly. Keep in mind that your testing results Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar
Blood sugar measure the concentration of glucose (sugar) in your blood stream at a given time. There is a normal amount of glucose that's typically found in the blood of mammals (including humans); any levels that are above or below the normal range may indicate a health concern, and probably deserve futher investigation. Normal Range of Blood Sugar Levels A normal range for human glucose levels will vary depending on the person, as well as on things like diet and time of day. Someone who recently consumed carbohydrates will have a higher glucose level, since carbohydrates are how glucose gets into the body. Once it enters the body, a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, releases itself into the blood stream to regulate the glucose amouont and keep it within the health range. For some people, however, insulin doesn’t release like it should and this can result in more glucose than may be healthy remaining in the blood stream. A normal glucose level will fall anywhere between 70 and 150 mg. Anyone whose level is consistently above 150 mg should likely be considered as having high blood sugar, which in turn could be both a sign of and a risk factor for diabetes. For example, if you test your blood sugar and you get a reading of 170 mg, you shouldn’t immediately assume that a blood sugar level of 170 means you have diabetes. The truth is that people with regular high blood sugar, or even those with normal blood sugar, can at times reach very high glucose levels, particularly after meals high in carbohydrates. For the most part, a normal-range person’s levels will not rise above 140 or at most 150, but it does happen. The key thing is not necessarily how high the sugar rises, but how often it does so, and how quickly it goes back to normal. Sugar Continue reading >>
Why Is Blood Sugar High In The Morning?
Here you'll find info about why blood sugar is high in the morning, along with tips and resources to lower those numbers! A while back I had a client sending me her blood sugar charts every few days and on those charts she always made some notes if she had questions. Every time she sent them through, I noticed she had 3 big question marks (???) against her morning blood sugar results. And on another morning when her morning blood sugar levels were high at 160 mg/dl (or 8.9 mmol/l). She had written: I don't understand. 97 mg/dl (or 5.5mmol/l) last night when I went to sleep. I didn't eat anything because I didn't feel well. Humm… I was also over in one of the online diabetes groups I'm involved in today and this message popped up. I'm struggling with my morning BS number. When I went to bed around 11PM my BS was 107. I'm waking up with my BS between 120 – 135. I did put two pieces of string cheese next to my bed and when I woke up around 3am, I ate one. Since I was told to eat protein at night. When I woke up 3 hours later my BS was 130. I didn't want to eat anything large since it's so close to 140 (my goal is to keep it below 140). So I had 1 piece of toast (sugar free wheat bread) and just a tiny bit of peanut butter. I checked it an hour later and it was 161! What am I doing wrong? Do these morning situations sound familiar to you? Are you constantly questioning: Why is blood sugar high in the morning? I mean, logically we'd think that it should be at it's lowest in the morning right? Well don't panic, there is a reason for it, so let's explore why morning blood sugar is often higher. And at the end, I'll also point you toward some resources to help you lower those levels. Why Is Blood Sugar High In The Morning? Although it would seem logical that your body would Continue reading >>
Why Are Fasting Blood Glucose Numbers High?
