Blood Sugar Levels For Adults With Diabetes
Each time you test your blood sugar, log it in a notebook or online tool or with an app. Note the date, time, results, and any recent activities: What medication and dosage you took What you ate How much and what kind of exercise you were doing That will help you and your doctor see how your treatment is working. Well-managed diabetes can delay or prevent complications that affect your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes doubles your risk for heart disease and stroke, too. Fortunately, controlling your blood sugar will also make these problems less likely. Tight blood sugar control, however, means a greater chance of low blood sugar levels, so your doctor may suggest higher targets. Continue reading >>
A High Sugar Level After A Meal
It's normal for your blood sugar level to rise after you eat, especially if you eat a meal high in refined carbohydrates. But if your blood sugar rises more than most people's, you might have diabetes or pre-diabetes, a condition that indicates a strong risk for developing diabetes in the future. If you already have diabetes, you doctor will recommend keeping your blood sugar within a prescribed range. A glucose tolerance test, done one to three hours after you eat a high-carbohydrate meal, can check your blood sugar levels. Why Does Your Blood Sugar Rise? When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks down the sugars they contain into glucose. Your body can't absorb most sugars without breaking them down first. Simple sugars such as refined sugar break down very quickly; you absorb them rapidly into your bloodstream, which raises your blood sugar. In healthy people, the levels don't rise very high and they drop back to normal quickly. If you have diabetes, your levels after a meal will rise higher and stay high longer than levels in other people. This occurs because your pancreas either don't release enough insulin, the hormone that helps cells absorb glucose, or because the cells don't respond properly to insulin release. Normal Levels If your doctor suspects that you have abnormal glucose levels, he might suggest doing a glucose tolerance test. You are given around 75 grams of carbohydrate after fasting for 12 hours. At one- to three-hour intervals, your doctor draws blood and analyzes your glucose levels. A normal fasting glucose is 60 to 100 milligrams per deciliter; your levels should rise no higher than 200 mg/dl one hour after eating and no more than 140 mg/dl two hours after finishing the snack. Most healthy people without diabetes have two-hour readings below 12 Continue reading >>
What Is Normal Blood Sugar In People Over 60?
Age isn’t a factor when it comes to determining a safe blood sugar level. However, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes does increase with age. Diabetes is a condition that occurs when blood sugar levels rise because the body can’t use a type of sugar called glucose normally. If you’re overweight and over age 45, the American Diabetes Association recommends being tested for diabetes during your next routine medical exam. If your weight is normal and you're over 45, ask your doctor if testing is appropriate. Video of the Day Glucose is the body’s main source of energy, and glucose levels in the blood are regulated by the hormone insulin, which is made in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes occurs if the pancreas doesn’t make any or enough insulin. In the far more common type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t respond normally to insulin secretions. Both children and adults can suffer from diabetes. Symptoms include extreme thirst, increased urination and unexplained weight loss. To test if you have high blood sugar or might be at risk of developing diabetes, you can take a fasting glucose test, or FGT, or an oral glucose tolerance test, or OGTT. You need to fast overnight before taking either test. With the FGT test, blood glucose is measured first thing in the morning before eating. With the OGTT test, blood glucose is measured after fasting and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich drink. Your fasting blood glucose level is considered normal if it’s below 100 milligrams per deciliter. You’re considered borderline diabetic if your blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dL. If you measure 126 mg/dL or more on two different days, you have diabetes. Without testing, you might not even be aware that your blood sugar is higher than normal, but treatment is important. Continue reading >>
Are My Blood Glucose Levels Normal?
