Diabetic Blood Sugar
Online Resource for Diabetes Sufferers
What Is Normal Blood Sugar
Once this is done, and if you have not consumed any other food or drink, your blood sugar will drop back to normal. Blood sugar levels that do not drop back down to normal mean that there are two problems occurring.
The first means that your cells are literally starving because they don't have enough glucose. The second problem is that the extra sugar in the blood can cause significant damage to the heart and blood vessels, the eyes, the kidneys, and the nervous system.
There are two categories for classifying higher than normal levels of blood sugar. Borderline Diabetes or Pre Diabetes: This type of blood sugar level is high, but not high enough to qualify for diabetes. This condition can also be referred to as impaired fasting glucose, or impaired glucose tolerance; it will depend on how the blood sugar is measured.
Diabetes: There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2.
A person is considered to have Type 1 if their pancreas has lost its ability to make insulin. A person is considered to have Type 2 if the cells in their body have lost their ability to be able to respond to insulin, or if the pancreas has slowed or eventually stopped production of insulin.
While many physicians disagree as to what should classify as low blood sugar, here are the most commonly used guidelines on blood sugar. These guidelines are based upon fasting blood sugar levels taken at least eight hours after you eat.
Normal: Between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) This is considered a healthy level for fasting blood sugar.
Pre diabetes or Borderline Diabetes:Between 100 and 125 mg/dL. There is a high rise for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes: 126 mg/DL or higher. This measurement is taken on two different testing days. There is a risk of damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and eyes.
There are several tests that can be used to test your blood sugar level. Some of these may have different guidelines than those given above. Some of these tests are:
Random Blood Sugar Test: This type of test measures your blood sugar levels at any given time. A normal random blood sugar test result is not clearly defined. If you recently ate, your result shouldn't be more than 200 mg/dL. However, if your level is more than 140 mg/dL, you could be at risk for prediabetes and your physician will more than likely order more tests. If your blood sugar level is more than 200 mg/dL, this suggests that you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. However, a blood sugar level in itself is not enough to determine whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: This type of test measures how your body responds to sugar. You first measure your fasting blood sugar level. Next you will drink a very sugary solution. A blood sugar level measurement is then taken at one hour and again at two hours. If this level rises to more than 200 mg/dL, it may be an indication that you have diabetes. There is also a modified oral glucose tolerance test that is used to check pregnant women to see if they have gestational diabetes.
A1C Test: This test is not used to diagnosis diabetes, but it will gauge how efficiently you are managing the disease. This type of test reflects your average blood glucose level for the prior two to three months. This test will show what percentage of your hemoglobin is glycated. This means that it wills how much of the protein found in your red blood cells is sugar coated. The normal range if you do not have diabetes if between four and six percent. However, this normal range can differ between laboratories. The common AIC level results that are considered good for someone with diabetes are less than seven percent.
Many doctors, however will recommend your level be lower than six percent if you are pregnant. If your level is higher than seven percent, you may need to change your diabetes treatment plan.
Related topics about Blood Sugar
What Causes Diabetes
Only Fat People Develop Diabetes. Obesity does play a large role in whether or not you will develop diabetes. But it is not what causes diabetes.
Glycemic Index
You may be under the assumption that foods like cookies and pies are the ones with a high Glycemic Index rank. However, many healthy and needed foods have a high Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index accounts for carbohydrates which can be natural sugars, as well as processed sugars.
Diabetes Symptoms
Excessive hunger or polyphagia is a symptom that you may have diabetes. This does not mean you are really hungry. If you have eaten with in a few hours and still feel like you are near starvation, you may need to be tested for diabetes.