Stumped by high fasting blood glucose results? Join the club. "It just doesn't compute. When I snack before bed, my fastings are lower than when I limit my night nibbles," says Pete Hyatt, 59, PWD type 2. "It's logical for people to point the finger for high fasting blood sugar numbers at what they eat between dinner and bed, but surprisingly food isn't the lead villain," says Robert Chilton, M.D., a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The true culprit is compromised hormonal control of blood glucose levels. The Essential Hormones During the years (up to a decade) that type 2 diabetes develops, the hormonal control of blood glucose breaks down. Four hormones are involved in glucose control: Insulin, made in the beta cells of the pancreas, helps the body use glucose from food by enabling glucose to move into the body's cells for energy. People with type 2 diabetes have slowly dwindling insulin reserves. Amylin, secreted from the beta cells, slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream after eating by slowing stomach-emptying and increasing the feeling of fullness. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are amylin-deficient. Incretins, a group of hormones secreted from the intestines that includes glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), enhance the body's release of insulin after eating. This in turn slows stomach-emptying, promotes fullness, delays the release of glucose into the bloodstream, and prevents the pancreas from releasing glucagon, putting less glucose into the blood. Glucagon, made in the alpha cells of the pancreas, breaks down glucose stored in the liver and muscles and releases it to provide energy when glucose from food isn't available. {C} How the Essential Hormones Work in the Body When d Continue reading >>
Fasting Blood Sugar: Normal Levels And Testing
Fasting blood sugar provides vital clues about how the body is managing blood sugar levels. Blood sugar tends to peak about an hour after eating, and declines after that. High fasting blood sugar levels point to insulin resistance or diabetes. Abnormally low fasting blood sugar could be due to diabetes medications. Knowing when to test and what to look for can help keep people with, or at risk of, diabetes healthy. What are fasting blood sugar levels? Following a meal, blood sugar levels rise, usually peaking about an hour after eating. How much blood sugar rises by and the precise timing of the peak depends on diet. Large meals tend to trigger larger blood sugar rises. High-sugar carbohydrates, such as bread and sweetened snacks, also cause more significant blood sugar swings. Normally, as blood sugar rises, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar, breaking it down so that the body can use it for energy or store it for later. However, people who have diabetes have difficulties with insulin in the following ways: People with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin because the body attacks insulin-producing cells. People with type 2 diabetes do not respond well to insulin and, later, may not make enough insulin. In both cases, the result is the same: elevated blood sugar levels and difficulties using sugar. This means that fasting blood sugar depends on three factors: the contents of the last meal the size of the last meal the body's ability to produce and respond to insulin Blood sugar levels in between meals offer a window into how the body manages sugar. High levels of fasting blood sugar suggest that the body has been unable to lower the levels of sugar in the blood. This points to either insulin resistance or inadequate insulin production, an Continue reading >>
Ask The Diabetes Team
Question: From Eureka, California, USA: I have read on this web site that a normal A1c for non-diabetic children is really at 5.0, but the normal range is considered 4.5 to 5.5, according to Dr. Jim Lane. My eight year old son had an A1c of 5.4. His fasting blood glucose was 93 mg/dl [5.2 mmol/L]. His random blood glucose in the pediatrician's office was 170 mg/dl [9.4 mmol/L]. He has periods of increased thirst and urination, both day and night. I have checked his blood sugar with a meter and found it 125 mg/dl [6.9 mmol/L] 30 minutes after a piece of pizza. I didn't check further. It was also 122 mg/dl [6.8 mmol/L] two hours after a normal lunch. My grandparents, dad, brother, aunts and others in my family have type 2. My dad's doctor thinks these numbers may indicate very early type 1. Answer: A1c values may change depending upon the specific laboratory and system being used for analysis. But, they only represent average glucose values for the prior four to eight weeks or so. What you are describing is not quite abnormal, but not quite diagnostic. The fasting blood sugar was fine, but the post meal values are slightly too high. This could be early diabetes. So, I would go back to the pediatrician and consider a consultation with a pediatric diabetes team. It would also be reasonable for you to get a more detailed idea of what the blood sugar levels are for several days without changing food or snacks. We call this a profile and can easily be done with one of many home blood glucose meters available: just before breakfast plus one to two hours after breakfast, just before lunch and one to two hours after lunch plus just before dinner and one to two hours after dinner. The ideal values should include pre-meal values less than 100 mg/dl [5.6 mmol/L] plus post-meal value Continue reading >>
What Is A Normal Blood Glucose Level For Someone With Diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (MEL-ih-tus), often referred to as diabetes, is characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels that result from the body’s inability to produce enough insulin and/or effectively utilize the insulin. Diabetes is a serious, life-long condition and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism (the body's way of digesting food and converting it into energy). There are three forms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that accounts for five- to 10-percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for 90- to 95-percent of all diagnosed cases. The third type of diabetes occurs in pregnancy and is referred to as gestational diabetes. Left untreated, gestational diabetes can cause health issues for pregnant women and their babies. People with diabetes can take preventive steps to control this disease and decrease the risk of further complications. Continue reading >>
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Controlling Blood Sugar In Diabetes: How Low Should You Go?