I recently had a blood test for sugar content after fasting. The glucose level was 6.3, but I am not sure what this means. Am I right in assuming that a normal level after fasting for 12 hours is between 4.2 and 6.2, (which presumably means I am on the diabetes borderline)? Advice would be greatly appreciated. I wonder why you decided to check your fasting glucose level . Do you have a family history of diabetes? Perhaps you are taking medication, such as a steroid, that can bring on diabetes? We diagnose diabetes mellitus on the criteria of fasting blood glucose level in excess of 7.7 mmol/litre or non-fasting levels above 11.1mmol/litre. However, the body may develop a reduced ability to handle glucose some for time before diabetes manifests. This probably occurs as people become obese and thereby become resistant to the effects of their own insulin which lowers blood glucose. A fasting glucose between 6.0 to 7.7mmol/L falls within the range that doctors would suspect 'impaired glucose tolerance'. We would follow-up your case to discuss your full medical and family history, then arrange for a repeat test called a modified glucose tolerance test. We would also discuss lifestyle and diet since I note that you are a bit heavier than the ideal for your height. Almost all 'maturity-onset' non-insulin diabetes (Type 2 diabetes non-insulin dependent diabetes) is related to increasing obesity. Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team Other Qs & As Last updated 03.04.2011 Continue reading >>
Managing Your Blood Sugar
Know the basic steps for managing your diabetes. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to many health problems. Know how to: Monitor your blood sugar (glucose) Find, buy, and store diabetes supplies If you take insulin, you should also know how to: Give yourself insulin Adjust your insulin doses and the foods you eat to manage your blood sugar during exercise and on sick days You should also live a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Do muscle strengthening exercises 2 or more days a week. Avoid sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time. Try speed walking, swimming, or dancing. Pick an activity you enjoy. Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise plans. Follow your meal plan. Take your medicines the way your health care provider recommends. Checking your blood sugar levels often and writing down the results will tell you how well you are managing your diabetes. Talk to your doctor and diabetes educator about how often you should check your blood sugar. Not everyone with diabetes needs to check their blood sugar every day. But some people may need to check it many times a day. If you have type 1 diabetes, check your blood sugar at least 4 times a day. Usually, you will test your blood sugar before meals and at bedtime. You may also check your blood sugar: After you eat out, especially if you have eaten foods you don't normally eat If you feel sick Before and after you exercise If you have a lot of stress If you eat too much If you are taking new medicines Keep a record for yourself and your provider. This will be a big help if you are having problems managing your diabetes. It will also tell you what works and what doesn't work, to keep your blood sugar under control. Write down: The time of day Your blood sugar level Th Continue reading >>
Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart
Maintaining normal blood sugar levels is essential to your mental and physical health. The normal blood sugar levels chart below shows the range to shoot for and the diabetes blood sugar levels chart shows levels to avoid. What is blood sugar? It’s the glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream that your body uses to produce energy. For most people, normal blood sugar levels range from 80 up to 140 – naturally fluctuating throughout the day. A healthy body has effective ways of regulating normal blood sugar levels. For example, if your blood sugar falls too low, extra glucose stored in your liver is absorbed into your bloodstream to make up the difference. Range of Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart Blood sugar is the fuel your body needs for energy. Insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas, helps you maintain normal blood sugar levels. This blood sugar levels chart below shows a normal blood sugar range. Range of Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart TIMING OF BLOOD SUGAR NORMAL RANGE (mg/dl) When you wake (before eating) 80 to 120 Before eating a meal 80 to 120 Taken 2 hours after eating Less than 140 Bedtime blood sugar range 100 to 140 Eating high glycemic carbohydrates is the main cause of higher than normal blood sugar levels and can lead to heart disease, diabetes, blindness, kidney disease and limb amputation from gangrene. Very high blood sugar can even lead to a diabetic coma. The chart below compares diabetes blood sugar levels to normal blood sugar levels. Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels vs Normal Blood Sugar Levels BLOOD SUGAR CLASSIFICATION FASTING MINIMUM FASTING MAXIMUM 2 HOURS AFTER EATING Normal Blood Sugar 70 120 Less than 140 Early Diabetes 100 125 140 to 200 Established Diabetes Over 125 Over 125 More than 200 *All numbers are mg/dl. How to Use Your Blood Sugar Lev Continue reading >>
* What Is A Normal Blood Sugar?
