When you want to know your normal blood sugar levels in a clinical setting, you are advised to fast for a few hours before the test. The normal blood sugar level for a person without diabetes is considered to be about 70-99 mg/dl. For a person living with diabetes, the recommended blood sugar level should be about 80-130 mg/dl. Most medical specialists encourage one to also take a blood sugar level test around two hours after meals.
The recommended normal blood sugar level for a person without diabetes should be below 140 mg/dl. The recommended blood sugar level for a person living with diabetes should be below 180 mg/dl. If you undergo a HbA1c, the normal blood sugar level for a person without diabetes should be below 5.7% while that of a person living with diabetes should be below 7.0%.
The simple definition of blood glucose, or what is commonly referred to as blood sugar, is the sugar that is contained in your blood. It is drawn from the food that you eat. Foods containing carbohydrates are among the greatest contributors to blood glucose. They include foods such as pasta, bread, rice, and fruits. This blood sugar is then used by the body cells in the production of energy which is used for activities such as moving, thinking, learning, and breathing among others. Almost half of the energy produced by the body cells is used by the brain since it is the command center.
The pancreas plays a key role in the management of the normal blood sugar level in the body. It releases various enzymes that help in breaking down the food and hormones such as insulin which helps in the handling of the influx of glucose in the body.
The problem comes in when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin. At times, the pancreas is unable to produce any insulin at all, which results in increased blood glucose levels, way beyond the recommended limit leading to type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes results from increased blood sugar levels in the body as a result of the cells’ inability to utilize the insulin produced by the pancreas. This is what is referred to as insulin resistance. .
The short-term symptoms of high blood sugar levels include; general uneasiness, feelings of thirst, frequent urination, feelings of fatigue, and loss of weight among others. If this condition is not treated, it graduates to more serious issues such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). If your blood sugar rises to chronic levels, you are at risk of suffering from damage of organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, eyes and even nerves.
How then do you get to know your normal blood sugar level?
In most cases, you are not able to feel your blood glucose levels unless they either shoot very high or lower to very low levels. As a matter of fact, type 2 diabetes often goes untreated because most patients do not show the common symptoms of high blood sugar levels.
There are various ways for you to know your normal blood sugar level. You can check it using a glucose meter. This method involves using a finger stick together with a lancet to get a drop of blood that is then inserted into the meter to get your blood sugar readings. You can also check your blood sugar levels using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This method entails reading the amount of glucose contained in the fluid between cells (interstitial fluid) in intervals of about five minutes.
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