Diabetes is an ancient disease, but the first effective drug therapy was not available until 1922, when insulin revolutionized the management of the disorder. Insulin is administered by injection, but treatment took another great leap forward in 1956, when the first oral diabetic drug was introduced. Since then, dozens of new medications have been developed, but scientists are still learning how best to use them. And new studies are prompting doctors to re-examine a fundamental therapeutic question: what level of blood sugar is best? Normal metabolism To understand diabetes, you should first understand how your body handles glucose, the sugar that fuels your metabolism. After you eat, your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars that are small enough to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Glucose is far and away the most important of these sugars, and it's an indispensable source of energy for your body's cells. But to provide that energy, it must travel from your blood into your cells. Insulin is the hormone that unlocks the door to your cells. When your blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the beta cells of your pancreas spring into action, pouring insulin into your blood. If you produce enough insulin and your cells respond normally, your blood sugar level drops as glucose enters the cells, where it is burned for energy or stored for future use in your liver as glycogen. Insulin also helps your body turn amino acids into proteins and fatty acids into body fat. The net effect is to allow your body to turn food into energy and to store excess energy to keep your engine running if fuel becomes scarce in the future. A diabetes primer Diabetes is a single name for a group of disorders. All forms of the disease develop when the pancreas is unable to Continue reading >>
Questions And Answers - Blood Sugar
Use the chart below to help understand how different test results can indicate pre-diabetes or diabetes Fasting Blood Glucose Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) Random Blood Sugar (taken any time of day with or without fasting) A1C Ideal Result Less than 100mg/dl Less than 140 mg/dl Less than 140 (even after eating a large meal) Less than 5.7% Pre-diabetes 100-125mg/dl 140-199mg/dl 140-200 5.7% to 6.4% Diabetes 126mg/dl and greater 200 mg/dl and greater 200 or greater 6.5% or more Q: I have been told that I have diabetes, or "pre-diabetes", or that I am in the "honeymoon period" . My readings are all over the place: sometimes in the 120's, others in the 90's, sometimes, but rarely in the 150-170's. My doctor does not want to put me on medication yet. I exercise regularly and am not overweight though my diet is variable. I certainly like sweets, pizza, and pasta. What is the long term effect of these continued high blood sugar levels? A: Firstly, kudos for your physician for giving diet/lifestyle changes a chance to work. Reduction of body fat often is the first best start. This may or may not be true in your case but certainly sweets, pizza, etc. are affecting your numbers. If you can discipline yourself at this time to eat unrefined foods and be more active, your beta cells that produce insulin may get the rest they need to become efficient again. Our diabetes management booklet has many referenced foods/supplements that may help to stabilize your glucose levels. In time, your favorite foods may be reintroduced in moderate amounts. You appear to be more in the pre-diabetes range at this time. Complications are a long process. If your daytime levels stay under 120-140, that is good. Fasting levels are higher due to hormonal activity nighttime; these levels are a much sl Continue reading >>
My Sugar Level Is 170(fasting), Can I Eat Watermelon?? Also I Am Taking Janumet Tablet Twice A Day, Is This The Correct Treatment
Your sugar level is way too high.First,you have to bring down your sugar level to normal levels and then think of enjoying fruits etc.You may consider the following suggestions : Management of sugar levels is a tough job but is not impossible if you realize that the task is essentially in your own hands. The doctor or dietician may guide you but ultimately it is you who has to put into practice all that has been learnt. Diet control makes maximum difference in a diabetic condition. Avoid sugar,sweets,and any food that is loaded with sugars like mango,banana etc. Also avoid vegetables like potato,beet, etc that grow underground and contain plenty of starch. Eat more of sprouts,vegetables and greens that give you fiber,minerals and vitamins. Eat less of rice,wheat and other cereals rich in carbohydrates and demand more insulin for converting to energy. The idea should be to reduce