Normal blood sugars after a high carbohydrate breakfast eaten at 7:30 AM. The blue line is the average for the group. The brown lines show the range within which most readings fell (2 standard deviations). Bottom lines show Insulin and C-peptide levels at the same time. Click HERE if you don't see the graph. Graph is a screen shot from Dr. Christiansen's presentation cited below. The term "blood sugar" refers to the concentration of glucose, a simple, sugar, that is found in a set volume of blood. In the U.S. it is measured in milligrams per deciliter, abbreviated as mg/dl. In most of the rest of the world it is measured in millimoles per liter, abbreviated as mmol/L. The concentration of glucose in our blood changes continually throughout the day. It can even vary significantly from minute to minute. When you eat, it can rise dramatically. When you exercise it will often drop. The blood sugar measures that doctors are most interested in is the A1c, discussed below. When you are given a routine blood test doctors usually order a fasting glucose test. The most informative blood sugar reading is the post-meal blood sugar measured one and two hours after eating. Doctors rarely test this important blood sugar measurement as it is time consuming and hence expensive. Rarely doctors will order a Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, which tests your response to a huge dose of pure glucose, which hits your blood stream within minutes and produces results quite different from the blood sugars you will experience after each meal. Below you will find the normal readings for these various tests. Normal Fasting Blood Sugar Fasting blood sugar is usually measured first thing in the morning before you have eaten any food. A truly normal fasting blood sugar (which is also the blood sugar a norm Continue reading >>
7 Ways To Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Enjoy Mediterranean meals iStock/Thinkstock According to studies involving 140,000 people, the odds of developing diabetes are 21 percent lower for those who follow a Mediterranean diet—building meals around plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. Fish and chicken are eaten regularly but not red meat, butter, or sweets. Phytonutrients and fiber in the plant foods help with blood sugar control, and the olive oil might reduce inflammation. Go blue iStock/Thinkstock Eating more anthocyanins—the nutrients that give grapes and berries their bright red and blue colors—was linked to better blood sugar control in a new British study. One portion a day of grapes or berries can have the same impact on blood sugar as a one-point reduction in your body mass index, says researcher Aedin Cassidy of Norwich Medical School. Don't skip breakfast If you frequently miss a morning meal, you'll be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Eating breakfast may help stabilize blood sugar throughout the day. Prepare a healthy blend of protein, complex carbs, and fat—yogurt mixed with fruit and nuts, for example. Starting the day with lots of simple carbs (such as a bagel and OJ) is just as bad for your blood sugar as skipping the meal, according to experiments at the University of Minnesota. Sweat and strengthen iStock/Thinkstock Women who did both cardio (at least two and a half hours) and strength training (at least one hour) every week had the lowest diabetes risk—about one third less than that of non-exercisers. After an exercise session, your muscles take up more glucose from the bloodstream. As you become more fit over time, cells become more sensitive to insulin. Step away from the desk (and the TV) Hemera, iStock, Photodisc/ Continue reading >>
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What Is Normal Blood Sugar Level
The blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose (sugar) present in the blood of a human or an animal. The body naturally tightly regulates blood glucose levels (with the help of insulin that is secreted by pancreas) as a part of metabolic homeostasis. If blood sugar levels are either increased or decreased by a greater margin than expected this might indicate a medical condition. Diabetic patients must monitor their blood sugar levels as body’s inability to properly utilize and / or produce insulin can pose a serious threat to their health. Navigation: Definition: What is blood sugar? What is diabetes? Diagnosis: Diabetes symptoms Levels and indication Normal blood sugar levels Low blood sugar levels High blood sugar levels Managing: How to lower blood sugar level? Children blood sugar levels Blood sugar levels chart Checking for BS: How to check blood sugar? Treatment: How to lower blood sugar level? Can diabetes be cured? Accessories Diabetic Socks Diabetic Shoes What is blood sugar? What does it mean when someone refers to blood sugar level in your body? Blood sugar level (or blood sugar concentration) is the amount of glucose (a source of energy) present in your blood at any given time. A normal blood glucose level for a healthy person is somewhere between 72 mg/dL (3.8 to 4 mmol/L) and 108 mg/dL (5.8 to 6 mmol/L). It, of course, depends on every individual alone. Blood sugar levels might fluctuate due to other reasons (such as exercise, stress and infection). Typically blood sugar level in humans is around 72 mg/dL (or 4 mmol/L). After a meal the blood sugar level may increase temporarily up to 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L). This is normal. A blood sugar level between 72 mg/dL (4 mmol/L) and 108 mg/dL (6 mmol/L) is considered normal for a h Continue reading >>
Gestational Diabetes
What Is Gestational Diabetes? Gestational diabetes sometimes develops when a woman is pregnant. It’s when the blood glucose level (blood sugar level) of the mother goes too high during pregnancy. Having an elevated blood glucose level during pregnancy can cause problems for your baby—if it’s left untreated. Fortunately, doctors are vigilant about checking for gestational diabetes so that it can be identified and effectively managed. A pro-active treatment plan helps you have a good pregnancy and protects the health of your baby. Gestational Diabetes Symptoms Gestational diabetes doesn’t often cause noticeable symptoms for the mother. Other types of diabetes (eg, type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes) do cause symptoms such as increased thirst, but that is hardly ever noticed in gestational diabetes. Because there aren’t often symptoms, it’s very important to be tested for a high blood glucose level when you’re pregnant. (Your doctor will most likely test you for gestational diabetes sometime between the 24th and 28th week. You can learn more about the diagnostic process here.) Then your doctor will know if you need to be treated for gestational diabetes. Gestational Diabetes Causes and Risk Factors Gestational diabetes develops when your body isn’t able to produce enough of the hormone insulin during pregnancy. Insulin is necessary to transport glucose—what your body uses for energy—into the cells. Without enough insulin, you can build up too much glucose in your blood, leading to a higher-than-normal blood glucose level and perhaps gestational diabetes. The elevated blood glucose level in gestational diabetes is caused by hormones released by the placenta during pregnancy. The placenta produces a hormone called the human placental lactogen (HPL), also Continue reading >>
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The Ideal Blood Sugar
Bring up “ideal” blood sugar and you bring out a bag of misconceptions and incredible contradic- tions worthy of TV news magazine coverage. In one report1 we discover what is colorfully called the “panic ranges” of blood sugar, anything below 50 mg% and over 400 mg%, but the nonlethal spread for blood sugar is said to extend from 20 to 1500 mg%.2 There are also all sorts of semantic shenanigans. For instance, we are assured that the so-called normal blood sugar is anything less than either 115 mg%3 or 140 mg%.4-6 Taking such statements literally, zero must be acceptable! Also, while we are here using blood sugar and blood glucose as synonyms, there are real and measurable differences.7 As one might expect, most of the published material is routine, repetitious, and rubbish, probably because of cross-citing.8-15 Put another way, much of what appears in one book or paper has simply been lifted from what has been published elsewhere. The principal emphasis has been on the delineation of the diabetic from the nondiabetic. To complicate matters, there is disagreement on whether to make judgments from fasting versus nonfasting blood sugars, postprandial versus post glucose challenge, and/or many other forms of glucose tolerance testing. Sharp differences exist between the ideas of the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) and those of the World Health Organization (WHO).16 To better appreciate what has transpired in previous papers17-23 one must realize, as discussed below, that the definition of well or ill is a function of where one draws demarcating lines. This apparent complexity of choice has resulted in a plethora of published material on what constitutes “acceptable and/or desirable blood glucose.” Aging and blood sugar reports are plentiful24-26 and in this Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Blood Sugar Readings
www.CardioSmart.org What is a blood sugar reading? A blood sugar reading shows how much sugar, or glucose, is in your blood. A test of your blood sugar may be done to: • Check for diabetes. • See how well diabetes treatment is working. • Check for diabetes that occurs during pregnancy (gestational diabetes). • Check for low or high blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia). What are normal blood sugar readings? There are several types of blood sugar tests. Normal results can vary from lab to lab. Talk with your doctor about what any abnormal results might mean, and about any symptoms and other health problems you have. Normal values for adults who do NOT have prediabetes or diabetes Less than or equal to 100 When you have not eaten (fasting blood sugar): Less than 140 if you are age 50 or younger; less than 150 if you are age 50 to 60; less than 160 if you are age 60 and older 2 hours after eating (postprandial): Levels vary depending on when and how much you ate at your last meal. In general: 80 to 120 beforemeals or when waking up; 100 to 140 at bedtime. Random (casual): Target values for nonpregnant adults who have prediabetes or diabetes 80 to 130When you have not eaten (fasting blood sugar): Less than 1802 hours after eating (postprandial): What causes abnormal blood sugar? High blood sugar can be caused by: • Diabetes or prediabetes. • Certain medicines, such as corticosteroids. Low blood sugar can be caused by: • Certain medicines, especially those used to treat diabetes. • Liver disease, such as cirrhosis. Rarely, high or low blood sugar can be caused by other medical problems that affect hormone levels. Prediabetes and diabetes Blood sugar helps fuel your body. Normally, your blood sugar rises slightly af Continue reading >>