consumption by least 200 to 300 calories per day to gain significant results. After diet,exercise plays a very important role. Walking or jogging for 40 to 60 minutes a day will improve your glucose metabolism significantly and spend about 200 calories.Management of sugar levels is a tough job but is not impossible if you realize that the task is essentially in your own hands. The doctor or dietician may guide you but ultimately it is you who has to put into practice all that has been learnt. Diet control makes maximum difference in a diabetic condition. Avoid sugar,sweets,and any food that is loaded with sugars like mango,banana etc. Also avoid vegetables like potato,beet, etc that grow underground. Eat more of sprouts,nuts(except cashew and pista)vegetables and greens that give you fiber,minerals and vitamins. Eat less of rice,wheat and other cereals rich in carbohydrates and demand more insul Continue reading >>
A1c 6.5 But Fasting Glucose Levels 170 Or Higher
A1c 6.5 but fasting glucose levels 170 or higher I got back an A1c test today that was 6.5 but I get my wife to take my glucose some mornings and it is in the 160 to 180 range. This is after a normal fasting period. I understand the 90 day period for A1c test. Just don't understand how the morning range can be so high but the A1c remain relatively normal. Have your fasting blood glucose drawn by a lab. Fasting BGs of 160-180 are incompatible with an HGBA1c of 6.5% Don't remember all the medical jargon, but higher BS in the morning after fasting all night is not all that uncommon. It is the reaction of the body to slow down insulin production due to lack of food intake. My A1C has been 6.0 to 6.2 for a number of years and I sometimes (not always) have BS of 125 to 170 in the morning. However, I only take BS readings 2-4 times per month in the morning before eating. My VA Doc has not been concerned as long as the A1C is OK. Last edited by VNgrunt66 on 10 Jun 2016, 11:56, edited 1 time in total. Anything higher than 6 indicates probable Diabetes. A 170-180 blood sugar in the morning is also NOT in the normal rang, it is high, VERY high. Get your butt to your doctor, and get this under control, before PERMANENT damage is done to your body. I can virtually guarantee that with those reradings, you already have some degree of nerve damage in your feet, and possibly elsewhere. Have your eating habits changed this summer? I attribute my fbg (113 - 122 for the week) levels to BBQ, but my A1C is a 6.1 How many normal readings qualify for remission? I also know that if I eat something like a baked potato that can stay in my system pretty long I have been a Type II Diabetic for 10 years. And I take my blood glucose in the AM when I get up, often in the middle of the day and before Continue reading >>
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Blood Sugar 170 Mg/dl Fasting - Good Or Bad? - Bloodsugareasy.com
To improve your blood sugar fasting you need to lower your blood glucose level by 70mg/dl. Your fasting blood sugar level should always be below 100mg/dl but not fall below 80mg/dl. Blood sugar testing measures how much glucose is in the bloodstream. No matter what is eaten, from a small snack to a large meal, blood glucose values rise in response to any carbohydrates that are digested. In a healthy person, the pancreas reacts to the higher blood glucose by releasing insulin, a hormone that converts blood sugar into usable energy. In addition to carbohydrates, other body processes also raise blood sugar levels.When a person fasts, which is defined medically as not eating or drinking anything aside from water for at least eight hours, the release of glucagon is triggered in the body. Glucagon instructs the liver to metabolize reserve supplies of glycogen, which are then circulated into the bloodstream as sugars. Accordingly, the amount of plasma glucose goes up. This is how the body creates energy even while fasting. In sum, when diabetes is not present the body responds to all blood sugars by manufacturing insulin in proportion with the glucose level. When it comes to fasting blood sugars, insulin lowers and stabilizes the levels so that they remain in a normal, healthy range. Yet when any form of diabetes is present, either pre-diabetes, Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, the whole physiological process doesnt work correctly, and blood sugars are often considerably higher than normal. The fasting blood sugar test (FBS) is commonly used to detect the existence of diabetes. In order to prepare for a fasting blood sugar test, one must refrain from eating or drinking from eight to twelve hours before the test, depending upon the doctors instructions. It is conducted in t Continue reading >>