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How To Maintain Normal Blood Sugar
If you are one of the millions of people who has prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or any other form of “insulin resistance,” maintaining normal blood sugar levels can be challenging. Over the past several decades, these chronic disorders have swept through the U.S. and many other nations, reaching epidemic proportions and causing serious, but often preventable, side effects like nerve damage, fatigue, loss of vision, arterial damage and weight gain. Elevated blood sugar levels maintained for an extended period of time can push someone who is “prediabetic” into having full-blown diabetes (which now affects about one in every three adults in the U.S.). (1) Even for people who aren’t necessarily at a high risk for developing diabetes or heart complications, poorly managed blood sugar can lead to common complications, including fatigue, weight gain and sugar cravings. In extreme cases, elevated blood sugar can even contribute to strokes, amputations, coma and death in people with a history of insulin resistance. Blood sugar is raised by glucose, which is the sugar we get from eating many different types of foods that contain carbohydrates. Although we usually think of normal blood sugar as being strictly reliant upon how many carbohydrates and added sugar someone eats, other factors also play a role. For example, stress can elevate cortisol levels, which interferes with how insulin is used, and the timing of meals can also affect how the body manages blood sugar. (2) What can you do to help avoid dangerous blood sugar swings and lower diabetes symptoms? As you’ll learn, normal blood sugar levels are sustained through a combination of eating a balanced, low-processed diet, getting regular exercise and managing the body’s most important hormones in othe Continue reading >>
Why Your “normal” Blood Sugar Isn’t Normal (part 2)
Hi, I just found this site and would like to participate. I will give my numbers, etc. First, my last A1c was 6.1, the doc said it was Pre-diabetes in January of 2014, OK, I get it that part, but what confuses me is that at home, on my glucometer, all my fastings were “Normal” however, back then, I had not checked after meals, so maybe they were the culprits. Now, I am checking all the time and driving myself crazy. In the morning sometimes fasting is 95 and other times 85, it varies day to day. Usually, after a low carb meal, it drops to the 80’s the first hour and lower the second. On some days, when I am naughty and eat wrong, my b/s sugar is still low, and on other days, I can eat the same thing, and it goes sky high, again, not consistent. Normally, however, since February, my fbs is 90, 1 hour after, 120, 2nd hour, back to 90, but, that changes as well. In February, of 2014, on the 5th, it was horrible. I think I had eaten Lasagne, well, before, my sugars did not change much, but that night, WHAM-O I started at 80 before the meal, I forgot to take it at the one and two hour mark, but did at the 3 hour mark, it was 175, then at four hours, down to 160, then at 5 hours, back to 175. I went to bed, because by that time, it was 2 AM, but when I woke up at 8:00 and took it, it was back to 89!!!! This horrible ordeal has only happened once, but, I have gone up to 178 since, but come down to normal in 2 hours. I don’t know if I was extra stressed that day or what, I am under tons of it, my marriage is not good, my dear dad died 2 years ago and my very best friend died 7 months ago, I live in a strange country, I am from America, but moved to New Zealand last year, and I am soooo unhappy. Anyway, what does confuse me is why the daily differences, even though I may Continue reading >>
Blood Glucose Monitoring
One of the main aims of diabetes treatment is to keep blood glucose levels within a specified target range. The key is balancing your food with your activity, lifestyle and diabetes medicines. Blood glucose monitoring can help you understand the link between blood glucose, food, exercise and insulin. Over time your readings will provide you and your health professionals with the information required to determine the best management strategy for your diabetes. Maintaining good blood glucose control is your best defence to reduce the chances of developing complications from diabetes. Self-blood glucose monitoring allows you to check your blood glucose levels as often as you need to or as recommended by your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator. To test blood glucose levels, you need: A blood glucose meter A lancet device with lancets Test strips. Blood glucose meters are usually sold as kits giving you all the equipment you need to start. There are many different types, offering different features and at different prices to meet individual needs. Most of these are available from Diabetes Australia in your state or territory, pharmacies and some diabetes centres. Your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator can help you choose the meter that’s best for you, and your Credentialled Diabetes Educator or pharmacist can show you how to use your meter to get accurate results. To test your blood glucose levels, you prick your finger with the lancet and add a small drop of blood onto a testing strip. This strip is then inserted into the meter, which reads the strip and displays a number – your blood glucose level. When and how often you should test your blood glucose levels varies depending on each individual, the type of diabetes and the tablets and/or insulin being us Continue reading >>
